Mystical themes in Milk River rock art /

Good reference sources on North American Indian rock art petroglyphs and pictographs that also are written in an understandable way, are rather rare. Most of the literature tends toward the academic, aimed at a small coterie of researchers. This book is therefore that much more welcome. There is enough scientific discussion to keep it from being just a coffee-table tome, yet it is well written, reflecting good research based on some of the best sources available. Barry is not an archaeologist (his doctorate is in history of dramatic art), but he turns to outstanding rock art researchers in Canada and the US for references. Although he focuses on Milk River, Alberta, Canada, he indicates how the rock art must be considered in a geographically spatial context. The book begins with the natural history of the site, and proceeds textually through motifs and spiritual and mystical themes associated with the early Native American cultures. It is well illustrated with line drawings and a few photographs. However, the illustrations do not include scales, which leaves out a vital bit of information, the size of the designs. One other cavil; Barry's source material on rock art stops in the 1970s. The past 20 years have seen enormous strides in rock art research (including Milk River) by publications primarily by the American Rock Art Research Association. Still, this remains a fine reference, especially for general readers as well as all college students.-F. G. Bock, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo