Annual Review of Anthropology· 2017Q1· Review
Rock Art and Ontology
- 64citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2017year
Short summary
This review argues for using anthropological understandings of ontology as an analytical tool to generate fresh concepts in rock art studies, moving beyond prevailing symbolic and epistemological approaches.
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Key points
- Challenges prevailing symbolic and epistemological approaches to rock art analysis.
- Advocates for using anthropological understandings of ontology as an analytical tool.
- Examines ontological dimensions of rock art production, placement, and landscape context.
- Argues that ontological questions are central to all aspects of rock art studies.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
This article reviews recent ontological debates in archaeology and examines how ontology has been discussed in rock art studies. It questions the prevailing symbolic analysis of rock art and critically questions the epistemological foundations of “informed” and “formal” approaches to rock art. The article evaluates ontological debates within rock art studies and argues for a committed approach to ontology that uses anthropological understandings of ontology as an analytical tool and a method for generating fresh concepts. The article then reviews the ontological dimensions of a series of aspects of rock art studies, including the production of rock art images, their placement on the rock surface, their position in the landscape, and their relationship to formation processes. The article concludes by arguing that ontological questions not only relate to the interpretation of rock art images, but touch on all aspects of rock art.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Annual Review of Anthropology, 2017 · DOI ↗
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Field: Archeology (Social Sciences)
ArcheologySocial Sciences