Spirituality in Rock Art Yesterday and Today: Reflections from the Northern Plains and Far Western United States

Abstract

Through time the concept of spirituality and how it relates to rock art has changed within all documented cultures, and the role rock art played in a specific ritual or practice has not remained static, although the degree to which it has been altered varies from slight to so extensive that it is no longer a part of that cultural practice. The chapters in this volume provide a glimpse into this diverseness and how it manifests itself worldwide through time. The view of sacredness today from an academic perspective provides a basis for understanding the concept of a Sacred Landscape and a basis for our approach to understanding these places relative to rock art of the past. An examination of how rock art shaped the sacred landscapes of two regions within the western United States provides evidence that the placement of rock art within an environmental setting can change an ordinary space into one that retains sacredness through cultural changes.