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RockArt

Rock art is a term in archaeology for any man-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:
In addition, petroforms and inukshuks are rock art made by aligning or piling natural stones. The stones themselves are used as large markings on the ground. Contents:
  • 1 Terminology
  • 2 Location
  • 3 Creation
  • 4 Groupings: Motifs and panels
  • 5 Shamanism Motif
  • 6 See also
  • 7 Notes
  • 8 References
  • 9 External links
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    Cave Painting
     Cave or Rock Paintings are paintings on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to prehistoric times. The earliest known rock paintings are dated to the Upper Paleolithic, 40,000 years ago, while the earliest European cave paintings date to 32,000 years ago. The purpose of the cave paintings is not known, and may never be. The evidence suggests that they weren't merely decorations of living areas, since the caves in which they've been found don't have signs of ongoing habitation. Also, they are often in areas of caves that aren't easily accessed. Some theories hold that they may have been a way of transmitting information, while other theories ascribe them a religious or ceremonial purpose. Contents:
    1 Europe
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    Petrosomatoglyph

    A petrosomatoglyph is an image of parts of a human or animal body incised in rock. Many were created by Celtic peoples, such as the Picts, Scots, Irish, Cornish, Cumbrians, Bretons and Welsh. These representations date from the Early Middle Ages; others of uncertain purpose date back to megalithic times. They were an important form of symbolism, used in religious and secular ceremonies, such as the crowning of kings. Some are regarded as artefacts linked to saints and folklore heroes, such as King Arthur. The word comes from the Greek petros ("stone"), soma ("body"), and glyphein ("to carve"). Feet are the most common; however, knees, elbows, hands, head and fingers are also found.
    The term "petrosomatoglyph" should not be confused with "petroglyph", which covers all incised representations of living or non-living things, or with "pictograph", which is an image drawn or painted on a rock face, and both of which contribute to the wider and more general category of rock art. Petroforms, or patterns and shapes such as labyrinths and mazes made by many large rocks and boulders in rows over the ground, are also quite different.Stylised representations of parts of the body are often open to dispute and are therefore on the fringes of acceptability as identifiable petrosomatoglyphs. Natural objects, such as rock crystals and rock formations which look like petrosomatoglyphs; whole animals, plants, etc. are collectively called 'mimeoliths'. Contents:
  • 1 Natural versus man-made petrosomatoglyphs
  • 2 Animal petrosomatoglyphs
  • 3 Mythical and Folkloric beings
  • 4 Religious Figures
  • 5 Human petrosomatoglyphs
  • 6 Recent and modern petrosomatoglyphs
  • 7 See also
  • 8 References
  • 9 External links