American Rock Research Articles

International Geomechanics Symposium a success

As the oil and gas industry is striving for efficiency, cost reduction, and improved performance across the value chain, integrated workflows that combine various disciplines into subsurface drilling, characterization, and production have become increasingly important. Geomechanics is gaining stronger ground as a vital tool in modeling, simulation, and operations. Given its importance, the American Rock Mechanics Association, Dhahran Geoscience Society, and Society of Exploration Geophysicists cohosted the International Geomechanics Symposium. The event was conducted virtually 3–5 November 2020.

Phenology of Rock Pool Mosquitoes in the Southern Appalachian Mountains: Surveys Reveal Apparent Winter Hatching of Aedes japonicus and the Potential For Asymmetrical Stage-Specific Interactions.

The North American rock pool mosquito, Aedes atropalpus, has reportedly decreased in abundance following the introduction of Ae. japonicus japonicus to the USA, but the specific mechanisms responsible for the reduction remain unclear. Thus, there is a need for field studies to improve our knowledge of natural rock pool systems where both species co-occur. We sampled rock pool invertebrates over a 12-month period along the Chattooga River at a high-elevation site (728 m) near Cashiers, NC, and at a lower-elevation site (361 m) near Clayton, GA. We identified 12 orders of macroinvertebrates representing at least 19 families and 5 mosquito species. Aedes j. japonicus was present year-round at both sites. We observed overwintering Ae. j. japonicus larvae in pools with water temperatures as cold as 3°C and detected apparent winter egg hatching in water below 10°C. Aedes atropalpus was rarely encountered at the high-elevation site but was highly abundant in the summer months at the low-elevation site. Late-stage Ae. j. japonicus larvae inhabited pools in March 2019 when Ae. atropalpus first appeared in the same pools, creating the potential for asymmetrical stage-specific interactions. Our observations provide evidence of overwintering and early hatching of Ae. j. japonicus in the southeastern climate. Further study of the importance of stage-dependent competition and winter egg hatching of diapausing Ae. j. japonicus eggs is warranted.

Prison and the Law in Modern American and British Popular Music

From politics to commerce, the influence of music on behaviour is acknowledged. Whether it is calypso music which for centuries has been used in the Caribbean to provide sociopolitical commentary, or the Hungarian folk music that promoted liberal communism in the late Cold War era, the importance and impact of contemporary music are evident. Likewise in the United States, the blues music of the 1920s and 1930s graphically and authentically narrated the harsh reality of the lives of its singers and outed its effects. In particular, it addressed the experiences of conflict with the justice system and incarceration through the eyes and voices of its creators. It seems reasonable, therefore, to expect that American and British rock and pop music would similarly have provided a candid narrative on contemporary social issues over the last 60 years. In particular one would assume that it would have reflected in a straightforward way on the engagement of its proponents with the justice system. Rock music is often referred to as “blues with a backbeat”. However, when it comes to the lyrics of modern popular American and British music of the last 60 years, the direct challenge of those directly affected by conviction and punishment appears be sanitised. Even when addressing the issues of crime and imprisonment, commercial acceptability seems to trump authentic reportage and heartfelt protest. In contrast, the themes of oppression, poverty and violence that blues musicians shared in their songs find themselves front and centre in hiphop. A brief overview of the field suggests that unlike pop and rock performers who put the cynical targeting of commercial opportunities before personal integrity, hiphop like the blues before it, is context driven ‘freedom music’. The distinction and reasons are worth exploring.

