Ancient murals focus of unique science class
by Laura Tolley
J
uliette Majors, a Comstock ISD senior, had only heard about the ancient artworks scattered across the desolate rocky desert surrounding her community.
Comstock
That changed dramatically this school year when Majors and several fellow seniors got to work on an ongoing research effort to observe, document, and understand these archaeological treasures — the narrative murals of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands. Painted by indigenous people thousands of years ago, these rock art sites are considered North America’s oldest known “books.” The unique STEM course is a collaboration between Comstock ISD, a one-campus district of about 200 students, and the internationally known Shumla Archaeological Research and Education Center, also located in this tiny Southwest Texas town in Val Verde County about 10 miles north of the Rio Grande. Seven of Comstock ISD’s 15 seniors in the 2022-23 class took the elective science class known as Shumla Scholars. The yearlong course meets each school day, including twice weekly at the center’s headquarters, a former U.S. Border Patrol office. Students have the chance to work with high-tech
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| June 2023 | texaslonestaronline.org