Once dismissed by archaeologists, rock art research is today attracting scholars and avocationalists from many disciplines who see it as an important tool for understanding the spiritual context of ancient peoples around the world. Author David Whitley, an independent archaeologist with a doctorate from UCLA,
is a leading rock art experts whose works include Art of the Shaman and the Handbook of Rock Art Research.
This volume is a primer for doing rock art research. Whitley shows the reader how to document, interpret, and preserve the pictographs, petroglyphs, and geoglyphs by using the scientific methods of archaeology. The underlying theme is that rock art requires an integrated effort that involves theory, method, fieldwork, analytical techniques, and interpretation. Once trivialized as ancient graffiti, rock art is today recognized as an important part of ancient cultures. This volume is a much-needed step in bringing it into the scholarly mainstream.