Food Preparation and Art

Uses of Basalt in Prehistoric Contexts at Archaeological

Sites near the Salt and Gila Rivers in what is Now Central Arizona

The use of basalt in food preparation and art in prehistoric contexts was worldwide. Sourcing, selection and if needed the forming of the basalt was largely dependent on the intended use.

In both food preparation and art there was overlap in the rock type available and chosen, as it ranged from vesicular to smooth, from horizontal bedrock to sheer vertical face and from the labor of quarrying to a short stroll for a large rock canvas. This presentation will take focused looks at two different types of basalt applied to two different human needs.

Speaker: John D. Rockhill

John D. Rockhill is an archaeologist with Amec Foster Wheeler in Phoenix, Arizona with 20 years of field and laboratory experience in the southwestern United States, Egypt and Sudan. John was born and raised in Safford, Arizona and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1975 from the U.S. Air Force Institute through the University of South Carolina. John has worked on and directed a number of field projects with emphasis on large scale survey, mapping and excavation of prehistoric and historic sites and their features and the laboratory analysis of lithic, glass and metal artifacts.

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