Thousands of years ago, indigenous people lived around the natural rock shelters within the canyon. Figures such as shamans, hunters, and animals, line the walls of the canyons. These paintings, known as pictographs, are thought to represent important cultural markings of the people that lived in the area, and give modern viewers insight into what life was like in early human history.
Millennia later, scouts of Black and Seminole descent surveyed the area after the Civil War, giving the area its namesake. Currently, the area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, ensuring that both the history and mystery of the area is not lost.
KERA's “The Shape of Texas” video series explores how our built environment holds our history, reflects our diverse cultures and projects our ambitions for the future. From the glittery, kitschy Beer Can House in Houston to the soaring Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, architecture helps tell the story of who we are in Texas.
Find out more about the Seminole Canyon State Park, as well as other representations of rock art in the United States.
