Pecked curvilinear nucleated (PCN), in
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
, is a form of
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
rock carving
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
. The term was originally proposed by Teresa Miller and Reed Haslam in 1976 to describe a widespread type of rock carving in western
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. The form is characterized by a circular or oval groove element, which results in a raised center area. The form is quite prevalent in California and is applied to a number of Native American rock carving sites in this portion of the United States.
Examples
Occurrences of this type of rock carving can be found at
Ring Mountain, Marin County
Ring Mountain is an elevated landform on the Tiburon Peninsula in Marin County, California. This mountain was named for George E. Ring, who served as a Marin County Supervisor from 1895 to 1903.
A number of rare and endangered flora inhabit R ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
[C. Michael Hogan, 2008] and in
Lakeport, California
Lakeport is an incorporated city and the county seat of Lake County, California. This city is northwest of Sacramento. Lakeport is on the western shore of the county namesake, Clear Lake, at an elevation of . The population was 5,026 at the 202 ...
.
See also
*
Petroglyph
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
*
Pictograph
A pictogram, also called a pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto, and in computer usage an icon, is a graphic symbol that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Pictographs are often used in writing and gr ...
Notes
References
* Ken Hedges and James E. Workman (1983) ''Rock Art Papers'', San Diego Museum of Man, v.1-3
* C. Michael Hogan (2008) ''Ring Mountain'', The Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnha
* Greg White and Mark Basgall (1993) ''There Grows a Green Tree: Papers in Honor of David A. Fredrickson'', Center for Archaeological Research at Davis, Center for Archaeological Research at Davis, California, 423 pages
Petroglyphs
Rock art
Native American history of California
American Indian relics
History of Marin County, California
History of the San Francisco Bay Area
{{US-archaeology-stub