FS 3.172: The archaeology and anthropology of rock art in high mountain

Rock art–images pecked into stone or painted upon it–is a common feature in many of the world’s high mountains. To the casual observer, their meaning is obscure and the motivations for their creation unknowable. But to archaeologists, these images tell stories of the past peoples who inhabited or passed through these high places. Rock art has the capacity to offer unique insights into the deep human presence in high mountains that few other sources of data can approach. In this session, we seek to tell stories from rock art that show how past peoples relayed to mountainous places over time. Instead of purely descriptive presentations of the art, contributors are asked to interpret it and use it to tell a larger story about its significance and what it likely meant to the peoples who created it. We are especially interested in contributions that highlight or indigenous peoples and others who live in proximity to rock art perceive and and interpret it in their own terms. Contributions from any region and time period are welcome.