Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2017
“A compelling, important, and overdue work on the state of rock art in the world today.”
—Sven Ouzman, Centre for Rock Art Research and Management, University of Western Australia
—Anthropology Review Database
—CHOICE
“Professionals in archaeology, anthropology and cultural resource management will find the theoretical points and specific studies absorbing. Applied anthropologists and policy makers involved with public heritage will find it a valuable resource. The book will also appeal to students and scholars of art history, race relations, and identity, legal and public policy, cultural engagements and consultations.”
—Australian Aboriginal Studies
“[Relating to Rock Art in the Contemporary World] is an achievement and all of the authors and editors are to be congratulated. . . .I recommend it for those interested in rock art research and heritage management. It is excellent food for thought and it offers some interesting theoretical considerations in terms of human responses to rock art imagery across space and time.”
—Ethnoarchaeology
Rock art has long been considered an archaeological artifact reflecting activities from the past, yet it is also a phenomenon with present-day meaning and relevance to both indigenous and non-indigenous communities. Relating to Rock Art in the Contemporary World challenges traditional ways of thinking about this highly recognizable form of visual heritage and provides insight into its contemporary significance.
One of the most visually striking forms of material culture embedded in landscapes, rock art is ascribed different meanings by diverse groups of people including indigenous peoples, governments, tourism offices, and the general public, all of whom relate to images and sites in unique ways. In this volume, leading scholars from around the globe shift the discourse from a primarily archaeological basis to one that examines the myriad ways that symbolism, meaning, and significance in rock art are being renegotiated in various geographical and cultural settings, from Australia to the British Isles. They also consider how people manage the complex meanings, emotions, and cultural and political practices tied to rock art sites and how these factors impact processes relating to identity construction and reaffirmation today.
Richly illustrated and geographically diverse, Relating to Rock Art in the Contemporary World connects archaeology, anthropology, and heritage studies. The book will appeal to students and scholars of archaeology, anthropology, heritage, heritage management, identity studies, art history, indigenous studies, and visual theory, as well as professionals and amateurs who have vested or avocational interests in rock art.
Contributors: Agustín Acevedo, Manuel Bea, Jutinach Bowonsachoti, Gemma Boyle, John J. Bradley, Noelene Cole, Inés Domingo, Kurt E. Dongoske, Davida Eisenberg-Degen, Dánae Fiore, Ursula K. Frederick, Kelley Hays-Gilpin, Catherine Namono, George H. Nash, John Norder, Marianna Ocampo, Joshua Schmidt, Duangpond Singhaseni, Benjamin W. Smith, Atthasit Sukkham, Noel Hidalgo Tan, Watinee Tanompolkrang, Luke Taylor, Dagmara Zawadzka
Media
"Rock art expert honoured with national award"
"One man's battle to save and document Australia’s heritage"