Monday, May 20^th at  6:00 p.m.

  Steve Freer will give a presentation about “Rock Art in the Grand Canyon Region — The Adventure”.

 Freers, an IB and Honors chemistry teacher at Temescal Canyon High School in Lake Elsinore has spent over thirty years researching Native American rock art in Riverside and San Diego counties, as well as concentrated studies in the Grand Canyon region. In 1994, he co-authored the book Fading Images on rock art in western Riverside County. In May of 2013, the results of an extensive rock art recording project in Grand Canyon National Park culminated in a 288-page book entitled Rock Art of the Grand Canyon Region by Don Christensen, Jerry Dickey, and Steve Freers.

 During the presentation to the historical society, Freers will give an overview of approximately 5,000 years of Native American rock art painted and engraved on canyon walls and boulders within the greater Grand Canyon region, an area stretching south from the Arizona-Utah border to the Mogollon Rim. The audience will be taken on a behind-the-scenes journey to vicariously experience the awe of hiking within magnificent canyon systems, negotiating rugged and steep trails, and discovery of ancient human presence. Steve hopes to impart not just the sense of adventurous research, but a closer understanding of the integration of such a powerful environment and its influence on the aboriginal artists who painted or carved the Grand Canyon's ancient art.

 Freers' specialty is in taking a physical anthropological approach to rock art research. Using anthropometric data collected by the famous anthropologist Franz Boas in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Freers modified a regression equation that assists in predicting the physical stature and gender of the makers of prehistoric handprints. His most recent research explores rock art along the Takic and Yuman ethnographic division in southern California, as well as examining the chronological sequence of petroglyph creation at a newly recorded Colorado Desert site. As an avid hiker and photographer, Steve has captured the dynamic context of archaeological sites in the Southwest's most remote areas.

 The Arizona Governor's Archaeology Advisory Commission awarded Mr. Freers and his co- authors the 2014 Arizona Governor's Award for Special Achievement in Public Archaeology for their book and for their contribution of over 10,000 volunteer hours documenting archaeological sites for public agencies. In 2016, Mr. Freers was awarded the Crabtree Award by the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) for his outstanding contributions to the field of archaeology, cultural heritage preservation, and public education. Steve currently serves as the program and conservation chair for the San Diego Rock Art Association (SDRAA) and continues to conduct field work in northern San Diego County.

  We do not condone trespassing on nonpublic sites. If you do trespass, you are doing so as an individual and are subject to prosecution by the property owner as an individual and not as a member of the Temecula Valley Historical Society. This is an activity that is not endorsed or supported by the Society and can result in a deteriorating relationship with other historic entities or valued neighbors. If at any time you are curious about areas with restricted entry, please consult with the officers of the Temecula Valley Historical Society and we will make arrangements for consultation with the owners of the properties in question. Thank you for your cooperation.