Population Growth Rates of Aedes atropalpus (Diptera: Culicidae) Are Depressed at Lower Temperatures Where Aedes japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) Are Naturally Abundant in Rock Pools

Recent studies report extensive reductions in the abundance of the North American rock pool mosquito, Aedes atropalpus (Diptera: Culicidae), following the invasion of Ae. japonicus japonicus in the United States. Although developmental temperature is recognized as an important component of the invasion biology of Ae. j. japonicus, its impacts on the population growth and fitness of Ae. atropalpus remain largely undefined. In this study we reared Ae. atropalpus larvae at three temperature ranges reflecting ecologically important temperatures in natural rock pools: a low temperature range (mean: 19°C) where Ae. j. japonicus is common and Ae. atropalpus is often rare, a middle temperature range (mean: 25°C) where both species are naturally found in similar relative abundances, and a higher temperature range (mean: 31°C) where Ae. atropalpus is the dominant species. We measured survival, development time, wing length, and fecundity to calculate a finite population growth rate at each temperature. Our results indicate that Ae. atropalpus population growth suffers in colder rock pools, which informs the perceived displacement of the species in temperate habitats. The population growth rate was highest in the middle temperature range, but not significantly higher than in the highest temperature range used in this study. The developmental success of Ae. atropalpus at the intermediate temperature range suggests that competition with Ae. j. japonicus in rock pools within that range may significantly impact natural Ae. atropalpus populations.

The Struggles of Self: Analysing the Music of Linkin Park and Sleeping At Last

The notion of self has been a subject of extensive research in both Western as well as Indian contexts. However, there is a dearth of contemporary self-reported accounts on self in the existing literature. The present study, therefore, seeks to counter this issue by exploring various conceptions of self and its struggles as represented in pop culture, specifically music. Music has been singled out owing to its cathartic nature for both the performers and the listeners. Moreover, it was also chosen as research suggests that millennials spend a lot of their time listening to music, thereby echoing their emotional lives as well. Therefore, the lyrics of the songs were analysed to provide an account of the self as experienced in modern lives. For the purpose of the study, 5 songs by the American rock band Linkin Park and 3 songs by an independent artist Sleeping At Last were selected because of the similarity in their content with respect to the portrayal of struggles faced by self and were analysed using thematic analysis. The results unveiled themes like “Dearth of Self”, “Oppression of the Self” and “Self-Sabotaging Thoughts”, among others, which highlight the existential nature of the conflicts that the self undergoes. It can be inferred that self-deprecating nature of one’s own thoughts and a perceived sense of external pressure on the self lay the foundation of the struggles of the self. This study has implications for unravelling these struggles and using that knowledge to possibly deal with it.

“The Dress-Clad, Out Loud Singer of Queer Punks”: Bradford Cox and the Performance of Disability

AbstractBradford Cox's physical appearance has mystified audiences, critics, and fans since the inception of his American indie rock band Deerhunter in the early 2000s. As the band's frontman, Cox is 6’4” with an exceptionally thin, angular frame, physical effects associated with Marfan syndrome. Yet many critics and fans do not recognize that he has a disability per se, instead speculating about possible anorexia, drug abuse, mental illness, and even his gender and sexual orientation. Through analysis of Cox's reception and creative output, I argue that the simultaneous fetishization and normalization of his body is due to its resonance with two overlapping countercultural discourses: the current idealization of thinness in indie rock as it both extends and departs from an earlier tradition of freakery and androgyny in punk. I show that Cox resists what he views as the masculine heteronormativity and performative apathy of indie rock through “freakish” sartorial reference to his androgynous punk idols PJ Harvey, Joey Ramone, and Patti Smith, an aesthetic that for Cox is vitally queer. Cox uses his solo musical output to further convey his alienation as a queer-disabled male artist: through his lyrics, album art, and specific vocal affectations and production techniques, he establishes a continuity across the visual and sonic registers of his identity to ultimately achieve a sense of belonging.

Heavy metal justice? Calibrating the economic and aesthetic accreditation of the heavy metal genre in the pages of Rolling Stone 1980–91: Part one 1980–851

