Northeast Wyoming Plate 3

SpecColl 01.1941.01_PoNEW_Plate03.jpeg

Item Metadata

Title

Northeast Wyoming Plate 3

Subject

New Deal, 1933-1939.; Petroglyphs -- Wyoming.

Description

Northeast Wyoming Plate 3, taken at Medicine Creek Cave.

A poor photograph of the anthropomorphic female figure at the Medicine Creek Cave. The narrowness of the cave (3 & 1/2) ft.) would not permit a good picture. However the champ-leve style can clearly be seen. The "horns" belong to a figure which had been incised before this present one. An arrowshaft or lance pierces the woman's body and the reason for her death and the recording of this petroglyph can only be surmised. Since the female sign is so very obvious, it is possible she was deliberately killed, as adultery was not tolerated among the Plains Indians. Again, she may have been a prominent woman among her people and her death was mourned and recorded here. The designs upon the body may suggest decoration upon her costume.

Type

Image

Creator

Ted C. Sowers; Works Progress Administration

Is Part Of

Ted C. Sowers Papers and Photographs, SpecColl 01.1941.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections.

Identifier

SpecColl 01.1941.01_PoNEW_Plate03

Format

JPEG

Original Format

Photographic Print

Citation

Ted C. Sowers; Works Progress Administration, “Northeast Wyoming Plate 3,” Goodstein Foundation Library Western History Center Digital Collections, accessed June 7, 2025, https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/items/show/4892.