TRACCE Online Rock Art Bulletin 43 – December 2018

# 43 – December 2018

TRACCE Online Rock Art Bulletin 43

––––––––––––––––––> by Footsteps of Man
edited by Le Orme dell’Uomo (Valcamonica – I)

43: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

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The Ranaldi Shelter in Basilicata (Italy)

The Ranaldi Shelter at the Serra Pisconi site takes its name from its discoverer, Francesco Ranaldi, an archaeologist and director of the Potenza Provincial Archaeological Museum from 1954 to 1988. It is possible to reach the site within the Reserve via a comfortable path. An excellent open-air museum has been created, making access easy after a pleasant walk of about twenty minutes. The chronological and interpretive frame of the Ranaldi Shelter rock paintings follows two distinct paths: on one hand, we have a Mesolithic naturalistic depiction of a herd of deer in their wood, on the other, the most likely, a schematic Neolithic hunting scene with the persistence of more ancient traditions.

by Andrea ARCÀ, Oriana BOZZARELLI


Balma dei Cervi, educational booklet

Arcà A., Bozzarelli O., Fossati A.E., Giorgi M. 2018.

Balma dei Cervi, quaderno didattico | educational booklet, supplemento a TRACCE Online Rock Art Bulletin, 43, December 2018

Leggi e scarica il quaderno didattico

Read and download the educational booklet


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The Saluting Anthropomorph in the Rock Art of the Americas

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 papers.

by Maarten van Hoek


Long Distance Diffusion of Rock Art Motifs in the Americas

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


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Indifferent Obliteration of Petroglyph Art

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

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


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Valcamonica fieldwork 2018, join rock art!

Tracing prehistory: from July 19 to August 09 2018 the annual archaeology field school at Paspardo will be open to archaeologists, scholars, students and enthusiasts. We are working on engraved rocks made by prehistoric and protohistoric people during the Neolithic (six thousand years ago), Bronze Age and Iron Age (from four thousand to two thousand years ago).This area gives a great opportunity to learn, survey, photograph, draw and catalogue the rock engravings. The program involves field research, documentation, tracing, guided visits and lectures. Fieldwork is organised by Footsteps of Man, Valcamonica. Infos, poster and photo-galleries here available.

by Angelo Eugenio FOSSATI


Una Actualización del Arte Rupestre del Cerro la Puntilla, Perú

En 2016 visitamos por primera vez el sitio de arte rupestre de Chumbenique en el Valle de Zaña en el norte de Perú. Con base en nuestras investigaciones publiqué un artículo preliminar sobre los petroglifos de Chumbenique (Van Hoek 2016a). En mi artículo de 2016 mencioné que registramos 32 bloques con petroglifos . Sin embargo, volvimos a Chumbenique en septiembre de 2017 para una investigación más exhaustiva y pudimos agregar 21 rocas con petroglifos más. De ahí esta actualización.

by Maarten van Hoek


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Una Actualización del Arte Rupestre del Cerro la Puntilla, Perú

Este artículo trata sobre el sitio de arte rupestre de La Puntilla en el norte de Perú. Aunque pasé este sitio muchas veces no lo he visitado. Sin embargo, el sitio tiene varios paneles muy interesantes con petroglifos – todos reportados por primera vez por el arqueólogo aficionado local, Francisco Gregorio Díaz Núñez – que serán discutidos en este artículo.

by by Maarten van Hoek


TRACCE Online Rock Art Bulletin 43

December 2018

WP version


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