TRACCEpetroglyph Archives

Tag Archive for petroglyph

The Enigma of the “Feathered Homunculus”, Peru

February 2, 2021 Academics, Featured, South America No comments

Rock art images often include unexpected and enigmatic elements. This study investigates the petroglyphs of especially anthropomorphic figures in the Majes Valley of southern Peru that have an unanticipated feather-element; a long groove (sometimes slightly curved) with a row of parallel but shorter grooves attached to one side only. This study will describe the petroglyphs of the several types of biomorphs featuring a feather-element, focussing however on the “Feathered Homunculus”, as well as their surprisingly limited distribution.

By Maarten van Hoek

Mount Bego, XIX century research history

March 21, 2013 free e-book, Mont Bego - Monte Bego, research history, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull. 29 One comment

Bego 1887 tracing

Issue 29 of TRACCE Online Rock Art Bulletin is dedicated to the research history of Mt. Bego, from its early “discovery” to the end of the 19th century, with the exception of Clarence Bicknell’s work. Two key points should be emphasized: the relationship with the development of paleethnology and the significance of British “cup-and-rings” studies. All early Mt. Bego authors virtually contribute to this issue since their papers are “served” online, not only as PDF files, but also as “flip-books”, giving in this way importance to sources and online e-book sharing since they provide a useful tool to all researchers interested in rock art studies, especially in this area of the Alps.

by Andrea Arcà (Footsteps of Man – IIPP)

The Meraviglie (Moggridge 1869)

March 21, 2013 Academics, free e-book, Mont Bego - Monte Bego, Open access, research history, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull. 29 No comments

1868 drawings

TRACCE free e-books

Moggridge M. 1869. The Meraviglie, in International Congress of prehistoric Archaeology, transactions of the Third Session, London, 359-362, 5 plates.
| full text-image PDF (from Google Books, public domain) | English

[editor’s note: this paper marking the scientific discovery of Mt. Bego’s petroglyphic complex – one of the two Alpine rock art poles – is due to an English botanist, member of the Italian Alpine Club]

by Matthew MOGGRIDGE, F.G.S. (Fellow of the Geological Society of London)

Sculptures préhistoriques, Merveilles (Clugnet 1877)

March 21, 2013 Academics, free e-book, Mont Bego - Monte Bego, Open access, research history, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull. 29 No comments

1877 relevés

TRACCE free e-books

Clugnet Léon, 1877. Sculptures préhistoriques situées sur les bords du lacs des Merveilles (au sud-est du col de Tende, Italie), pp. 379-387.
| full text-image flip book and PDF (from Gallica – BnF, public domain) | French

[editor’s note: research history, In this paper, the first French work, the author, a librarian from Lyon, supports the idea that the engravings were made by shepherds or hunters; detailed plates]

by Léon CLUGNET

Une excursion aux Lacs des Merveilles (Henry 1877)

March 21, 2013 Academics, free e-book, Mont Bego - Monte Bego, Open access, research history, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull. 29 No comments

Henry 1887

TRACCE free e-books

Henry [M.] 1877. Une excursion aux Lacs des Merveilles près Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende, Annales de la Société des lettres, science et arts des Alpes-Maritimes, t. IV, pp. 185-205
| full text-image PDF (from Gallica-BNF, public domain) | French

[editor’s note: The author thinks that the Mt. Bego engravings are natural rocks marking made by the glaciers; no scholar agreed with him]

by [M.] HENRY

Étude sur les sculptures préhistoriques (Blanc 1878)

March 21, 2013 Academics, free e-book, Interpretation and semiotics, Mont Bego - Monte Bego, research history, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull. 29 No comments

Blanc 1878

TRACCE free e-books

Blanc E., 1878. Étude sur les sculptures préhistoriques du Val d’Enfer près des Lacs des Merveilles, pp. 72-87, 1 pl. h.t.
| full text-image PDF (from Gallica – BnF, public domain) | French

[editor’s note: in this paper, the author, a librarian from Nice, supports the idea that the engravings were the result of the cult of some malevolent deity, terrifying generator of lightning and thunder]

by Edmond Blanc

Gravures sur roches, Lacs des Merveilles (Rivière 1879)

March 21, 2013 Academics, free e-book, Mont Bego - Monte Bego, Open access, research history, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull. 29 No comments

1879 tracings

TRACCE free e-books

Rivière E., 1879. Gravures sur roches des lacs des Merveilles au val d’Enfer (Italie), in Association française pour l’avancement des sciences, Paris, pp. 783-793, I tav.
| full text-image PDF (from Gallica – BnF,, public domain) | French

[editor’s note: this paper better details the French scientific discovery of Mt. Bego’s petroglyphic complex and it is due to the physician and archaeologist Émile Rivière, devoted to the study of the Palaeolithic]

by Émile RIVIÈRE

Valcamonica, 2012 Rock Art Fieldwork & Field School

March 30, 2012 Methods - metodi, News - announcements - notizie, TRACCE Onl. RA Bull. 25, Valcamonica - Valtellina 3 comments

Tracing Valcamonica rock art

Again in 2012 Footsteps of Man organizes its annual archaeology field school at Paspardo. This area gives a great opportunity to archaeologists, scholars, students and enthusiasts. The project participants will learn to survey, clean, photograph, draw and catalogue the rock engravings. (2013 fieldwork Jul 18-Aug 8)

by Angelo Eugenio Fossati