Review Article

Rock Art Dating and the Peopling of the Americas

Table 1

CR and VML dated petroglyphs from the western Great Basin.

Sample no.DescriptionCR ageDorn VML/(comment)Liu VML/(comment)
(yrs cal BP)(yrs cal BP/VML layer)(yrs cal BP/VML layer)

CM-12Bighorn16,500 ± 100017,750/Wp1d(Needs additional sampling)
(Botryoidal under Lamellate/>12,500)
 = Coso 3(Needs additional sampling)5,900/WH6
 = Coso 4(Confirmed)5,900/WH6
CM-5Curvilinear15,100 ± 160012,500–16,500/WPO+(Needs additional sampling)
LL-1Spiral14,500 ± 1,300>16,500/LU-3(Needs additional sampling)
(Pleistocene Owens River age: <16,200 [22])
R96ST13“Llama”13,400 ± 200017,150/WP1c(Needs additional sampling)
(Overlying oxalate AMS 14-C age: 11,860 ± 60, Beta 90197)
BSS3Curvilinear13,100 ± 1600(Botryoidal under lamellate/>12,500)
CM8Curvilinear12,600 ± 1400None
CM15“X-motif”12,000 ± 60011,100/WH12(Confirmed)
R-96-ST-2Curvilinear11,900 ± 150012,500/WPO(Needs additional sampling)
Cima 2-5Snake11,700 ± 1000(Entirely lamellate/<12,500)
CM-7Bighorn11,200 ± 1200None
Coso 9Geometric lineNone(Confirmed)11,100/WH12
 = Coso 10(Confirmed)11,100/WH12
R-96-ST-3Curvilinear9700 ± 120010,300/WH11(Confirmed)
Coso 14CurvilinearNone(Confirmed)9400/WH10
 = Coso 15(Confirmed)9400/WH10
R-96-ST-5“Grid”9400 ± 160014,150/WPO + a(Needs additional sampling)
(Overlying AMS 14C oxalate age: 9830 ± 60, beta 89921)
BSS2Curvilinear8600 ± 4300None
R-96-ST-8Circle8600 ± 12009400/WH10(Confirmed)
Cima 1-2ACurvilinear8400 ± 1800(Confirmed)6500/WH7
Cima 1-3Control surface12,000(Needs additional sampling)8100/WH9
(Single CR measurement)
CM-6Bighorn7800 ± 60010,300/WH11(Needs additional sampling)
CM-2Bighorn7400 ± 700None
LAME 94-1Maze rectangle6900 ± 140None
CM-3Bighorn6800 ± 70012,350/WPob(Needs additional sampling)
WP4“Shield”6800 ± 420013,150/WPOc(Needs additional sampling)
Cima 94-1“Shield”6400 ± 900None
BSS1Line6400 ± 1200None
WP2Bighorn6200 ± 1400None
(Chalk contamination—CR in error)
CM4Lizard6100 ± 6006500/WH7(Confirmed)
Coso 5BighornNone(Needs additional sampling)5900/WH6
 = Coso 6BighornNone(Confirmed)5900/WH6
 = Coso 7BighornNone(Confirmed)5900/WH6
Cima 1-3“Pine tree”5300 ± 200(Confirmed)5900/WH6
WP3Grid5100 ± 2400None
CM16Rectilinear5100 ± 500None
FI-96-22Circle and line4800 ± 600None
LAME 94-5Curvilinear4600 ± 900None
FI-96-16Parallel lines4500 ± 8504100/WH5(Needs additional sampling)
Cima 2-1Curvilinear4400 ± 200None
CM-1Bighorn4300 ± 2100None
Cima 1-2B Random pecking
None(Needs additional sampling)4100/WH5
CM10Lizard3600 ± 300None
FI-96-19Stick figure human3300 ± 500(Confirmed)2800/WH4
CM9Lizard3100 ± 400None
Cima 1-6Dot pattern3100 ± 200None
FI-96-20Circle and cross3000 ± 5002800/WH4(Needs additional sampling)
LAME 94-2Bighorn2900 ± 400None
FI-96-2“Shield”2750 ± 550None
Cima 1-1Curvilinear2600 ± 200None
FI-96-1Bighorn2500 ± 5002800/WH4(Confirmed)
LAME 94-3Curvilinear2400 ± 300None
WP-1“Sunburst”2400 ± 200None
Cima 2-2Meander2300 ± 200None
Cima 2-3Curvilinear2100 ± 100None
CM13Bighorn1900 ± 200None
FI-96-10Grid1750 ± 250None
CM11Anthropomorphic1500 ± 100None
R-96-ST-6Repecking on grid1500 ± 600(Confirmed)1400/WH3
CM14“Circle chain”1300 ± 1001400/WH3(Confirmed)
R-96-ST-9Atlatl1200 ± 500None
FI-96-4Grid1200 ± 200None
FI-96-13“Loop”1150 ± 250None
Cima 1-7Rectilinear1110 ± 2001000/WH2(Needs additional sampling)
FI-96-6Oval900 ± 250None
Cima 1-8Curvilinear700 ± 100650–900/WH1-WH2(Confirmed)
Cima 2-4“Rake”400 ± 100500/WH1(Confirmed)
Cima 1-4Dot and line350 ± 200<300/<WH1(Confirmed)
FI-96-9Bighorn350 ± 100500/WH1(Needs additional sampling)
FI-96-8Bighorn300 ± 100<300/<WH1(Confirmed)
FI-96-14Circle and cross300 ± 100<500/<WH1(Confirmed)
Cima 1-5Grid300 ± 100None
FI-96-12Bighorn250 ± 100<300/<WH1(Confirmed)

Key to sampling locale codes: Coso Range: CM, LL, WP, BSS, and Coso; Fort Irwin: FI; Cima volcanic field: Cima; Rodman Mountains: R; Sacaton Wash: LAME.