Pigments and Pictographs: A Chemical Analysis of Prehistoric Paints at the Agua Dulce Village Complex

This thesis examines the chemical characteristics of red paints from eight different rock art sites at the Agua Dulce Village, an Early-Middle Period site located between the networks of the Southern California Coast and the Western Great Basin. By using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), data generated is analyzed to compare the relationship between different rock art paints and geological deposits of red ochre from Vasquez Rocks, Frazier Park, and San Nicolas Island. Reports indicate prized pigments were heavily traded and transported through long-distance trade networks throughout the region; however, results show that local material played a significant and symbolic role in the production of pictographs in the Agua Dulce Village. Although the goal of this study is analytical, anthropological perspectives are taken into consideration to explain how pigments assisted in highlighting culturally significant places.