Post on 26-Dec-2015
transcript
Petroglyphs, Mastodon Petroglyphs, Mastodon Mystery and Climate Mystery and Climate
ChangeChange
- - Three Discussions about the Three Discussions about the prehistoric American West & what prehistoric American West & what
lessons can be applied to the present lessons can be applied to the present dayday
Part 1: Paleohistory of the Part 1: Paleohistory of the American WestAmerican West
Valley of Fire, Nevada. Impressive group of people, animals and designs etched in a desert sandstone wall.
Petroglyphs are more than just graffiti. This is another example of Great Basin Curvilinear (ca 2-3000 yrs bp). Circles and lines do not reveal much about the meaning or purpose of this petroglyph. Can you imagine what the artist was depicting?
Pit and Groove Petroglyphs are older than 5000 years. Petroglyphs are dated by the amount of discoloration, "Desert Varnish", which has formed on the etching.
A Wall of Petroglyphs at Petroglyph Point at Lava Bed National Monument, California overlooks Tule Lake and distant sacred Mount Shasta. When these carvings were made, the wall was next to the shore of Tule Lake. It is now easily accessible and is protected with a 100 yard fence.
EpochsEpochs
HoloceneHolocene PleistocenePleistocene PliocenePliocene MioceneMiocene OligoceneOligocene EoceneEocene PaleocenePaleocene
10,000 ya-present10,000 ya-present 1.8 mya – 10 kya1.8 mya – 10 kya 5.3 mya – 1.8 mya5.3 mya – 1.8 mya 23 mya – 5.3 mya23 mya – 5.3 mya 34 mya – 23 mya34 mya – 23 mya 55 mya – 34 mya55 mya – 34 mya 65 mya-55mya65 mya-55mya
Cool & Dry Cool & WetWarm & Dry Warm & Wet
Holocene Climate (10,000 years to present)
10 68 04 2Years Before Present
Lake Bonneville Flood
Lake Missoula Floods
Mayan Civilization
Anasazi Disappear
ColumbusMt Mazama Explodes Maize Developed
Bow & Arrow Appear
ModernGreat Basin CurvilinearPit & Groove
AltithermalMedi-
thermalEarly Archaic
MegafaunaExtinction
Clovis Culture
ConclusionsConclusions
Global Temperatures were constant Global Temperatures were constant during the Holoceneduring the Holocene
There were major changes in There were major changes in precipitation patterns (drought) in precipitation patterns (drought) in the West the West
Some Cultures probably disappeared Some Cultures probably disappeared because of droughtbecause of drought
Major Catastrophes also occurred Major Catastrophes also occurred that probably killed humans that probably killed humans
Puebloan tradition holds that the ancestors had achieved great spiritual power and control over natural forces, and used their power in ways that caused nature to change, and caused changes that were never meant to occur. Possibly, the dismantling of their religious structures was an effort to symbolically undo the changes they felt they caused due to their abuse of their spiritual power, and thus make amends with nature.
- Bryce Harrington Dec 1, 2006 Wikipedia
Geological ErasGeological Eras Holocene Holocene 10,000 years ago to present 10,000 years ago to present Pleistocene Pleistocene .01 – 2 Million years ago.01 – 2 Million years ago Pliocene Pliocene 2 – 13 Million years ago2 – 13 Million years ago Miocene Miocene 13 – 25 million years ago13 – 25 million years ago Oligocene Oligocene 25 - 58 million years ago25 - 58 million years ago Eocene Eocene 58 – 36 million years ago58 – 36 million years ago Paleocene Paleocene 65 – 58 million years 65 – 58 million years
agoago
Climate Compared to 10 ky average
N. C. Heywood (nheywood@uwsp.edu)
Early Early ArchaicArchaic
Alti-Alti-thermalthermal
Medi-Medi-thermalthermal
TerminalTerminal ArchaicArchaic
Anasazi Disappear
Clovis PeopleKennewick Man
PuebloPueblo
Mt Mazama Explodes
Pit &Groove
Lake Missoula Floods & Megafaunal Extinction Great Basin
Curvilinear
Bow &Arrow
John Kantnerhttp://sipapu.ucsb.edu/timeline/index.html
Maize
Columbus
Holocene (10,000 bp) Chronology
Crater Lake & Ash Crater Lake & Ash
Crater Lake Present Day – 7700 & 7100 years after Volcanic Explosions(VEI=7)
Layer of Volcanic Ash near Missoula, MT- Probably killed humans and animals