Time and Mind· 2026Q1
The materialities of pigments, paints and personhood in San rock paintings: celebrating the inspiration from David Lewis-Williams
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
San rock paintings show that specific pigments and their mixtures were used to materially identify, associate, and differentiate individuals and their behaviors, suggesting the rock face itself was part of the image maker's personhood.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- San rock paintings used specific pigments and mixtures to define personhood and behavior.
- Pigments and their constituents ontologically relate persons to their spirit-material environments.
- The rock face is considered part of the personhood of the image maker and the specific places.
- Ethnographic data reveals how colored pigments materially identify, associate, and differentiate individuals.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Most rock art research has been influenced by David Lewis-Williams. He has shown the material primacy of rock paintings, the cautious use of ethnography for emic understandings, and the importance of theory. In addition, his recognition of the impact of ‘critical, radical thought’ on our practice. This radical thought is encapsulated by posthuman ontologies which study the entanglements of humans and more-than-humans. Rock paintings are material and have material effects. We know that image makers used specific types and colours of pigments and minerals, paint recipes and techniques to mark their identities, but none have considered paint, and its constituents, as ontologically relating persons and their spiritmaterial environments. I do so through an analysis of the coloured pigments recorded in a selection of San rock paintings from South Africa. San ethnography shows how coloured pigments and what they are mixed with – potent substances – materially identify, associate and differentiate persons and their behaviours. I use this evidence to consider paint mixtures and painting as an ontologically relational and material engagement with personhood, behaviour and being. This investigation has important implications for considering the rock face as part of the personhood of image maker/s, specific persons and places.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Time and Mind, 2026 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Archeology (Social Sciences)
ArcheologySocial Sciences