Given the genre name heavy metal can be traced to a negative adjective that emerges out of 70s rock journalism and which reflects a widespread dissensus among rock critics about its value and impact on North American rock music, how are we to explain the gradual or cumulative shift away from this majority aesthetic disapprobation, in the 1980–85 period, towards a widespread economic accreditation, particularly in the pages of leading rock magazine, Rolling Stone? Is it simply a belated recognition of the longevity of the genre and its resurgent popularity with majority audiences? If so, how are we to explain the subsequent shift, clearly evident in the Rolling Stone coverage in the 1986–91 period, from economic to aesthetic approbation of selective bands, particularly those identified with a thrash metal underground, which is nevertheless seen to emerge from within the genre or to be an aesthetic development of some of its key musical features, while rejecting others? Drawing on a comprehensive survey, composed of album reviews, lead or feature articles and interviews, drawn from the Rolling Stone archive, my research reports, in Part One of this article, a definite shift in the critical reception of heavy metal to economic accreditation in the 1980–85 period, based not only on the genre’s persistence and sustained economic success but also its ability to appeal beyond its core metal audience and therefore challenge the dominant rock and pop aesthetic. For some critics this means that a selective set of popular bands, such as AC/DC, the Scorpions and Def Leppard, can be afforded a degree of aesthetic approbation, even the status of ‘artists’. But this praise also leads to the Great Metal Question: can they now seek to move beyond the musical and lyrical conventions of heavy metal in order to appeal to a wider audience beyond their core fanbase?

Petroglyphs, Pictographs, and Projections: Native American Rock Art in the Contemporary Cultural Landscape by Richard A. Rogers

Reviewed by: Petroglyphs, Pictographs, and Projections: Native American Rock Art in the Contemporary Cultural Landscape by Richard A. Rogers Phil R. Geib Petroglyphs, Pictographs, and Projections: Native American Rock Art in the Contemporary Cultural Landscape. By Richard A. Rogers. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2018. xv + 398 pp. Figures, color plates, references cited, index. $34.95, paper. Richard Rogers's "rock art" book is unlike any other. This is largely because it is not really about ancient images on stone, the petroglyphs and pictographs of the book title, but is rather a critical commentary on how those images get appropriated, commodified, and interpreted by the dominant Euro-American culture. This distinctive aspect is either its chief attraction or detraction depending upon the reader's point of view. Native American images from the Southwest serve as the raw material for Rogers's critique, no doubt in part because his home institution of Northern Arizona University is centrally located in this mecca for rock art enthusiasts. The issues that he talks about, such as turning ancient rock art images into commodities for sale, are also on full display in the Southwest—who doesn't have some tourist trinket, cup, or piece of clothing with rock art images on it? The source of his arguments might be localized, but his line of critical reasoning can be extended to all regions of the world. As such, this is a book intended for wide readership. A comment by Kelley Hays-Gilpin [End Page 108] on the back cover importunes archaeologists, historic preservation specialists, rock art enthusiasts, park rangers, and others to read the book for its "unsettling messages and useful critical methods." For those who heed this advice, be prepared to be unsettled and challenged, but also at times to simply laugh and muse, "that argument is quite a stretch." Linking the interpretive shift for some Great Basin rock art from hunting magic to shamanism as resulting from a contemporary "crisis of masculinity" is just one example. Still, Rogers presents much to think about. Polly Schaafsma's book Images and Power: Rock Art and Ethics (Springer, 2013) covers somewhat similar ground, but it does so in a slim volume roughly one quarter the size of Rogers's tome. More is not necessarily better, since Rogers could have expressed his cultural criticisms more succinctly. Some of this occurs because four of his eight chapters are expanded revisions of previously published papers, with most of the other chapters used to place them in context by introducing his theoretical approach and then summing up the arguments. The result is considerable redundancy and repetition of his main points. Rogers is keenly aware that criticism is easy (318) and that a critic who watches the game from a lofty booth rather than being down on the hot, muddy field of play is in something of an enviable position. There is critique aplenty but few or no remedies or suggested solutions, even for issues that a communications professor might be readied to attempt fixing, such as finding a suitable replacement for the term rock art. Rogers introduces the debate about this term but leaves it unresolved and sticks with it as part of an "uneasy consensus" rather than putting forward "appealing alternatives" (43). One result of taking Rogers's critique to heart, at least in the extreme, would be to cease all engagement with rock art. I doubt that he would actually advocate for this, and his final chapter makes it clear that he will continue to "collect" rock art and to write about it, at least as concerns its role in contemporary culture, in order to advance his academic career. I can easily envision using this book as a text for a student seminar on rock art and also using chapter 7, "Overcoming the Preservation Paradigm," as a means to foment discussion in a class on heritage resource management. Phil R. Geib Department of Anthropology University of Nebraska–Lincoln Copyright © 2020 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

