Virtual Reality Tour: Heraldic Lions

The Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project proudly presents or Virtual Tours series. In these online tours, you we be able to explore the Mesa as never before, from the comforts of your own home. Each of these tours will cover a unique perspective on a theme about the petroglyphs, archaeology, and history of Mesa Prieta. Each "stop" includes a narrative about the petroglyphs shown to accompany a virtual reality (VR) enabled photograph or model. For a more immersive experience, you can view these VR-enabled tour stops using any VR-capable device, such as a smartphone or tablet.

In this virtual tour, we present our survey of our Spanish-style heraldic lions, a motif that is unique to Mesa Prieta. We are not yet certain if these heraldic lions were made by Spanish settlers, or Pueblo peoples who had seen the colonial motif. Each instance of the heraldic lion motif is somewhat unique, but a few key traits tie them together, distinguishing them from earlier depictions of native animal species such as coyotes, foxes, and mountain lions.

Tour stop #1

The lion in this first stop may seem familiar, as it is a popular stop for tour-goers. It is somewhat different from other heraldic lions on Mesa Prieta because it is executed in a strongly indigenous style (known as the Rio Grande Style). Like many images of animals on the Mesa, the legs are vertical, the body is rectangular and simple, the the tail mostly straight. Yet, there are cues that tell us this is still inspired by heraldic designs: the head faces forward (most animals face to the side), it sports a distinctive mane, and the feet are digitate (meaning they have toes). These are all qualities of heraldic lions that are not seen in other animal images at Mesa Prieta.

Now that you've seen the lion in its setting, check out this panel in 3D. Rotate the model below with your mouse (PC/Mac) or by looking around in VR (mobile). Notice the concave curvature of the panel. This noticeably reflects sound, whether the viewer's voice right in front of it, or sounds from around the river down below.

Tour stop #2

This finely executed Spanish-style heraldic lion wears a crown, looking regally out over the bosque below. Stylistic cues that can be seen in  this lion are its curvy, S-shaped tail, the position of the front legs, and the crown it wears. The face, too, seems to be an abstraction of a Spanish-style lion rather than Pueblo image of other animals. full, dense pecking of the chest and underbelly further accentuate this prime example.

Tour stop #3

Here is a smaller and less clear example. Like the first example, the body is executed as a simple rectangle. Moreover, the head appears to be drawn similar to a Precontact mountain lion. The feet however are digitate (meaning they have toes) which is not common for mountain lions, and the S-shaped tail it has is not known for Precontact images. Other Postcontact images among Pueblo designs on nearby panels show that this area of the Mesa features designs telling a story of a time when Pueblo peoples negotiated a new time when their world and that of the Spanish settlers met.

Tour stop #4

The fourth stop on this tour may be difficult to discern at first. While the design is somewhat faint, this example shows more clear telltale signs of being a heraldic lion. The forward-facing head and S-shaped tail very closely fit the heraldic style, as seen in earlier examples. In front of the lion is a stick-figure animal, possibly a horse. The significance of the round sign over its head is unknown, but is similar to some stand-alone shield designs seen elsewhere on Mesa Prieta. If you look in the other direction, you will notice fall colors creeping into the Española far below.
These web-based virtual tours are made possible by generous grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the New Mexico Humanities Council (NMHC).