Selected Publications - David S. Whitley
His latest book is Cave Paintings and the Human Spirit: The Origin of Creativity and Belief (Prometheus Books, 2009).
Introduction to Rock Art Research (Left Coast Press, 2005), which received a Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award for 2006.
Dr. David Whitley has published 17 books/monographs and approximately 100 articles and chapters. Included among his recent books are The Rock Art of California (University of Utah Press, 2000), the edited volume Handbook of Rock Art Research (AltaMira Press, 2001), and Introduction to Rock Art Research (Left Coast Press, 2005), which received a Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award for 2006.
David S. Whitley, Ph.D., RPA
Professional Experience
David S. Whitley has 34 years of experience specializing in the prehistoric archaeology and ethnography of far western North America, with particular interests in sacred sites, rock art, chronometrics and cultural heritage management. He has also worked in southern Africa, the European Upper Paleolithic and Guatemala.
Dr. Whitley has written the nominations for almost 400 sites that are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For a decade he served on the Council of Directors of the ICOMOS International Rock Art Committee (CAR). In 2001 he received the Thomas King Award from the Society for California Archaeology for Excellence in Cultural Resource Management.
Handbook of Rock Art Research (AltaMira Press, 2001)
ASM’s Principal Investigator Dr. David S. Whitley
I decided to become an archaeologist when I was three years old, and determined that I would study cave paintings (rock art) when I was 12. No one told me, at the time, that rock art was an ignored topic in American archaeology (I have wondered, ever since, whether that was an appropriate age to make a major career decision). Regardless of cause, I primarily write about prehistoric art and religion, which I find harder to study, and consequently much more interesting, than the standard archaeological topics of tool technology and diet. We may be what we eat (as the saying goes), but it makes for boring conversation--and not terribly compelling archaeological research either, in my opinion.
The point of departure in my studies is the rock art of far western North America. My understanding of this art primarily derives from Native American ethnography--anthropological accounts of tribal religions and practices. Though the deep prehistoric past certainly differed from historical conditions, ethnographic descriptions provide us with the best models for reconstructing the prehistoric unknown. In my latest book, CAVE PAINTINGS AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT, I've used this understanding as a springboard for examining the ultimate origin of art and religion.
I live near Tehachapi, California, in a forest of blue oak trees. When I'm not working or writing, I ride my faithful old ranch horse, Twelve,through the mountains. It's the best way to think.