A Conversation With Jeff Tweedy

A Conversation With Jeff Tweedy Michael Piafsky (bio) and Jeff Tweedy Click for larger view View full resolution Photo by Whitten Sabbatini [End Page 156] INTERVIEW As the founding member and leader of the American rock band Wilco and before that the cofounder of the alt-country band Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy is one of contemporary American music's most accomplished songwriters, musicians, and performers. Since starting Wilco in 1994, Jeff has written original songs for eleven Wilco albums as well as collaborations with Billy Bragg, Mavis Staples, and many others. Wilco's 2005 album, A Ghost Is Born, earned a Grammy award for Best Alternative Album, [End Page 157] and Tweedy has also been nominated for two other Grammys. His collection of poems, Adult Head, was released by Zoo Press in 2004. His memoir, Let's Go (So We Can Get Back), was released by Dutton in 2018. His newest book, How to Write One Song: Loving the Things We Create and How They Love Us Back, demystifies the creative process and brings readers into the intimate process of writing one song—lyrics, music, and putting it all together. In it, Tweedy argues for the importance of making creativity a part of daily life for everyone, not just career artists and songwriters. It will be released by Dutton in October 2020. Tweedy lives in Chicago with his family. This interview was conducted in September 2020. ________ MICHAEL PIAFSKY: Your earliest memories of music are more focused on writings about music (like Lester Bangs's essays on The Clash) than on music itself. And the recollections in the early portion of your memoir, Let's Go (So We Can Get Back), come alive with characters like David Reeves, "the socially-awkward man-mutant" who sold you the music. Is this a product of finding it difficult to write about something as ethereal as songs, or was it more that the architecture around rock 'n' roll was your entry point into it and a large part of the allure? JEFF TWEEDY: I think music is difficult to write about. A lot of what makes it worthwhile and magical and poignant is that you can't really say it. You need music to express some things because it's the only way to communicate a certain feeling sometimes. If I could write that feeling, I probably wouldn't have learned to play guitar. Also, I just thought those were interesting things. Everyone has their own personal subjective relationships with music, but nobody gets to see a character like David Reeves unless I tell them about him. At the same time, the early '80s was a time uniquely suited to spit out characters like David Reeves. The pre-Internet world made these incredible hybrid beings of comic books and rock 'n' roll and fanzines, and there was almost no guidance and no real examples to follow for a guy in a small Midwest town. I think that helped form me and certainly people like David Reeves and the other people in the record stores. My theory is that there are more of them now, but they don't need to go outside anymore. They used to have to walk to streets to find each other. [End Page 158] PIAFSKY: You describe your childhood as mundane—"mauve"—you also identify your grandfather as a "cabbie/pimp" without really going into that either time you mention him; it would seem like a contradiction. In shaping the narrative, how much did you weigh one truth—"In order to understand me, it is important for the reader to know that my childhood was mundane and my grandfather's profession was irrelevant to that"—against another: "I am trying to compel readers, and the fact that my grandfather was a pimp is fair and valuable material now." TWEEDY: I did not want to be mythologizing or glamorizing or romanticizing, or any of those things that I wouldn't trust, ego-wise. The fact is that my grandfather was a pretty unique character, but he was also kept at a distance from me when I was a kid. I had limited interactions with him, and I certainly didn't...

