For 25 years, Shumla has been a champion for the rock art of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands. Through archaeological research, documentation and preservation, community outreach and education for students of all ages, we have brought the wonder of the art to thousands while preserving the knowledge housed in this ancient library for generations to come. We welcome you to celebrate our milestone year with us by scrolling through our timeline of pictures and stories of Shumla’s beginnings and our 25 years of growth and impact.
Looking Back
Our 25th Anniversary TimelineScroll down to view 25 years of significant moments in our history. Click on the arrow on the lower right side of the browser to navigate back to the top of the page.
1988-1989 | Dr. Carolyn Boyd visits the Lower Pecos Canyonlands
Dr. Carolyn Boyd first visited the rock art sites of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands in 1988, and specifically visited the White Shaman mural in 1989. As a muralist, she immediately...
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Summer 1997 | A Dream Forms into Reality
Dr. Boyd finished data collection with an engaged group of Texas A&M students for her dissertation in summer 1997. Among those students was future Shumla Executive Director, Jessica Lee. During...
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February 12, 1998 | Dr. Carolyn Boyd founds the Shumla School, Inc. in Comstock, TX
Starting a nonprofit organization is a challenging task, to say the least. Dr. Boyd worked with Dr. Megan Biesele and Dr. David Lewis-Williams to develop the organization name and mission,...
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2000 | Art and Artifacts of Millennia Past Exhibit at Texas A&M University
Shumla, then operating as the School of Expressive Culture, developed the Art and Artifacts of Millennia Past Exhibit at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History. This exhibit included collections...
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2001 | Construction begins at Shumla Harrington Research Campus
Missy and Jack Harrington generously donated their land, time, and funds to construct the Shumla Harrington Research Campus. With additional generous funding from the Brown Foundation, the Houston Endowment, and...
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2001 | First Pecos Experience Programing for Adults
The Pecos Experience Program (2001, 2003, 2006-2010, and 2012) provided an immersive, week-long experience for adults. Attendees stayed out at the Shumla Harrington Research Campus. In this program, attendees visited...
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2003 | First Pecos River Kids, Niños del Rio Bravo, and Pecos Adventure Camps Education Programs
Some of Shumla’s earliest programs aimed to teach students of all ages about the rock art and archaeology of the Lower Pecos, instill critical thinking skills in science and the...
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2003 | Rock Art of the Lower Pecos is published
Dr. Boyd’s dissertation research and first book, Rock Art of the Lower Pecos, is published by the Texas A&M University Press. This book analyzed repeated Pecos River style (PRS) motifs...
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2006 | Shumla conducts the first Field Methods in Rock Art Course and Field School
The intervening eight years between Shumla’s 1998 founding and 2006 were a very busy time. Shumla was actively fundraising and providing a wide range of educational programs for the public,...
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2009 | The Lower Pecos Canyonlands Rock Art Recording Project begins
The Lower Pecos Canyonlands Rock Art Recording Project was the most intensive rock art recording project undertaken in the region at the time. An incredibly generous anonymous grant made this...
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March 26-29, 2010 | Shumla hosts the American Rock Art Research Association (ARARA) conference in Del Rio, TX
In spring 2010, Shumla hosted the 37th annual ARARA conference in Del Rio, Texas. Many of the papers focused on the rock art of Texas and the Lower Pecos Canyonlands,...
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2011 | First Rancher-Steward BBQ event held at the Shumla Harrington Research Campus
Some rock art sites in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands are located on public lands and managed by state and Federal agencies, but many rock art sites are located on private...
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2012 | Shumla begins Border Canyonlands Archaeological Project (BCAP)
The Border Canyonlands Archaeological Project (BCAP) was Shumla’s second flagship digital preservation and research project. With generous, anonymous funding, Shumla worked toward rock art preservation through documentation and public outreach.
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October 25-27, 2013 | Shumla hosts the Texas Archeological Society (TAS) annual conference in Del Rio, TX
Shumla hosted the 84th Annual Meeting of the Texas Archeological Society (TAS) in Del Rio, Texas. This meeting included paper presentations, posters, a banquet, and public forum. Shumla worked with...
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2013 | Shumla initiates the Shumla Scholars Program with Comstock ISD
The Shumla Scholars program works with the Comstock ISD senior class and replaces one of their science class periods for the day. This experiential-learning program aims to build critical thinking...
