Prehistoric Indians of the Lower Pecos Region, Seminole Canyon, Tx скачать в хорошем качестве

Prehistoric Indians of the Lower Pecos Region, Seminole Canyon, Tx

Hi guys. Ken here. I'm in the Lower Pecos region of Texas, that is the Southwest corner of the state. It's somewhat remote here, but the area has attracted people for over 11,000 years. Join me in the adventure to find out why. The area is like an immortal storyteller. Vast canyons were etched in limestone over 70 million years ago, after a time when warm shallow seas covered the area. These canyons remember both human habitation and several geological and climatic changes. The area is bounded by three rivers: the Pecos to the West, the Devils to the East, and the Rio Grande to the South. The rivers probably attracted the area's earliest human inhabitants. Nearly 12,000 years ago, nomadic hunters entered the Lower Pecos region. They enjoyed abundant food, including rabbit, mammoth and bison. Herds of camels, horses and elephants roamed the rich fertile land. These peole took shelter in the canyons. Although the area is drier than it was in prehistoric times, many of the same plants still grow here today. Melinda, a Rock Art Foundation guide, explained that bulbs from selected plants (Lechuguill and Soto) were harvested and put into bake ovens. They've found remnants of bake ovens when excavating the site we're going in. They would bake them for several days and eat them when they came out -- kind of like an artichoke. I walked into several rock shelters during my week long visit to the Lower Pecos. Here, I'm at the Fate Bell Shelter, in Seminole Canyon. About 4,000 years ago people lived here, designating different areas for sleeping, cooking, and other activities. They slept on woven mats on the ground. Over a period of 4 to 6 thousand years, the walls were extensively decorated with pictographs. Several different styles were used, representing their beliefs and what was important to their lives. The oldest style, the Pecos River style, is the oldest religious art form in Texas (and possibly the Americas). We can only imagine the preparations involved in production of major pictographs, some of which are over 30 feet across. In many shelters, designs were also carved into rocks. This rectangle is an interesting example. It is exactly oriented north-east-south-west. Wonder how they did that? Melinda pointed to a hollowed-out section of a rock and explained that food and paint may have been ground in depressions such as these. She continued: "In some of the other shelters, these may depressions are very long -- as long as my arm." Selected sections of some shelters were used for toilets. Yes, I am holding human poop, thousands of years old! Graffiti from recent historic times may also be seen in rock shelters. For example, this is from the railroad construction eara, circa 1884. Remnants of the roadbed for the Southern Pacific Railroad may also be seen. It was constructed in 1882 and abandoned 1892. Here is their bake oven. In spite of the harsh environment, there are many photo opportunities for wildflowers and wildlife. The Lower Pecos region is our portal to the past. Preservation is a growing concern. Valuable sites are now threatened due to human activity. Some archeologists believe that our children may be the last generation to see this rock art, due to their rapid rate of deterioration. What happens to these ancient treasures, depends on our decisions. "We had no written language to leave you word of our people, but we had art, primitive to you, historical to use, to tell you of our world." Jim Zintgraff. For additional information see: Seminole Cayon State Park website: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/fi... and The Rock Art Foundation: http://www.rockart.org/. Also read Life in a Rock Shelter, Prehistoric Indians of the Lower Pecos by G. Elaine Acker, 1996, Hendrick-Long Publishing Co. Filmed by Ken Kramm, March 2011 at Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site, Amistad National Recreation Area and the White Shaman Shelter. Creative Commons Music, The Freesound Project, sandyrb Native Drum Loop.