Society Activities

Rock Art Task Force

The Rock Art Task Force holds regular training sessions for TAS members interested in learning how to record sites.  These are working sessions, not tours, where members use mapping, photographing, drawing and watercolor techniques to preserve the record left by ancient people all across the state.  For more information or to register for a rock art recording session, contact Teddy Stickney.

INTERSESSION ROCK ART RECORDING IN THE BIG BEND AREA
December 28, 2009 - January 1, 2010

The Rock Art Recording Group will be working in the Big Bend area the week of December 28, 2009 through January 1, 2010 (arriving Sunday, December 27 and departing Saturday, January 2). The group will be headquartered at Wild Horse Station #4, located on Hwy 118 ca. 75 miles south of Alpine and approximately 7 miles north of Study Butte.

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What procedures are used to record rock art?

The process of recording rock art is a systematic identification and inventory of figures and symbols placed on rock by individuals in the past.  These drawings can be historic or prehistoric, isolated figures or groups of figures called panels.  The systematic method records details of the artwork on standardized forms, scale drawings, photography and watercolor.

Who can participate?

You need to be at least 16 years old and young enough to be able to do a little hiking into the site.  Once at the site ladders are frequently used to get to the higher panels.  There may even be some climbing over boulders to get to the rock art but there are no dangerous activities.  Every project is different and you would know all the details before you decided to participate.

Do I need experience to participate?

If you are interested in participating in rock art recording come on!  No experience is necessary.  You don’t even have to have experience in archeology.  We will train you on what to do.

What if I’m not an artist?

Having the artistic capability to do watercolors of the artwork is a welcome talent but you don’t have to be an artist to record rock art.  One of the methods used in recording rock art is replicating the panels on graph paper to scale.  A grid system is used to enable individuals to easily transfer the rock art to graph paper.  You will be trained in the methods used to accomplish this.

Where are the sites located?

More rock art sites are located in West Texas in the Rio Grande and Pecos River area than any other; however, recording has been done at Paint Rock and other sites not in those areas.

Where do we stay?

Camping in tents, popup or hard-side trailers is the normal lodging used by participants.  Camping areas such as state parks or private campgrounds with restroom facilities and water are utilized as much as possible.  Occasionally landowners allow us to stay in bunkhouses.  None of the projects have required primitive camping.

What about food?

Food is normally provided for a fee.  If you have special needs you would be responsible for providing your own meals.  Specific plans are made based on a project-to-project basis.

How much does it cost?

At this time there is no registration cost.  Membership in the Texas Archeological Society is required and money to cover the costs of film, materials and food would be divided among the participants.