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  • Quick Facts
    • What is rock art?
    • Who made Arkansas rock art?
    • How are petroglyphs made?
    • How are pictographs made?
    • What is the difference between rock art and graffiti?
    • How old is Arkansas rock art?
    • Why did Native Americans make rock art?
    • What kinds of rock art images have been identified?
    • What are rock art styles?
    • What threatens to destroy rock art?
    • Where can I see rock art in Arkansas?
    • What can I do at a rock art site?
  • Interpretations
    • A Horse-and-Rider Pictograph
    • Fish-trap and Paddlefish
    • Portals Between the Worlds / Underwater Spirit
    • Footprints, Handprints, and Animal Tracks
    • The Hellgrammite Pictograph
    • The Human Body
    • The Narrows Rock Art Panel
    • Tools for Making Rock Art at The Narrows
    • Rock Art in Context: Art
    • Rock Art in Context: Physical Context
    • Rock Art in Context: Cultural Landscapes
  • Articles
    • The Arkansas Rock Art Project
    • What is Rock Art and What Can it Tell Us About the Past?
    • The Chronological and Cultural Context of Arkansas Rock Art
    • History of Rock Art Research in Arkansas
    • The Petit Jean Painted Rock Art Style
  • Technical Papers
    • Rock Art Documentation in Arkansas
    • The Narrows Rock Art in Archeological Context
    • Photogrammetry at The Narrows
    • Excavations at Rockhouse Cave
    • Archaeogeophysics at Rockhouse Cave
    • Actively Managing Rock Art Sites
  • Resources
    • Activities
      • A Native American Bestiary
      • Ancient Art Forms
      • Ancient Art Styles
      • Here Comes the Sun
      • Petroglyphs and Pictographs
      • Seeing the Ancient Peoples
      • Seeing the World Through Ancient Eyes
      • The Sky World, This World, and the Underworld
      • Using Databases
    • Lesson Plans
      • What is Rock Art Lesson
      • Ancient Animals
      • Art and Culture
      • Mysterious Symbols
      • Rock Art and Ritual
      • Seeing Ancient People Lesson
      • Seeing Ancient Worlds
    • Glossary
    • Bibliography
    • Site Recording Forms
    • Rock Art Links
  • Database
    • Search Database
    • Search Advanced Database
  • Just For Kids
    • Gayle's Quest
    • Raven's Dream
    • Jason and Tiffany's Excellent Adventure
  • Picture Gallery
    • Visit the Picture Gallery
  • Buy the Book!


Quick Facts
What is rock art?
Who made Arkansas rock art?
How are petroglyphs made?
How are pictographs made?
What is the difference between rock art and graffiti?
How old is Arkansas rock art?
Why did Native Americans make rock art?
What kinds of rock art images have been identified?
What are rock art styles?
What threatens to destroy rock art?
Where can I see rock art in Arkansas?
What can I do at a rock art site?

Interpretations
A Horse-and-Rider Pictograph
Fish-trap and Paddlefish
Portals Between the Worlds / Underwater Spirit
Footprints, Handprints, and Animal Tracks
The Hellgrammite Pictograph
The Human Body
The Narrows Rock Art Panel
Tools for Making Rock Art at The Narrows
Rock Art in Context: Art
Rock Art in Context: Physical Context
Rock Art in Context: Cultural Landscapes

Articles
The Arkansas Rock Art Project
What is Rock Art and What Can it Tell Us About the Past?
The Chronological and Cultural Context of Arkansas Rock Art
History of Rock Art Research in Arkansas
The Petit Jean Painted Rock Art Style

Technical Papers
Rock Art Documentation in Arkansas
The Narrows Rock Art in Archeological Context
Photogrammetry at The Narrows
Excavations at Rockhouse Cave
Archaeogeophysics at Rockhouse Cave
Actively Managing Rock Art Sites

Resources
Activities
A Native American Bestiary
Ancient Art Forms
Ancient Art Styles
Here Comes the Sun
Petroglyphs and Pictographs
Seeing the Ancient Peoples
Seeing the World Through Ancient Eyes
The Sky World, This World, and the Underworld
Using Databases
Lesson Plans
What is Rock Art Lesson
Ancient Animals
Art and Culture
Mysterious Symbols
Rock Art and Ritual
Seeing Ancient People Lesson
Seeing Ancient Worlds
Glossary
Bibliography
Site Recording Forms
Rock Art Links

Database
Search Database
Search Advanced Database

Just For Kids
Gayle's Quest
Raven's Dream
Jason and Tiffany's Excellent Adventure

Picture Gallery
Visit the Picture Gallery

Buy the Book!




What are rock art styles?

Rock art motif
Concentric circle motif in rock art.

Archeologists use the term style to refer to design characteristics or decorative techniques applied in the making of an artifact. Stylistic features are often used to convey information, such as the identity of the maker or owner of the artifact or the identity of the group to which he or she belongs. Distinctive styles generally correspond to specific time periods and/or geographical regions. Archeologists define styles in relation to specific design features such as shape, texture, color, decorative mode, and quality of craftsmanship. You can think of style in relation to the kinds of clothing you wear today for school or for work, for leisurely or sporting activities, and for special "dressy" occasions, as compared to the clothing worn for the same activities and occasions a century ago.

Ceramic motif
Concentric circle motif on ceramic bowl.

Rock art images can also exhibit stylistic variation. Most rock art style definitions are based on geographical variations in production techniques and motif categories and treatments. This works well in areas such as the American Southwest, where rock art motifs are complex. In Arkansas, rock art is dominated by enigmatic abstract and geometric motifs along with a wide variety of rather simple images of humans, animals, plants, and objects. We can distinguish regional variability in the frequency of major rock art types (pictographs versus petroglyphs), geometric designs, and naturalistic subjects, but these variations do not sort very well into discrete regional styles. On the other hand, many rock art motifs are similar to designs rendered on other artifacts, making it possible to study variation in rock art designs as part of broader stylistic complexes. This approach puts rock art into a larger comparative framework that includes artworks on different media and from different kinds of archeological sites.

Petit Jean Painted style pictograph
Geometric Petit Jean Painted style pictograph.

One rock art style identified in Arkansas is called the Petit Jean Painted style. It is represented by pictographs found on sites located in the Petit Jean Mountain region of the central Arkansas River Valley. The characteristics of this style include the use of red pigments to create finger-painted line drawings of geometric motifs as well as naturalistic animal and plant forms in solitary and group arrangements.

10. What threatens to destroy rock art?

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Last Updated: April 11, 2007 at 8:40:42 AM Central Time
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