There are several motifs and images that have an unexpected rare occurrence in the rock art of the Desert Andes of South America. One such a motif is the Stepped Design that is ubiquitously depicted on ceramics, textiles and in other artefacts, as well as in architectural art. However, the Stepped Design is an anomaly (in several ways) in the rock art of coastal Chile and Peru. This study explores the distribution and attempts at explaining those anomalies.
By Maarten van Hoek
