The White Shaman Mural: An Enduring Creation Narrative in the Rock Art of the Lower Pecos Hardcover – November 29, 2016

I love this book. It is well written and the pictures aee stunning.

This is an excellent and engaging book that examines what may be one of the most amazing examples of prehistoric art to survive. While the book describes the analysis of this rock art panel in the Lower Pecos River region of Texas in considerable detail, this is not a dry and scientific book. Rather, it is a well-written argument that this panel is a single composition detailing an ancient mythic system on the origins of the sun, and its daily journey across the heavens. Boyd supports her points with numerous illustrations, including photographs and artistic renderings that clearly highlight each segment she is analyzing. Even those with little prior knowledge of the rock art of this region can find themselves caught up in the mythic story that Boyd has unravelled, using current beliefs of the Huichol of Mexico and those of the Nahua (Aztec) as recorded early in the conquest period. And the White Shaman for which the painting is named is not a shaman of course. What is she? Read the book to learn this and so much more! Just fascinating!

I don’t know if anyone has done more than Dr Boyd and the team at Shumla to unlock the stories behind the 5,000 year old rock art of the Lower Pecos. The idea that we just might have a window here into our preliterate predecessors in this land just blows me away. So thoroughly researched, compellingly argued, and artfully presented in its own right.

Carolyn Boyd excels at bringing archaeological concepts to the public in the way that she speaks about rock art and the White Shaman Mural. Her reverence for the sites and the people who made them really shine through in her work, writing and efforts to educate people about rock art in the Lower Pecos region. This is a must have book for anyone who is even mildly interested in parietal art.

What an amazing book. Dr Boyd really wrote an amazingly scholarly book that's actually approachable for the non-PhD and enjoyable to read. This is a coffee table book that you'll actually pick up and read. The depth and process of how she and her team de-mystified the rock art is unbelieveable. Great gift for yourself or anyone with even a fleeting interest in history, art, or both!

I bought a his book to prepare for a field course with TAS next month. I was blown away by the level of scholarship and insight. Really looking forward to the course and meeting the author and finding out what she has to say about this ongoing interpretive revolution

Even if you're not into history, if you're a Texan like me I recommend this as a coffee table book. Great pictures of not just the cave art but also Lower Pecos landscapes.

Great book to learn about the rock art in the Lower Pecos. Highly recommend.