The tribes of Canada, primarily the Blackfoot people, told their histories and stories through rock carving Alberta. Often these pieces of art work included animals such as bison, wolves, and bears. Other carvings include geometric shapes which the Blackfoot people regarded as sacred, and it is believed that these were places of meditation and worship.
There are more than the inscriptions in the stones; however. There are also intricate and beautiful cave paintings found upon the stones, done with the mineral red ocher mixed with the fat of animals hunted by the tribesmen. These paintings are still clinging to the cliffs, preserved against all odds, for thousands of years.
These people etched the sandstone with other stones, bones, and in later years they even had metals. Sandstone was the medium of choice for many ancient peoples, as it is relatively soft and lends itself to being carved. In spite of the wind and rain eroding the etchings over the centuries, they have lasted for an amazingly long time, and tell the story of the people who lived in the region.
These people felt a strong attachment to the spiritual realm, and they regarded spirit to be as real and as important as the physical world. They held a strong notion that animals were also strong spiritual beings. When they sketched animals, it is possible that they were giving honor the spirits of the animals that they killed to feed their people.
The ancestors of these people continue to feel a strong connection with the spiritual realm, and these carvings are a treasure to them. It connects them to those who came before in a way that many Westerners cannot fully understand. It is their history literally written in stone.
It is believed that some of these carvings are as much as three thousand years old. However, there are some etchings which appear to be much more recent, perhaps being created around the Sixteenth century. There are carvings of guns, horses, and other more modern aspects of their history.
It is an unfortunate reality that many of these pieces of ancient art have been destroyed by careless individuals. Clear-cutting forests in order to build structures has destroyed more ancient artifacts than the world can ever really know. Anyone who finds items of archaeological significance on their property, or on a property they are working on, need to put a stop to any destruction in order to preserve the site.
The Canadian government, in response to some extremely unfortunate recent episodes of vandalism, have passed stringent laws to prevent these art works from being defaced. Anyone who is caught vandalizing such a site can be fined as much as fifty thousand dollars, and may even spend some time in jail. These sites are still being studied, as scientists still have not finished translating their meanings.
Canadians of both native and European descent take the preservation of the rock carving Alberta very seriously. There is a strong desire to keep these areas pristine so they can be studied and appreciated by future generations. This is one of the greatest examples of tribal history in the world, and people of all races and heritage feel a connection to it.
There are more than the inscriptions in the stones; however. There are also intricate and beautiful cave paintings found upon the stones, done with the mineral red ocher mixed with the fat of animals hunted by the tribesmen. These paintings are still clinging to the cliffs, preserved against all odds, for thousands of years.
These people etched the sandstone with other stones, bones, and in later years they even had metals. Sandstone was the medium of choice for many ancient peoples, as it is relatively soft and lends itself to being carved. In spite of the wind and rain eroding the etchings over the centuries, they have lasted for an amazingly long time, and tell the story of the people who lived in the region.
These people felt a strong attachment to the spiritual realm, and they regarded spirit to be as real and as important as the physical world. They held a strong notion that animals were also strong spiritual beings. When they sketched animals, it is possible that they were giving honor the spirits of the animals that they killed to feed their people.
The ancestors of these people continue to feel a strong connection with the spiritual realm, and these carvings are a treasure to them. It connects them to those who came before in a way that many Westerners cannot fully understand. It is their history literally written in stone.
It is believed that some of these carvings are as much as three thousand years old. However, there are some etchings which appear to be much more recent, perhaps being created around the Sixteenth century. There are carvings of guns, horses, and other more modern aspects of their history.
It is an unfortunate reality that many of these pieces of ancient art have been destroyed by careless individuals. Clear-cutting forests in order to build structures has destroyed more ancient artifacts than the world can ever really know. Anyone who finds items of archaeological significance on their property, or on a property they are working on, need to put a stop to any destruction in order to preserve the site.
The Canadian government, in response to some extremely unfortunate recent episodes of vandalism, have passed stringent laws to prevent these art works from being defaced. Anyone who is caught vandalizing such a site can be fined as much as fifty thousand dollars, and may even spend some time in jail. These sites are still being studied, as scientists still have not finished translating their meanings.
Canadians of both native and European descent take the preservation of the rock carving Alberta very seriously. There is a strong desire to keep these areas pristine so they can be studied and appreciated by future generations. This is one of the greatest examples of tribal history in the world, and people of all races and heritage feel a connection to it.
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