“Rock Imagery Inventory and Documentation Course”

Seven Saturdays, beginning January 21 through April 22, 2023, a course on “Rock Imagery Inventory and Documentation” will be taught by archaeologist Aaron M. Wright, PhD, sponsored by Old Pueblo Archaeology Center. The course will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Saturday, with a requested donation of $99 ($80 for members of Old Pueblo Archaeology Center, the Arizona Archaeological Society, and Friends of Pueblo Grande Museum); donation does not include cost of optional AAS membership or AAS Certification Program enrollment.

Rock imagery – as in petroglyphs and pictographs – is found the world over and is especially abundant in the southwestern region of North America. With 20 hours of seminar and 42 hours of fieldwork, this course will provide enrollees a basic intellectual and practical experience in the inventory and documentation of rock imagery. While both the classroom and fieldwork components will be situated in southern Arizona, the knowledge gained and skills developed will be applicable to any rock imagery context worldwide. Participants who successfully complete the course will have developed a general familiarity with rock imagery, be able to converse with more experienced avocationals and professionals in the field, understand the relevant laws, methods, and ethics, and be field-ready for future field projects.

Class sessions scheduled for Saturdays January 21, February 4 and 18, March 4 and 25, and April 8 and 22 each will include 2½ hours of in-classroom and 5½ hours of field recording time with two half-hour breaks. Most or all of the class fieldwork will be at the Picture Rocks petroglyphs site west of Tucson. Participants are responsible for providing their own transportation, lunches, and lodging. Participants also are encouraged to attend the March 3-6 American Rock Art Research Association Conference in Tucson (information to be forthcoming).

Dr. Aaron Wright is a Preservation Anthropologist with the Tucson-based Archaeology Southwest nonprofit organization and author of Religion on the Rocks: Hohokam Rock Art, Ritual Practice, and Social Transformation (University of Utah Press, 2014) among other publications.

The class meets the requirements of the Arizona Archaeological Society (AAS) Training, Certification and Education (TCE) program’s “Rock Art Recorder” course. For information on the AAS and its TCE program visit www.azarchsoc.org/page-807603.

Prerequisite to enroll in this course is successful completion of either the AAS “Archaeology of the Southwest” or “Advanced Southwest Archaeology – Hohokam” class or equivalent training approved by Dr. Wright.

Class is limited to 16 participants. Reservations and prepayment are due 10 days after reservation request or by 5 pm Friday January 13, whichever is earlier. To register or for more information contact Old Pueblo at 520-798-1201 or info@oldpueblo.org.

Caption: A zoomorphic petroglyph at the Picture Rocks site, photo by Katherine P. Burdick

Flyer: 20230121-0422(v1)_AaronWright_RockImageryInventoryAndDocumentationCourse