Introduction to Rock Art Research

Once a stepchild of archaeology, rock art research has become increasingly important tool in recent archaeological work for understanding the symbolic and ideological systems of ancient peoples. Yet, methods of working with pictographs, petroglyphs and geoglyphs are rarely taught in a systematic fashion. In this brief introduction to methods well-known rock art researcher David Whitley takes the reader through the various processes needed to document, interpret, and preserve this fragile category of artifact. Using examples from around the globe, he offers a comprehensive guide to rock art studies of value to archaeologists and art historians, their students, and rock art aficionados.