The Rock Art Of Western Montana

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Abstract
Western Montana rock art comprises 29 pictograph sites scattered throughout the mountainousPacific-drained portion of the state. The sites, composed of panels of simple red, yellow or black pictographs, cluster along the major streams in the region. A variety of zoomorphic, anthropomorphic and geometric designs predominate. Traditionally Western Montana rock art has beenassumed to be related to the rock art of the Northwestern Plains, however, this study demonstrates that functionally and stylistically its closest relationships are with Columbia Plateau rock art. Two style zones, each reflecting a different cultural influence, are recognized in theregion. The majority of sites apparently served as vision quest sites for Salishan tribes that inhabited the area during the Late Prehistoric Period. A few sites in the extreme southern portion of the region are attributed to Shoshoneans, and relate most closely to the pictographsof central and southern Idaho.

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