«Look Who's Gone!» Chester Bennington as a Media Hero of <i>Our</i> Time

The article is devoted to the memory of the outstanding American rock musician, singer, poet, charity man, frontman of Linkin Park – Chester Charles Bennington. The text is the first attempt to consider the phenomenon of creativity and personality of Bennington as a media hero on a global scale, aesthetically, mentally and ethically influenced on the mental health of several generations in the first two decades of the new century. Using the fragments from the huge stream of comments in the Network for the musician's departure, the author analyzes some semantic blocks of these messages, revealing in them functional and typological coincidences with the heroes from traditional myths. In particular, the analysis of some semantic blocks of intertext on the death of Chester Bennington, suggests that similar to the heroes of traditional myths, Chester as a media hero performed paternalistic and soteriological functions, acted as an object of adoration (idol), was a role model, his departure marked for millions of fans keen sense of the passage of time. Also in the article, an attempt was made identify the specific features of the media hero, which are due to the special sphere of its existence, namely, media reality. Short, full of incredible turns, hard work, harmful tragic passions, love and compassion, the fate of Chester Bennington during his life began to acquire legendary features.

Multi-approach Geological Strength Index (GSI) Determination for Stratified Sedimentary Rock Masses in Singapore

The main aim of this study is to present the results of the Geological Strength Index (GSI) predicted by three different empirical equations, currently available in literature, which used the input parameters applied in the well-established rock mass classification systems, namely the RMR1989 (Bieniawski in Engineering rock mass classification. Wiley, New York, 1989) and the Q system (Barton et al. in Rock Mech. 6(4):189–239, 1974). To meet the objective, the GSI of the stratified sedimentary rock masses at underground rock cavern excavation project in Singapore are calculated by the three different empirical equations. It is observed that the empirical approach by Hoek (in: 47th US rock mechanics/geomechanics symposium, American Rock Mechanics Association, 2013) is the highest among those calculated GSI values. In the next steps, the empirically calculated GSI values are compared with quantitative GSI and qualitative GSI determined at the site. It is noted that all three calculated vales are still higher than the quantitative GSI values determined by charts proposed by Hoek (in: 47th US rock mechanics/geomechanics symposium, American Rock Mechanics Association, 2013), Cai et al. (Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 41(1):3–49, 2004), Sonmez and Ulusay (Intl. J Rock Mech Min Sci 36:743–760, 1999) and Russo (Tunnel Undergr Space Technol 24:103–111, 2009) approaches (Winn and Wong in Geotech Geol Eng, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-018-0748-8) and qualitative GSI values determined on excavated rock faces using charts by Hoek et al. (Support of underground excavations in hard rock. Balkema, Rotterdam, 1995) and Marinos and Hoek (in: GeoEng2000, Melbourne, Australia, 2000). To make a narrow gap, modification of those empirical equations is proposed for the sedimentary rock masses in Singapore. The calculated results by proposed equations with field-estimated qualitative GSI fall in the range of ± 10. The Excel add-in program Crystal Ball (Oracle Crop.) has been applied to perform probabilistic analyses using Monte Carlo simulations in all three modified empirical equations for determination of the GSI. It is observed that the results of the base case, mean and median GSI values are in the comparable ranges. The sensitivity analysis was performed to explore the influence of individual input parameter in the determination of GSI.

Paradox of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness in Guns N’ Roses “Civil War”

The United States of America has long been known as the pioneer of freedom and democracy. The country promotes the idea of acquiring self-fulfillment without interfering others. Man can have his freedom upon life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness given to him ever since he was born. The long history of the United States of America recorded events and tumults testing the loftiness of American Dream. One of the American rock bands portraying the aforementioned situation is Guns N’ Roses. The lyric of “Civil War” clearly describes the paradox of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Protest against war was increasing. Thus, the waves of strike and demonstration occurred as critics toward Government policy. At this point, rock bands also have important roles in accommodating people’s hopes and wishes. By using several elements of poetry, an argumentative analysis is developed and elaborated in order to reveal the attitude of people regarding government policy on war.. Keywords: Paradox; War, Government policy; Guns N’ Roses;

The petroglyphs of Toro Muerto: new documentation and discoveries at the largest South American rock art complex

Abstract

Breve historia del rock en Colombia desde los años 60 hasta la actualidad (parte2)

En este artículo se desarrolla la segunda parte de una breve historia del rock en Colombia en el contexto más amplio del rock en Latinoamérica a partir de los años 60. Su propósito fundamental es visibilizar el trabajo de algunos bateristas que tuvieron un papel clave en esta historia local del rock. Se trata de un texto realizado por un baterista interesado en el trabajo pionero de bateristas colombianos que aportaron interesantes ideas compositivas para el desarrollo del rock en Colombia.

