Virtual Reality Tour: Shields and Shield Bearers

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 a small sample of shield and "shield bearer" images. Pueblo shields are typically decorated in bold, colorful designs. The designs are varied and may have carried significant meanings for the owner and/or their community. Highly ornamented shields are still used as decoration and regalia in Pueblo ceremonies today, however we believe that most such shields depicted at Mesa Prieta date to between 400 and 700 years ago.

Tour stop #1

The first stop on this tour is a two-for-one special. On the left of the panel is a large shield design that shows signs of modification. it appears parts of the design have been added and parts obscured sometime after the original rendition was pecked, but still well back into Precolonial antiquity. On the right is a shield bearer, distinguished from a standalone shield by its human limbs, namely the legs with feet. Notice the interesting substitution where the head should be on the shield bearer. 

Tour stop #2

This large example contains linear ornaments including series of circles inside the shield, leading to ornament along the margins. For some of our visitors this design may invoke a "ladybug" image, however this is probably by coincidence. More likely the encircled designs of smaller circles and line of alternating open and infilled rectangles depict designs painted on the shield, while the embellishments outside the margins may be ornaments such as feathers. Alternatively, these may be the feet of a shield bearer, depicted rotated past horizontal.

Tour stop #3

Here is an exceptional example of a shield bearer, drawn large and with highly detailed embellishments. The head and limbs are depicted more faintly than the rest of the image, suggesting these may have been added to an existing shield later. The shield design is one of the more common and distinctive variants on Mesa Prieta. The warrior bearing the shield holds an implement in its raised hand (likely an axe), and wears either horns or a headdress atop its head. For an even more interactive view, use your mouse (PC/Mac) or VR viewer (mobile) to explore this panel in 3D below.

Tour stop #4

The final stop on this tour takes us to a stormy summer day along an old, long hidden trail. Like the figure shown in the previous stop, this shield bearer also carries an axe, and seems to be wearing horns or a headdress. The shield's border is ornamented all the way around with rays that most likely depict feather adornments. With bent knees the legs appear to carry the whole figure in motion.
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).