Julian Cope presents Head Heritage | The Modern Antiquarian Forum | Rock art. so what's that all about then. ?

BuckyE

468 posts

Re: Rock art. so what's that all about then. ?

Aug 03, 2010, 22:05

Well, I don't remember. I think the dating is a more or less a terminus a quo / terminus ad quem proposition, based on other archaeology, and the existence/disappearance of the huge lake along which these things were supposed to have been made.

I know petroglyphs like this, which are pecked or scratched through the "desert patina" that accumulates on the rocks can theoretically be dated by the amount of patina that has reaccumulated. But my impression, and don't quote me, is that while the chemical reactions creating the patina are fairly well understood, the actual rate of creation isn't. Apparently the chemical reactions vary, or perhaps some people think they might vary, with changes in climate: dryer, cooler, etc. Makes a certain amount of sense. Very much like C14 dating, which needs to be "corrected" by estimates of the amount of C14 present during the lifetime of the sample.

And as far as I know, no correcting has been done for desert patina in particular places and times.

I've looked through the one reference we have for the area, and Nada on these petroglyphs. Same on the web: everyone repeating something like the dates on the sign with no rationale given for them. Sorry!

Screwy glyphs, though, eh?

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Re: Rock art. so what's that all about then. ? (juamei)

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Re: Rock art. so what's that all about then. ? (juamei)

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