The Hidden Meaning of Forms: Methods of Recording Paleolithic Parietal Art

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Publication Date

January 2007

Abstract

There are many restrictions placed on researchers studying Paleolithic Cave art due to the constraints of conservation that limit direct contact with the original works. This paper discusses how recent advances in technology have revolutionized the study and interpretation of Paleolithic cave art. The interpretation of Paleolithic symbolic systems is a complex process and hypotheses must be applied to cave art with the greatest of precision. A detailed analysis of the painted or engraved surfaces leads to a greater understanding of both the techniques employed and the actual sequence in which parietal compositions were executed. By unlocking the creative process followed by Upper Paleolithic artists we are able to glimpse the artist’s motivations and to understand a portion of the art’s hidden meaning.

Keywords

Prehistoric Art, Methodology, Meaning, Relevés

Document Type

Article

Notes

Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Vol. 14, no. 1 (2007).

Identifier

SFS0071439_00001

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