petroglyphs
Ancient stone etchings
Petroglyphs are images carved or incised into rock surfaces, typically by prehistoric peoples.
Unlike pictographs, which are painted, petroglyphs are created by pecking, scratching, or chiseling stone.
They appear worldwide at sites where ancient cultures recorded animals, humans, symbols, and abstract designs: The canyon walls were covered with petroglyphs of bighorn sheep and spirals.
Symbol drawn as image
- rockfaceExposed cliff surface
- panelDistinct flat section
- boulderLarge weathered stone
- cliffVertical rock wall
outcrop · overhang · granite · sandstone · basalt · limestone · gallery · motif
Acid-incised metal print
- engravingCarving into hard surfaces
- incisionControlled cut into tissue
- chiselEdged carving implement
- peckingJabbing with beak
groove · burin · abrasion · hammerstone · inscription · relief · intaglio · cupule
Earliest archaeological era
- NeolithicFinal prehistoric stone-tool era
- MesolithicMiddle stone era
- hunter-gatherersSubsistence through wild resources
- nomadicWithout fixed residence
tribal · ancestors · ochre · flintknapping · megafauna · shamanism · ancient · primordial
Spiritual clan symbol
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- spiritualityConnection to the sacred
- cosmologyStudy of universal structure
mythology · iconography · totemic · motif · shamanic · ancestors · storytelling · ceremony
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- siteDesignated location
- digUnearth by shoveling
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
anthropology · carbon-dating · settlements · inscriptions · neolithic · paleolithic · burials · megaliths
pictograph
Symbol drawn as image
cliff · outcrop · overhang · granite · sandstone · basalt · limestone · gallery · motif · figure
etching
Acid-incised metal print
pecking · groove · burin · abrasion · hammerstone · inscription · relief · intaglio · cupule · stonecutting
Paleolithic
Earliest archaeological era
- NeolithicFinal prehistoric stone-tool era
- MesolithicMiddle stone era
- hunter-gatherersSubsistence through wild resources
nomadic · tribal · ancestors · ochre · flintknapping · megafauna · shamanism · ancient · primordial · archaic
totem
Spiritual clan symbol
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- spiritualityConnection to the sacred
cosmology · mythology · iconography · totemic · motif · shamanic · ancestors · storytelling · ceremony · vision
excavation
Act of unearthing
stratigraphy · anthropology · carbon-dating · settlements · inscriptions · neolithic · paleolithic · burials · megaliths · potsherd
Lascaux
Paleolithic painted cavern
- cultural heritagefolklore, traditions, customs, folk music revival, museum collections
- art formspainting, drawing, sculpture, photography, music
- prehistorystone tools, Neolithic, Stone Age, caveman, cavemen
- ancient artifactsjade mask, Viking sword, bronze sculptures, antiquities, Roman coin
- ancient communicationsmoke signal, hieroglyphs, carrier pigeon, pictographs, pictograms
- ancient thingsruins, relics, artifacts, fossils, monuments
petroglyphsrock paintings
Images drawn on stone
cave paintings · pictographs · painted murals · charcoal drawings · pictograms
petroglyphsbody paint
Pigment worn directly on skin
ice sculptures · skywriting · smoke signals · temporary markings
petroglyphsdigital art
Computer-generated visual work
computer graphics · NFTs · pixel art · holographic displays · holograms
- ancient petroglyphsImages etched into rock long ago