Shamanism among the indigenous cultures of North America: Selected aspects of archaeological traces

Summary

Certain forms of shamanism were practiced by various indigenous cultures across North America, from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico and desert regions. Evidence from archaeological and ethnographic sources, such as specific shamanic burials and rock art imagery on canyon walls, illustrates the beliefs of these ancient societies. The article highlights examples of shamanism in Eastern Woodlands and Southwest cultures, focusing on rock art, pottery iconography, and other artifacts.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Certain forms of shamanism existed in many communities worldwide, including some of the indigenous cultures and tribes of North America, from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico and the desert areas of the Southwest, California, and northern Mexico. At least several American Indian and Inuit societies are known to have practised shamanism in bothpre-Columbian and other historical periods (even until very recent times). We can conclude this on the basis of various archaeological and ethnographic sources, including specific burials, interpreted as shamanic, as well as iconography of pottery and rock art imagery (paintings and petroglyphs) placed on rocks, boulders, and canyon walls, which offera profound insight into the beliefs of ancient societies. This article presents selected examples of archaeological evidence of shamanism in several cultures of the Eastern Woodlands and the Southwest of the pre-Columbian North America, with an emphasis on rock art depictions, and to some extent burials, the iconography of pottery, and other artefacts.

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