TRACCErock art Archives - Page 3 of 7

Tag Archive for rock art

The Cíceras “Carcancha-Bird” Petroglyphs – Majes, Peru

The Majes drainage in southern Peru boasts the largest collection of rock art in the Andes, especially because of the abundance of petroglyphs at the Toro Muerto and Alto de Pitis. Importantly, both sites have numerous bird petroglyphs of different types. Yet there are other sites in the Majes drainage that also have idiosyncratic bird imagery. One of those sites is Cíceras, which is the subject of this study. I focus on a specific type of bird petroglyphs, for which I tentatively suggest that they have a special transcendent proficiency.

By Maarten van Hoek Read more

Valcamonica Symposium 2021

March 10, 2021 Congress, Featured No comments

The CCSP-Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici is organising the Valcamonica Symposium from 28 to 31 October 2021 at the Auditorium Cittadella Cultura, Capo di Ponte – Valcamonica (Italy). Deadline for submitting proposals of papers and posters is April 6, 2021. The VCS will take place in person or online through an IT platform.
Il Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici organizza il Valcamonica Symposium dal 28 al 31 October 2021 presso l’Auditorium Cittadella Cultura, a Capo di Ponte (BS). Il termine per la presentazione di proposte di contributi e posters è fissato al 6 aprile 2021. Il Symposium si terrà in presenza o via web.

by CCSP Read more

Serrated Edges in Rock Art

March 2, 2021 Academics, North America, South America No comments

Certain rock art images prove to occur at numerous places in the world, like cupules and zigzags. In most cases this is a matter of parallel invention. However, a number of motifs may have travelled across the globe for short or even enormous distances. This study investigates the distribution of one of the enigmatic rock art features, the serrated edge and explores the possibility that this practice diffused from North America to South America (or vice versa).

By Maarten van Hoek

Feline Petroglyphs in the Majes Valley, Peru

January 4, 2021 Academics, South America, Zoomorphic No comments

The Majes Valley of southern Peru is well-known for its enormous collection of petroglyphs. A significant diversity of animal species has been depicted on the relatively soft volcanic rocks of those sites. Images of felines are relatively scarce in the Majes Valley, yet they are unexpectedly numerous in absolute terms in the Central Majes Valley. In this study the image of the Majes feline and its graphical anomalies will be discussed, as well as the unexpected distribution pattern of feline imagery in the Majes Valley.

By Maarten van Hoek

New “Carcancha” Petroglyphs in Arequipa, Peru

December 2, 2020 Academics, Featured, South America No comments

This paper presents the description of two new sites in Majes, Peru, both featuring an example of a skeleton-like petroglyph that may spiritually be linked with the Sacred Mountain of Coropuna. The documentation of those two new sites thus reveals new information about the symbolic spatial organization and ritual functions of the “Death Valley of the Andes”. It is especially hypothesized here that the specific setting of those two new sites may indicate a physical “Road to Coropuna”.

By Maarten van Hoek Read more

False Information Concerning Majes Rock Art, Peru

November 13, 2020 Academics, Featured, South America No comments

Scientific publications should always be reliable. The content may never be incorrect or misleading. This also goes for publications regarding rock art, whether by amateurs or by academics. This short paper deals with two photographs of petroglyphs from the Majes Valley, southern Peru, and the conclusions based upon those illustrations published by two academics from the USA. Regrettably, both the photos and the conclusions are unambiguously incorrect.

By Maarten van Hoek

Valcamonica rock art in 20 minutes

October 8, 2020 Education - didattica, Featured, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull.46, Valcamonica - Valtellina 2 comments

Valcamonica 20 minutes

The project Valcamonica Rock Art in 20 minutes, conceived and organized by Footsteps of Man (Cerveno, Valcamonica), intends to present the rock art of Valcamonica in an easy and descriptive way through simple lessons, conferences, and didactic activities lasting about 20 minutes, each held online by expert archaeologists, scholars in the field, and teachers. The videos are divided into three different sectors: chronology (lectures-lessons on the various periods of the rock art of Valcamonica), themes, and virtual visits (such as Camunnian roses, footprints, looms, palettes, or the most important engraved rocks), education (with a special section).

by Angelo Eugenio FOSSATI, Marisa D. GIORGI Read more

Defecating Elephants in Messak Rock Art – An Anomaly?

October 1, 2020 Academics, Africa, Featured, Morocco, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull.46 No comments

In this paper I discuss the graphical displays of a natural bodily function that is, although – from top to bottom – normal in the natural world, very rare in rock art. It concerns images of defecating elephants, which – enigmatically – occur well above average in the Messak-Tadrart region of the Central Sahara. It will be attempted to explain this anomaly (PDF available).

By Maarten van Hoek

The Three Rivers 3D Masks

July 22, 2020 Academics, Featured, North America, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull.46 4 comments

In several cases rock art manufacturers were intrigued by natural rock features such as holes and cracks. This paper deals mainly with rock art images of masks that are folded across two rock panels creating 3D masks. In particular the Mogollon 3D masks of Three Rivers in New Mexico, USA, will be discussed. Also the puzzling anomaly regarding the distribution of Mogollon 3D masks and Rio Grande Style 3D masks will be dealt with. Finally, it will be attempted to offer an explanation for the enigmatic 3D masks (PDF available).

