When a painting is a history on the rock. A methodological approach to rock art studies through the case of El Alto-Ancasti's Mountain

• Abstract:

  It is a common approach in cultural heritage studies that portable and non-invasive techniques are used. However, when dealing with rock art research this represents further challenges.
  Our research carried out in El Alto-Ancasti's Mountain (Catamarca, Argentina), at several archaeological sites, have studied the historical processes of production, uses and transformation of caves and shelters with rock art. From a material approach to rock art, we have sought to understand the history of painting and use of different caves through a methodology that combines different lines of evidence: study of tonalities, overlaps and morphological characteristics of the motifs; spatial studies; and archaeometric analysis. As a result, we have established different chronologies and some social practices associated with rock art in El Alto-Ancasti.
  All this highlighted the complex and diverse nature of El Alto-Ancasti’s rock art caves and shelters, and the need to understand their particular histories through new strategies and appropriate methodologies.
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• Download:

  IMEKO-MetroArchaeo-2023-129.pdf
• DOI:

  tc4-ARC-2023.129

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