Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills

WPL will host "Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills" a presentation and discussion by Humanities Kansas speaker Rex Buchanan on Sunday, June 23 at 2:00pm.

Too often Kansas history seems to start with the Coronados' trip through the state in 1541. For centuries before European arrival, Native people lived on the plains, and some left behind rock carvings on soft sandstone in the middle of the state. Based on the book "Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills" this presentation focuses on these carvings, the people who made them, and what the carvings tell us about those people and their relationship to the land. The presentation also discusses the challenges of dating and interpreting these carvings, the threats posed by erosion and vandalism, and the role of landowners whose property shelters these carvings.

Rex Buchanan is the former director of the Kansas Geological Survey and the author of books about Kansas geology and water.

"Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills" is part of Humanities Kansas's Speakers Bureau, featuring humanities-based presentations designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.