The Canadian province of Alberta has a long history of human habitation, and these First Nations people have left many of their stories craved on rock features throughout the area. The kind of rock carving Alberta can offer is rich in cultural tradition, and provides valuable insight into the traditions and world view of these native Canadians. By preserving and deciphering the images they left behind, we can study the culture of people who had no written language as it is now understood.
Academics and other scholars often group all of these images under the term 'rock art', but there are different kinds of art which uses a stone surface. While images painted onto stone using red ochre, animal fats and water are referred to as 'pictographs', a different terms is used for those images which are etched or carved into the surface of rocks. These are generally called 'petroglyphs', and were often made using stone or bone tools to carve the designs into the stone.
The petroglyphs in this part of Canada portray a range of different aspects of First Nations life. Scenes in some places consist of a single figure, either human or animal. Other, much more complex, examples depict whole battle stories, with images of camps full of warriors.
The depictions of human beings in the petroglyphs vary immensely in terms of the detail which is shown. Many are simple stick figures, with very basic designs of headdresses or weapons added on. Other figures show much more movement and energy. Some figures, on horseback and in full regalia, seem full of movement, and could be hunting or out raiding.
Other examples are images of animals, in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Elk, bear, bison, deer and dogs are all among the species of animals depicted in petroglyphs. Even snakes and birds feature in some designs too, and although simplistic and stylistic, they seem to capture some essential essence of the animal that they depict.
As well as the depictions of humans and animals, many petroglyphs feature abstract signs and geometric shapes. Much of the meaning of these images remains opaque. Many of those who have studied these have theorised that they could be some sort of visual representation of the spirit contained in the rocks.
Other variations in the images occur due to them being carved in different eras of history, as artistic styles and cultural tropes changed and mutated. Other differences are due to them being carved by different groups of First Nations people. Plains cultures used different styles of carving to people from the plateau region of British Columbia, with both groups visiting and using sites in Alberta.
The sort of First Nations rock carving Alberta is blessed with comes in many forms and types. Present day First Nations people still use many of these sites, visiting them for sacred purposes, with elders helping scholars to interpret the signs and symbols used. The art work and images provide a vital insight for all of us into he culture of Canada's indigenous peoples, their lifestyles and their world view.
Academics and other scholars often group all of these images under the term 'rock art', but there are different kinds of art which uses a stone surface. While images painted onto stone using red ochre, animal fats and water are referred to as 'pictographs', a different terms is used for those images which are etched or carved into the surface of rocks. These are generally called 'petroglyphs', and were often made using stone or bone tools to carve the designs into the stone.
The petroglyphs in this part of Canada portray a range of different aspects of First Nations life. Scenes in some places consist of a single figure, either human or animal. Other, much more complex, examples depict whole battle stories, with images of camps full of warriors.
The depictions of human beings in the petroglyphs vary immensely in terms of the detail which is shown. Many are simple stick figures, with very basic designs of headdresses or weapons added on. Other figures show much more movement and energy. Some figures, on horseback and in full regalia, seem full of movement, and could be hunting or out raiding.
Other examples are images of animals, in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Elk, bear, bison, deer and dogs are all among the species of animals depicted in petroglyphs. Even snakes and birds feature in some designs too, and although simplistic and stylistic, they seem to capture some essential essence of the animal that they depict.
As well as the depictions of humans and animals, many petroglyphs feature abstract signs and geometric shapes. Much of the meaning of these images remains opaque. Many of those who have studied these have theorised that they could be some sort of visual representation of the spirit contained in the rocks.
Other variations in the images occur due to them being carved in different eras of history, as artistic styles and cultural tropes changed and mutated. Other differences are due to them being carved by different groups of First Nations people. Plains cultures used different styles of carving to people from the plateau region of British Columbia, with both groups visiting and using sites in Alberta.
The sort of First Nations rock carving Alberta is blessed with comes in many forms and types. Present day First Nations people still use many of these sites, visiting them for sacred purposes, with elders helping scholars to interpret the signs and symbols used. The art work and images provide a vital insight for all of us into he culture of Canada's indigenous peoples, their lifestyles and their world view.
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