Jeffers petroglyphs: examining socioeconomic and cultural differences between late archaic and late prehistoric periods introduction

Late Prehistoric period motifs

Thunderbird

Thunderbird images may be found throughout Jeffers' site. Lothson Gordon recorded a total of 118 images of thunderbirds and divided them into five subclasses according to their iconographic features. Five subclasses include obvious thunderbirds, stylized thunderbirds, birds in flight represented by crosses, thunderbirds with attached bison horns, and one thunderbird with the life-line heart motif (Lothson 1976:26).

North American Indian groups from central and southern Minnesota roamed the Plains in quest of migratory bison herds during the early historic era. These people spoke Siouan languages and lived on the outskirts of the forest prairie or in the valleys and tributaries of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. Thunderbirds with flapping wings, dragonfly emblems, turtle patterns, and shamans or religious leaders were common art icons of these Siouan speakers. In addition, winter count symbols have been discovered on old Dakota pipe bags, rawhide shields, tepees, and skins. Plains Indians used winter counts to record key events, animals killed, rituals conducted, and the actions of hunt leaders, warriors, and chiefs (Lothson 1976:31).
Other motifs

Several carvings at the Jeffers site are stylistically comparable to patterns and motifs used by Siouan and other Plains peoples during the historic period. They include many turtles, circles and other geometric shapes, bison, stylized thunderbirds, birds in flight, and possibly shaman-like human figures.

Humans with spears or arrows in their torso can be attributed to this period. Archaeological research has shown that warfare was important in the Late Prehistoric Period. The encirclement of settlements can be explained by the frequent armed conflicts between the tribes. For this reason, battle scenes and human figures depicted with spears or arrows on their bodies can be attributed to the Late Prehistoric Period.

Images of humans wearing bison-horn headdresses can also be included in this category. For example, ethnographic records show that middle-aged warriors in the Lakota tribe wore bison-horn headdresses while conducting the Buffalo dance.

Table 1 Comparison of archaeological information and motifs of Archaic and Late Prehistoric Periods