A Study on the Application of Rock Asphalt from Sichuan China Based on Anti-Rutting Performance

To solve the early rutting failure of asphalt pavement, the application of rock asphalt from Sichuan, China, based on anti-rutting performance, was studied. Preparations of North Sichuan rock asphalt (NS RA) and NS RA-modified asphalt mixture were elaborated in detail. Using Zhonghai AH-70 asphalt, Esso AH-70 asphalt, North American rock asphalt (NA RA) and NS RA, the performances of NS RA modified asphalt were researched based on index tests, Brookfield rotary viscosity test and bending beam rheometer test. A performance verification of NS RA-modified asphalt was carried out using rutting calculation, the rutting, indirect tensile fatigue, freeze–thaw split and small beam bending tests based on five kinds of selected gradations. The results indicated that in comparison with NA RA, the NS RA has a good modification effect as well. The NS RA can obviously improve the anti-rutting ability of the asphalt binder, and it can enhance its anti-aging performance as well. For the NS RA-modified asphalt mixture, it is feasible to determine the optimum NS RA content, based on its anti-rutting performance, and its optimum NS RA content is about 8%. The dynamic stability values of NS RA-modified asphalt mixtures are at least 3-fold higher than those of the base asphalt mixtures, and they are all far greater than the summer hot area requirement (no less than 2800 times/mm). NS RA-modified asphalt mixtures used in the middle course of asphalt pavement can obviously improve the anti-rutting performance of the pavement, and to enhance the anti-rutting ability of pavements, it should be used in the middle course of the pavement. The fatigue life values of NS RA-modified asphalt mixtures are at least 14.5-fold higher than those of the base asphalt mixtures. The freeze–thaw splitting strength ratio values of NS RA-modified asphalt mixtures are improved by at least 9.5% over the base asphalt mixtures, and their freeze–thaw splitting strength ratio values are all greater than the requirement (no less than 75%). In comparison with the base asphalt, the low temperature performances of NS RA-modified asphalt and its mixtures slightly decline, but they can meet the requirements for the zones with a minimum temperature of no less than –21.5 °C too. Therefore, except for the extremely low temperature area, it is an effective method for solving the rutting problem of pavement for using NS RA-modified asphalt.

Territorializing/decolonizing South American prehistory: Pedra Furada and the Cerutti Mastodon

ABSTRACTSouth American rock art and prehistory with all its controversies is a rich site for exploring the processes of territorialization through which humans shape their understanding of the world in their earliest movements through the environment, and also for examining how narratives of prehistory are woven. The paper examines the debate over the Cerutti Mastodon and why Serra da Capivara, one of the largest rock art complexes in the world, remains in analytic limbo. It suggests that rethinking these two examples may offer a possible way out of some of the analytic difficulties in South American prehistory through a decolonizing approach to understanding the reasons for the rejection of the Cerutti Mastodon, and the lack of recognition of Serra da Capivara’s most important site – Bocqueirã da Pedra Furada (PBF).

“Lost in Translation? Transnational American Rock Music of the Sixties and its Misreading in 1980s China”

Author(s): Teng Jimeng, . | Abstract: Excerpt from The Power of Culture: Encounters between China and the United States, edited by Priscilla Roberts

Testing the relationships between conflict, specialization, and place attachment among members of the American Alpine Club

Conflict in outdoor recreation has been widely studied for over 50 years. However, its relationship to other dominant constructs within outdoor recreation remains limited. This study examined the relationships between conflict, specialization, and place attachment among North American rock climbers from the American Alpine Club. This analysis tested relationships proposed by Jacob and Schreyer (1980) and Ditton, Loomis, and Choi (1992). Specialization was expected to predict place attachment and conflict. Place attachment was expected to predict conflict. Additionally, the relationship between frequency of viewing problem behaviors and rating them as a problem was tested. No dimension of specialization or place attachment showed a relationship with conflict in the model. The strongest predictor of conflict was the frequency of viewing problem behaviors. Management implications●The primary predictor of perceiving conflict with other climbers was experiencing problematic behaviors frequently.●Efforts to decrease overall conflict should focus on determining which types of behaviors are occurring and managing for those behaviors directly.●Neither attachment to the resource nor specialization had a relationship with conflict, if a user did not experience problematic behaviors frequently they were unlikely to report conflict.●As expected, the more committed a user was to their sport, the more they were attached to their primary climbing areas.●Managers should make sure they work with highly committed users, as they will likely be valuable allies.

Carved Into History: The Vernacular Rock Inscriptions of the Connecticut Valley

Abstract This study is the first comprehensive analysis of the unexpectedly rich collection of informal inscriptions carved into the basalt lava (traprock) cliffs and promontories of the Connecticut Valley. An analysis of the tools and techniques used to produce the inscriptions, and problems in documenting and conserving the historic rock carvings are presented. The vernacular inscriptions range from unskilled scratching of the weathered surfaces with objects “at hand,” to deep carvings executed by master stonecutters using hardened steel masonry chisels. Although the earliest carvings date from the late 1700s, the peak period for traprock inscriptions spans from about 1830 to 1920, coincident with the rise of landscape tourism in the Connecticut Valley. Inscriptions produced throughout the nineteenth century characteristically display well-balanced lettering with bold serifs, reversed letters and numerals, graphic ornamentation, and frames and enclosures all produced by confident, if not skilled, hands. In contrast, since the mid-twentieth century, most inscriptions are crude devices. The different styles are ascribed to cultural trends and the ages of the carvers. Comparison to contemporaneous inscriptions from other areas suggests that the vernacular custom of carving personal badges, or “tagging,” places of scenic or historic interest was widely practiced in the early to mid-nineteenth century. A number of inscriptions have been assigned to likely or known carvers based on often surprisingly robust threads of geographical, historical, and anecdotal evidence, or personal communications. The regional practice of carving personal identifiers and calendar dates at popular promontories and scenic overlooks was primarily a response to the unique physical geography of the region. The weathered rock surfaces on the sheer cliffs and rugged ledges provided both the motivation and opportunity for the placement of inscriptions, originally as placed as idle scratchings, but later, through the nineteenth century, as skillfully chiseled carvings. The puzzling absence of Native American rock wall petroglyphs in the study area is explored in context of the rich collection of historic inscriptions and the relatively limited culture of indigenous rock art from the region. The vernacular culture of rock carving was also influenced tangentially by national and global developments in geographic exploration, the rise of landscape tourism, emerging attitudes about the transcendental qualities of nature, as well as practicalities including high rates of literacy and the proliferation of technical and mechanical skills in the region. Problems of conservation and methods of obtaining facsimile copies of the traprock inscriptions are discussed.

“Sun Arise”: The Appropriation of Australia’s First Peoples’ Music, 1956–1974

ABSTRACTWhile the music of Australia’s First Peoples contributes to a growing list of academic books and articles, the appropriation of that music by non-Indigenous pop musicians has received little academic attention. During the 1950s and 1960s, Australian audiences dismissed early attempts at fusing pop with Indigenous instrumentation as embarrassingly kitsch; at the same time, many Australian historians and archaeologists viewed Aboriginality as something primitive, a relic of the “stone-age”. Consequently, there was very little commentary on the cross-pollination between pop and Indigenous music. This article examines this phenomenon. Drawing on contemporary newspaper articles and vinyl record releases, this article argues that pop music appropriated Australia’s Indigenous music soon after art developing its fusions with Indigenous culture. Older popular musicians were more prepared to experiment than young pop performers. The reluctance of young pop musicians to experiment with Indigenous music was primarily an economic decision—American rock’n’rollers had captured the local teenage market. After more recordings of Aboriginal music became commercially available, interest in Indigenous music accelerated, and younger non-Indigenous musicians saw opportunities to incorporate Indigenous themes and instrumentation into their own material.