Petroglyphs: Protecting the Past
Evelyn Carter, D’Lisa Pinkham, Jackie Taylor
Nez Perce Indian Reservation, Lapwai, Idaho

Grade level
Fourth

Time required
One hour, plus a fieldtrip

Materials
Pictures of petroglyphs
Pictures of Buffalo Eddy
Photos, maps and pictures of Columbia River Basalt Flows (see Resources section)
Samples of metamorphic, igneous and sedimentary rocks
Rocks to be used as pecking tools
Science journals
The book, She Who Watches (optional)

Goals
By completing this lesson the student will

1. learn about how and why petroglyphs were created by Nez Perce people,
2. explore the properties of the three classes of rock,
3. learn about how to protect cultural sites containing petroglyphs and
4. develop science inquiry skills.

Science standards addressed
National Science Standards

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Properties of Earth materials

American Indian Science Standards

• Properties of earth, air, fire and water and how they served as a basis for traditional American Indian production of clothing, housing, tools and food.

Teacher tips
It is important to make sure that students understand that they can only guess as to the meaning of the rock symbols. If a field trip is planned for viewing one of these archaeological sites, make sure that a tribal representative is invited to attend.

The tribal story She Who Watches is an excellent story to read aloud as an engagement activity, but because of the length of the story, the teacher should plan ahead in order to schedule enough time to complete it.

Review the web sites listed in the Resources section to find information about, maps, and photos of the Columbia River Basalt Flows. There are also good reference books listed there on Native rock art.

Background information
Native American people did not have a written language long ago. History was passed down through oral traditions, stories, songs, dances, and rock images. Petroglyphs and pictographs were forms of recorded communication used by native people long ago.

The earliest petroglyphs were created thousands of years ago, pecked using round rocks that made shattered dents in the larger rock surfaces. Later, rock artists used stone chisels and hammerstones. The chisels made deeper, clearer dents and gave the artist more control. Using chisels allowed artists to create more detailed images. The root word “petro” means rock, while “glyph” means carving.

Images that are painted onto rock are called pictographs. The root word “picto” means to paint, while “graph” means something that is written or recorded. Native people commonly made their paint from colored soils. Among the Nez Perce, rust red was the most common color, followed by white, black and ochre, a brownish yellow color. Milk, blood, or animal fat was often mixed with the colored soils to make the paint easier to apply and more permanent. The artists painted with their fingers, with sticks, or with brushes. Sometimes they blew paint onto the rocks through the hollow stems of reeds.

Buffalo Eddy is an eddy located on the Snake River where several different petroglyphs are etched onto rocks. A large red buffalo pictograph is also located near the eddy. These rock forms are an important part of Nez Perce history. Rock forms can be hundreds to thousands of years old and are irreplaceable. If they are destroyed or damaged, they can never be fixed. Because of the historical importance of these rock forms, they are protected under the Archaeological Resource Protection Act. Some rock forms are destroyed by people who break, scratch, or paint over the images. People who simply do a “rubbing” with paper, or continually run their hands over the surface of the rocks can also damage rock forms. It is important to look at but not touch these images.

Many petroglyphs and pictographs are so old that their meaning has been lost. We can only try to interpret what they might mean or why they were created. Only the creator of the rock images really knows when and why they were created. These rock images, though, are an important part of our culture that gives us a sense of place. They were created by Nez Perce people for a reason, and great time and care was taken to record the information on rock to last for hundreds and thousands of years.

The type of rock located at Buffalo Eddy is basalt, an extrusive igneous rock common in this area as a result of the Columbia River Basalt Flows of long ago. Igneous rocks are one of three main kinds of rocks. They are formed when magma, or molten rock lying under Earth’s crust, is pushed up into layers of the crust (intrusive igneous rock) or onto Earth’s surface (extrusive igneous rock) where it then cools and solidifies. For detailed information and valuable teaching resources about the Columbia River Basalt Flows, explore the web sites listed in the Resources section.

Procedure
Engagement

1. Prior to this activity, read the book She Who Watches and discuss the significance of petroglyphs in Native history. Introduce what petroglyphs are, how they are made, why they might have been made, who made them and at what time.
2. Show pictures of petroglyphs and emphasize their cultural significance. Emphasize also that although we can try to interpret them, their actual meaning and purpose are not known to us today.

Exploration

1. Provide student pairs with examples of each of the three types of rocks, as well as tools, such as probes and magnifying glasses. Ask them to explore the samples, then observe, draw and take notes about each in their journals.
2. Ask students to predict which type of rock Native people typically made petroglyphs on and to explain their prediction in their journals.
3. Provide each pair of students with a small rock that they can use as a tool to peck on the other rocks. Encourage them to experiment by pecking on each of the three rock types. Have them record their observations in their journals.
4. Ask students to alter their predictions about rocks used to make petroglyphs as necessary, based on their results.

Explanation

1. Ask student pairs to share their results and conclusions with the class.
2. Introduce the words metamorphic, igneous and sedimentary in the context of the investigation just conducted by the students. Show maps, pictures and photos while discussing the local geology of the Columbia River Basalt Flows that resulted in the deposition of large areas of basalt.
3. Show pictures of the petroglyphs at Buffalo Eddy and ask students to predict what type of rock is shown.

Elaboration

1. Organize a field trip to a local petroglyph. Invite a tribal representative from the Nez Perce Tribe Cultural Resource Program to attend the field trip. Ask them to discuss the Archaeological Resource Protection Act, as well as how to and why we should protect petroglyphs.
2. Ask students to write about what they learned on the fieldtrip and in the investigation in their journals.

Evaluation

1. Assess students’ proficiency in using the process skills and understanding of content by observing them during the exploration activity and reviewing their journals. Use a checklist or rubric to record your observations.
2. Have students create a brochure for local tourists who might visit the archaeological sites. Suggestions for required information are listed below.
   • Background and historical information about the site
   • Details of the Archaeological Resource Protection Act
   • How to protect an archaeological site
   • Who to contact in the event of vandalism

Vocabulary

Follow up activities

1. Rock art images are located around the world. Students can research rock art images in other countries around the world and find similarities, such as the use of animals as symbols.
2. Introduce the names of animals or place names in the Nez Perce language as a native language extension.
   Bison: qoq’alx
   Petroglyph: ti’menin’
   Snake River: pik’unen
   Rock or stone: piswe

Resources
Books
Holmes, W. (1997). She who watches. Oregon: Binford and Mort Publishing.

Keyser, J. (1992). Indian rock art of the Columbia Plateau. Seattle: University of
Washington Press.

Salomon, S. (1997). Come look with me: Exploring Native American art with
children. New York: Lickle Publishing.

McQuiston, D. (1995). Visions of the North: Native art of the northwest coast.
CA: Chronicle Books.

Web sites
National Park Service Nez Perce National Historic Park – Pictures and map of and information about Buffalo Eddy
www.nps.gov/nepe/sites.html

Crystal Links web site – Pictures and information about petroglyphs around the world
www.crystalinks.com/petroglyphs.html

U.S. Forest Service Region 6 – Information, maps and images of the geology of the Columbia River and the northwestern United States
www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia/geology_index.htm

US Geologic Service Geologic Provinces of the United States – Excellent maps of and information about the Pacific Northwest showing lava flows, etc.
wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/docs/usgsnps/province/columplat.html

University of North Dakota’s Volcano World - Excellent photos of the basalt flows in Idaho, Oregon and Washington states
volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_america/crb3.html

USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory – Maps, images and information about the Columbia River Basalt Flows
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/PacificNW/AGU-T106/columbia_river_basalt_group.html