Preserving the
oldest 'books' in
North America

Like a book, each ancient mural in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands was authored and composed to communicate beliefs and ideas.

The paintings are not just lovely to look at. They are visual narratives that hold meaning and information. They were created by intelligent and creative people, like us, to share their stories and culture with one another. And now, thousands of years later, we are learning to read them. These 'books' will allow scholars to fill in gaps and add new chapters to the prehistory of North America. 

At Shumla, we work to preserve and share this 'library' of painted texts and the information they hold through documentation, research, stewardship and education.

•  Documentation: Recording the Fragile Artwork

We use the latest technological advances to document each painted narrative as a whole and each figure and line within it individually, creating an exhaustive searchable database that can be used by researchers for years to come, long after the paintings have disappeared. 

• Research: Unraveling the Mural's Mysteries

We painstakingly study the data we collect to learn how the paintings were produced and to decipher the meaning of the images and the act of creating them. Our cutting-edge research will illuminate long-lost myths and beliefs, adding new chapters to North American pre-history. 

• Stewardship: Encouraging Interest and Awareness

Many murals are located on private property. We teach landowners how to protect the art on their land. We collaborate with them to access and document the murals in a respectful and un-intrusive way. We also increase overall awareness of the art to engage others in its protection. 

• Education: Connecting to Our Shared Past