Rock Art
YAC Attack 145! Mock Rock Art
Rock art includes any human-made marking on natural stone whether carved or painted. There are two different types:
- Petroglyphs which are carved into stone surfaces
- Pictographs which are rock and cave paintings.
Rock art is one of the most poignant types of archaeological evidence. Pictures created by people thousands of years ago can still be seen today, and it is often possible to see how the pictures and carvings were made. We can imagine the people creating the images by, for example, painting coloured pigments onto their hands and making prints on rock. People, especially children, still make images like this today.
The earliest rock art is very ancient indeed. The earliest evidence of painted rock art could be as much as 60,000 years old. It was found in two rock-shelters in Arnhem Land, in Northern Australia.
Rock art is found all over the world. Experts think that it may have been created to record events and tell stories, or to mark territories, or to help with rituals. There are some common recurring themes and motifs used in rock art, including hand prints, human figures and animals.
Rock art often uses recurring patterns and shapes too. One series of shapes that is found regularly in prehistoric rock art is cup and ring marks. They are found mainly in Europe, including northern England, Scotland, France and Spain. However, similar marks have also been found around the world.
- Gobustan
- Gobustan (or Qobustan) in Azerbaijan in Eastern Europe has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007 because of the “outstanding universal value” of its incredible rock art. There are more than 6,000 rock engravings in the Gobustan area. They depict a huge range of different subjects including human figures, animals, ritual dances, bullfights, boats, warriors, and pictures of the sun and stars.
ACTIVITY: Are you feeling artistic and want to have a go at creating you own piece of (mock) rock art?
