Thunder and herds : rock art of the High Plains /

Loendorf's latest book is both an introduction to the archaeology and technology of studying rock art and a general analysis of the rock art of Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site and related areas in southeastern Colorado. After an introductory chapter, Loendorf illustrates the various stages in the creation of the images, beginning with the Archaic Period and ending with the historic. The author is particularly careful to point out that the images are symbols and should not be assigned meanings without substantive research. He frequently reminds readers of this caveat and indicates how he and other scholars reach their conclusions. The overall style is informal, with many anecdotes and asides about sites, archaeology, archaeologists, and historic events, which serve as an excellent introduction to the way scientists, especially archaeologists, work. There are numerous illustrations, and the book is well designed to appeal to novices. It could be a good introductory text for classes and collections in archaeology or plains history. Although the book is subtitled Rock Art of the High Plains, the limited geographic and technical coverage means that professional archaeologists and rock art scholars will not find the book so useful. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General and undergraduate libraries. M. J. Schneider emerita, University of North Dakota