Ghost Dance Rock Art and Theology - Rock Art 36

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The ghost dance was a revitalistic movement that was most popular in the 1870s and 1890s. The religious leaders of the ghost dance movement were religious specialists who dreamed a prophetic vision. That vision included that the world was to be remade over and that the dead would come back to life and the world would returnTo the way it was before your Americans entered their lands. To usher in that New World native people were to dance around dance for several days day and night and that by praying and dancing and singing this would bring in a new world of peace and prosperity.

Anthropologist and archaeologist have identified about two dozen rock art sites that appear to commemorate or document this time of the religious movement of the ghost dance. He’s historic paintings are in many colors and depict dancers and the return of animals and plants and the return of the dead. The paintings also document and portray the principal religious beliefs of now the participants in the movement which include a layered cosmos a depiction of the Thunderbird BighornSheep and other animals and a central white horse image.

Links

• California Rock Art Foundation

Contact

• Chris Webster
• [e-mail]
• Twitter: @archeowebby
• Dr. Alan Garfinkel
• [e-mail]

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• Wildnote
• TeePublic
• Timeular