By Maarten van Hoek

Valcamonica Rock Art Fieldwork 2020

December 30, 2019 Featured, News - announcements - notizie, Tracing, Valcamonica - Valtellina No comments

The Footsteps of Man Archaeological Cooperative Society is based in Valcamonica, an Alpine valley in Northern Italy, where rock art constitutes an archaeological, artistic, ethnographic and historical patrimony of inestimable value (UNESCO World Heritage List). In collaboration with the Catholic University of Brescia, Footsteps of Man organizes its annual Valcamonica Rock Art & Archaeology Field School in Paspardo, one of the principal area where engravings are concentrated. The project participants will learn how
to survey, clean, photograph, draw and catalogue the rock engravings at sites around Paspardo. During the field season, visits to the major rock art parks and museums in Valcamonica will be organized.

by Angelo Eugenio Fossati

A ‘Unique’ Petroglyph Scene in Southern Morocco

December 30, 2019 Academics, Africa, Featured, Morocco, Scandinavia, Zoomorphic No comments

Mating scenes involving mammals of the same species are rather rare in global rock art, but surprisingly fighting scenes are even more extraordinary. This study discusses a specific petroglyph panel in the south of Morocco where – in my opinion uniquely – a fighting and a mating scene was recorded by us in 2019. This panel is analysed and put into a wider context.

By Maarten van Hoek

Enigmatic Configurations in Arequipa Rock Art, Peru

October 3, 2019 Academics, Asia, Morocco, South America, Zoomorphic No comments

The rock art of Arequipa (southern Peru) is characterised by several idiosyncratic images, like ‘Dancers’. However, also rather simple elements form rare and uncommon configurations that are composed of grooves, arcs of dots and crosses that are hovering over or are emanating from zoomorphic petroglyphs, yet intimately associated. Similar configurations prove to be very rare in global rock art.

By Maarten van Hoek Read more

The Incomplete Versus The Unfinished

July 8, 2019 Academics, Featured, Geoglyphs, North America, South America, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull.44 No comments

Only the manufacturer of a rock art image could reliably have informed us whether a rock art image is unfinished or whether it is incomplete. Unfortunately informed knowledge is often completely unavailable. Then only the image and its graphical and cultural context are available to possibly separate the unfinished from the incomplete. Additionally, the incomplete image may even include something invisible. To address these issues I will use the rich rock art repertoire of the Desert Andes, focussing mainly on Toro Muerto and Miculla, two enormous rock art sites in the south of Peru.

By Maarten van Hoek

The Cupules of the Imaoun Complex, Southern Morocco

April 17, 2019 Academics, Cup marks - coppelle, Featured, Morocco, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull.44 No comments

In the area just south of the Anti-Atlas numerous rock art sites have been recorded. However, there are remarkably few rock art panels with cupules in that area. This study describes a surprisingly high number of cupule panels in the Imaoun area, north of the town of Akka in southern Morocco, which represents a true anomaly in this respect.

By Maarten van Hoek

The Saluting Anthropomorph in the Rock Art of the Americas

September 30, 2018 Academics, Featured, North America, South America, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull.43 No comments

Although in general complex biomorphic figures in rock art are not suitable to demonstrate diffusion, there is one idiosyncratic anthropomorphic figure the in rock art repertoire of the Americas, which, although it is very rare, has a remarkably wide distribution that might indicate long-distance diffusion. I have labelled this icon the Saluting Anthropomorph. See the UPDATE at the end of the paper.

By Maarten van Hoek Read more

Long Distance Diffusion of Rock Art Motifs in the Americas

September 7, 2018 Academics, Africa, America, Australia, Europe, Featured, Mid-America, Morocco, North America, South America, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull.43 No comments

Rock art motifs are found in every inhabited continent. In most cases those motifs develop independently, but it is also certain that specific rock art motifs migrated from one area to another area, sometimes travelling for thousands of kilometres. This study investigates the possible long-distance diffusion of a number of abstract rock art motifs along the Pacific seaboard of the Americas.

By Maarten van Hoek Read more

Indifferent Obliteration of Petroglyph Art

August 9, 2018 Academics, Featured, North America, South America, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull.43 No comments

Petroglyphs are often found superimposed by other petroglyphs, but in some cases they have also been (partially) obliterated by hammering, rubbing or polishing of the rock’s surface. This short study investigates a number of cases in North and South America where petroglyphs may have (and in some cases definitely have) been obliterated by such grinding activities. This study therefore strongly recommend to accurately record instances where grinding activities took place, even when there are no petroglyphs visible.

By Maarten van Hoek

The ‘Trophy-Bird’ of Alto de Pitis

June 8, 2018 Academics, Africa, Featured, Morocco, South America, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull.43 No comments

This paper provides a few examples of petroglyphs that have drastically been transformed by later rock art manufacturers. However, it focuses on one specific petroglyph, which is found at Alto de Pitis in the Majes Valley of southern Peru; aptly called ‘The Death Valley of the Andes’. In this paper I tentatively argue that the unique ‘Trophy-Bird’ petroglyph of Alto de Pitis initially started off as a ‘trophy’ head, which was later intentionally transformed to symbolise the Supernatural Flight of the Dead towards Apu Coropuna, the Sacred Mountain of the area.

by Maarten van Hoek