The Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum will host a lecture presented by archaeological researcher John Pitts
When Lightning Strikes Twice: A Novel Approach to
Associating Rock Art Images and Fulgurites
September 14th (Saturday) at 2:00 PM a
Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, Blanding, Utah
-free and open to the public-
Due to an accidental discovery of lightning bolt strikes on boulders and cliffs, the research done
by John Pitts has begun to reveal an association between those white lines (fulgurites) and rock
art panels found nearby. Fulgurites occur only where heat from actual lightning fuses rock surfaces and leaves a permanent (or near permanent) mark. The associated rock art panels often include imagery associated with the themes of fertility or war. Do these themes suggest the purpose of co- locating these rock art panels with evident lightning strike locations? This is one of several essential questions raised by John Pitts in his documentation of fulgurites and rock art imagery.
John Pitts is a retired Foreign Service Officer, having served in South America, Western Europe and SE Asia during a 28-year career. His current position is Research Associate at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, NM. His primary focus in recent years has been the research and documentation of rock art throughout the Southwest and on several continents; he currently leads a rock art survey team for the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project. Given his background, he has lectured frequently on rock art-related topics. His audiences include archaeological societies such as the American Rock Art Research Association and international organizations, such as the International Federation of Rock Art Organizations (Val Camonica, Italy, 2018).
This presentation is supported by the Friends of Edge of the Cedars.