Central Montana is home to some unique and ancient rock art sites, places where Native Americans painted or etched figures into stone. Newer technology is providing more insight into many of these sites. Called DStretch, it’s a means to photograph pictographs (paintings) and see more than the naked eye. For example, what was once thought to be a painting of a hunter with an atlatl and a shield pursuing a deer, is revealed by DStretch to be a man pursuing another human, one that’s carrying a bow and has been shot in the back, presumably by the atlatl carrying figure. Dating the paint came back with an age of 300 A.D., which was about the time the bow and arrow was believed to be introduced to this region of North America. Archaeologist Larry Loendorf believes the painting is describing a scene of warfare between two bands or tribes, one armed with the newer technology (a bow and arrow) and the other carrying the older atlatl. An atlatl is a lever-type device that helps increase the speed and force at which a person can throw an arrow-like dart. Loendorf’s research south of Ryegate, between the Yellowstone and Musselshell rivers, has revealed other pictograph sites with different shield bearing warriors depicted, possibly indicating the scene of a long-ago battle.

To learn more, check out my story at https://billingsgazette.com/outdoors/montana-rock-art-larry-loendorf-bear-gulch-pictograph-dstretch/article_e3961254-6578-11ef-81ff-ef575461913e.html.

Written by Brett French | Outdoors Editor | Billings Gazette Communications