Brothers in Arms: Results of a Cluster Analysis Applied to the Bear Gulch Style of Shield Bearing Warriors

Abstract

Central Montana’s Bear Gulch and Atherton Canyon sites together boast the largest collection of shield bearing warriors in the northern Plains, with 1,025 figures catalogued to date. From this large sample, the Bear Gulch style of shield bearing warriors stands out from other examples found at these sites and elsewhere on the Plains by their rich and diverse display of attributes and accoutrements. By applying a cluster analysis to identify meaningful subgroups of related Bear Gulch style warriors, we have refined the chronology of the Bear Gulch style of shield bearing warriors, the age of the northern Plains medicine bundle complex, and the structure of precontact period Plains warfare. The application of cluster analysis to shield bearing warriors, along with follow-up examinations of the images to support key findings, is unique in the study of Plains rock art to date.

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