While there has always been a large public interest in ancient pictures painted or carved on stone, the archaeological study of rock art is in its infancy. But intensive amounts of research has revolutionized this field in the past decade. New methods of dating and analysis help to pinpoint the makers of these beautiful images, new interpretive models help us understand this art in relation to culture. Identification, conservation and management of rock art sites have become major issues in historical preservation worldwide. And the number of archaeologically attested sites has mushroomed. In this handbook, the leading researchers in the rock art area provide cogent, state-of-the-art summaries of the technical, interpretive, and regional advances in rock art research. The book offers a comprehensive, basic reference of current information on key topics over six continents for archaeologists, anthropologists, art historians, and rock art enthusiasts.
I decided to become an archaeologist when I was three years old, and determined that I would study cave paintings (rock art) when I was 12. No one told me, at the time, that rock art was an ignored topic in American archaeology (I have wondered, ever since, whether that was an appropriate age to make a major career decision). Regardless of cause, I primarily write about prehistoric art and religion, which I find harder to study, and consequently much more interesting, than the standard archaeological topics of tool technology and diet. We may be what we eat (as the saying goes), but it makes for boring conversation--and not terribly compelling archaeological research either, in my opinion.
The point of departure in my studies is the rock art of far western North America. My understanding of this art primarily derives from Native American ethnography--anthropological accounts of tribal religions and practices. Though the deep prehistoric past certainly differed from historical conditions, ethnographic descriptions provide us with the best models for reconstructing the prehistoric unknown. In my latest book, CAVE PAINTINGS AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT, I've used this understanding as a springboard for examining the ultimate origin of art and religion.
I live near Tehachapi, California, in a forest of blue oak trees. When I'm not working or writing, I ride my faithful old ranch horse, Twelve,through the mountains. It's the best way to think.
