Speaker: Jim Keyser
DgOw-32 has a long and checkered research history, from its initial recording by Selwyn Dewdney in 1962 to later work by Keyser in 1976 and Klassen (who rappelled down to the main panel) in 1993. No one, however, had ever seen or recorded all the images scattered across three major panels at the site until our work when we used a drone to record the complete extent of DgOw-32 in October of 2019. Our project, conducted under permit from Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park and monitored by Bob Dawe, located three major rock art loci (corresponding to—but greatly expanding on—the three panels designated by previous researchers) containing more than 350 rock art elements. More than half of these had not been previously recognized or published in the Plains rock art literature. The site itself is the key Northwestern Plains example for establishing the chronology of Plains Biographic rock art, given the presence of several scenes involving boat-form horses, horse armor, shield-bearing warriors, V-neck humans, and guns. Our research helps refine that chronology and supports earlier interpretations made from previous recordings. It also adds numerous images to the Plains Biographic art lexicon, and provides some of the best action scenes known for early Blackfoot biographic art.