EXPLORING
ROCK ART
Seeing rock art with our own eyes, whether
as an incidental interest in our travels, or as
a passion driven by evocation or convocation
is the pinnacle of a petroiconologist's life.
How do we find rock art locations once
our interest has been awakened? In a word,
research.
Many locations are easily located on readily
available maps and atlases. These, for the
most part, are sites that have become tourist
attractions or very importantly recognized
archeological sites.
While some of these are easily accessible to
the casual visitor, there are many where access
is extremely limited by academic groups or
by indigenous stewardship.
The internet has equipped modern day
petroiconologists with an awesome tool
to explore that interest. Links to that resource
may be accessed by clicking here.
Good printed resources in the form of books
and other publications are essential to gaining
access to many sites. Searches in such popular
sites as Amazon.com and Abebooks.com will
yield a plethora of references.
Often times, exact locations of sites are
only vaguely alluded to in the literature.
This is frequently intentional as a contribution
to the effort to preserve many sites against the
influx of vandalism.
Once one has obtained a general idea
of where a particular site is, it is imperative
to obtain as detailed map of the area as is
available in order to insure your safety and
well being while visiting the site. Many sites
are in remote locations that require a
great deal of effort and preparation to explore successfully.
The gratification of visiting remote sites
is worth the effort especially if recording a site
is a motivation. By exercising proper etiquette
while visiting, appreciation by future visitors
is made possible.
Asking local residents in particular
areas can also lead to discovery, as can visits
to local museums.
The forum on this site invites you to share your
experiences with this element in the understanding
of rock art.