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March 2, 2015 | Jessica Lee Hamlin joins Shumla as Executive Director
Jessica’s journey with Shumla began in 1997, when she first experienced the rock art of the Lower Pecos and assisted Dr. Boyd with her dissertation data collection. She also became...
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November 2016 | The White Shaman Mural: An Enduring Creation Narrative is published
Building upon 25+ years of intensive documentation and research, Dr. Carolyn Boyd published her book The White Shaman Mural: An Enduring Creation Narrative with collaborator Kim Cox in October 2016....
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September 2017 | The Shumla Endowed Research Professor Position is established at Texas State University
In 2017, Shumla worked with Texas State University to endow the first professorship in the Texas State University Anthropology Department. The Shumla Endowed Research Professor is a position dedicated to...
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2017 | Archaeological Chemist Dr. Karen Steelman joins Shumla as Science Director
Dr. Karen Steelman, Shumla’s current Science Director, officially joined Shumla in January 2017. She received her PhD from Texas A&M University in 2004, participating in the development of new sample...
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2017 | Shumla launches the Alexandria Project
Shumla established a rigorous documentation process for rock art sites after almost 20 years of work — the Shumla Method of Rock Art Documentation. However, this meticulous method is time-consuming...
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June 2018 | Shumla receives the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition
Surprise! Shumla received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition, bestowed by Carmen Gutierrez of Representative’s Will Hurd’s Office. The certificate honors Shumla, our staff, volunteers, donors, and friends for twenty...
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June 2018 | Shumla hosts the Getty Institute “Art on the Rocks” Colloquium of International Rock Art Scholars
Rock art researchers and archaeologists from different parts of the world often meet to collaborate on research, share ideas, and solve complex problems together. Shumla was honored to host the...
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July 2018 | Shumla moves into our new Comstock Headquarters facility
Shumla has been based in Comstock since our founding in 1998. In the 25 years since, we have had the opportunity to conduct our work in a few different buildings...
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2020 | Dr. Karen Steelman builds a new and first-of-its-kind 10-chamber plasma oxidation system
Dr. Karen Steelman was awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) grant in October 2019 to build a new plasma oxidation system. Shumla’s chemistry laboratory utilizes the plasma oxidation technique...
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2020 | Shumla Weathers the COVID-19 Pandemic
2020 was an unexpected and difficult year for all with the COVID-19 pandemic. Shumla weathered the pandemic and its effects, learning to work from home during shelter-in-place orders, developing safety...
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January 2021 | Lower Pecos Canyonlands Archaeological District is designated as a National Historic Landmark
In January 2021, the U.S. National Park Service designated the Lower Pecos Canyonlands Archaeological District as a National Historic Landmark (NHL). This archaeological district is incredibly significant: it displays a...
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May 2021 | Shumla Initiates Shumla Treks Program
One of Shumla’s main “pillars” is education for learners of all ages. To this end, Shumla initiated the Shumla Treks program in 2021. Our day-long, guided Treks visit rock art...
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July 2021 | Shumla Embarks on the Hearthstone Project
The Hearthstone Project is an interdisciplinary and collaborative project between Texas State University and Shumla. It stems from the results of the Alexandria Project and is partially funded by two...
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October 2021 | Shumla Begins Preparation and Digital Curation of the Alexandria Project Archive
Shumla completed the ambitious Alexandria Project, a baseline documentation effort that recorded 235 rock art sites across the Lower Pecos Canyonlands. The resulting dataset, named the Alexandria Project Archive, totaled...
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December 2021 | Color Engenders Life Exhibit at the Museo de Altamira
Dr. Carolyn Boyd curated an exhibit titled Color Engenders Life: Hunter-Gatherer Rock Art in the Lower Pecos at the Museo Altamira between December 2021 and March 2022. This collaborative effort...
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April 2022 | Shumla opens the San Marcos Research Office
Shumla expanded our operations into central Texas with the opening of the San Marcos Research Office. This office is located on Texas State University’s San Marcos campus, further solidifying our...
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February 12, 2023 | Shumla celebrates 25 years of preserving the oldest “books” in North America!
25 years has come and gone in a flash. We are so proud that what started as a distant dream in a hot summer canyon has grown into one of...
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