Art History and Archaeology: A Symbiotic Relationship.

The way archaeologists use tools and draw inferences about them to disembed meaning from artworks is examined. The prehistoric rock paintings of the Lower Pecos River (Texas) are used to illustrate these ideas. An overview of this rock art, specifically the Amistad reservoir, is provided. The deductions of archaeologists about the semi-nomadic people who lived in this environment, now southwest Texas and northern Mexico are depicted. A method for conducting an art-historical inquiry of the Lower Pecos pictography is outlined. W. Eugene Kleinbauer's definition of art historical inquiry is delineated, and his perspective is used to discuss the pictographs. Examples of intrinsic and extrinsic art historical questions are presented. An overview of the five basic stages of Lower Pecos pictographs is related, beginning with the oldest style--the Pecos River Style, followed by the Red Linear, Bold Line Geometric, Red Monochrome, and the Historic style. Four techniques/methods of the rock-art paintings are outlined: (1) the vegetal fiber brush; (2) artist's fingers; (3) beeswax crayons; and (4) blowing liquefied paint into the rock surface. Early archaeologists' interpretations are compared with more contemporary theories. The conclusion maintains that enhanced understanding of prehistoric and historic rock art requires a multi-disciplinary inquiry and that curricula in schools must be developed to include such information. (KM)