Talking to the Rain: Paintings and Carvings on Stone in Chihuahuan Desert Landscapes

By Polly Schaafsma

Explores ancient dialogue between desert farmers and the cosmos

In this visually stunning volume, Polly Schaafsma, leading authority on pre-Hispanic Indian rock imagery and kiva murals of the greater American Southwest, provides an insightful journey into the petroglyphs and rock paintings of the Jornada Mogollon farmers in southern New Mexico's lower Chihuahuan Desert.

Talking to the Rain defines the Rio Grande Tradition, emphasizing the foundational Jornada Style as exemplified by its Mimbres-like imagery as well as its diverse and complex rain-making symbolism. By examining visual metaphors of cosmology and place-making, the book reveals an ancient dialogue between farmers and the cosmos that places rain for crops as its central concern. Exceptional color photographs by Fran ois Gohier invite readers to experience the landscapes and locations selected for creating these images. Both scholarly and accessible, Talking to the Rain offers a fresh perspective on cultural landscapes and the profound connections between people, art, and environment, making it essential for understanding Southwest cultural history.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1647692474
• ISBN13: 9781647692476
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: University of Utah Press
• Length: 280 Pages