REGIONAL TRENDS IN ROCK ART PRODUCTION ACROSS ANDEAN FOOTHILL VALLEYS OF NORTH-CENTRAL CHILE

Andrés Troncoso; Francisca Moya; Francisca Ivanovic; Paula Urzúa; Amalia Nuevo-Delaunay; Sebastián Grasset; César Méndez

Rock Art Research

Vol. 40 No. 1 (2023)
Published : May 8, 2023

REGIONAL TRENDS IN ROCK ART PRODUCTION ACROSS ANDEAN FOOTHILL VALLEYS OF NORTH-CENTRAL CHILE

Andrés Troncoso ⁽¹⁾, Francisca Moya ⁽²⁾, Francisca Ivanovic ⁽³⁾, Paula Urzúa ⁽⁴⁾, Amalia Nuevo-Delaunay ⁽⁵⁾, Sebastián Grasset ⁽⁶⁾, César Méndez ⁽⁷⁾

(1) Departament of Anthropology, Universidad de Chile, Chile

(2) Facultat de Geografia i Història, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

(3) Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales, Chile

(4) Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales, Chile

(5) Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Chile

(6) Department of Prehistory, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain

(7) Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Chile

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Abstract

Considering rock art as the result of human labour in a region, we discuss how the intensity of rock art intervention can be used as a proxy for understanding the human use of space in valleys of north-central Chile. This region has a long sequence of rock art production, ranging from the beginning of the late Holocene until the 18th century. Our results show variability in rock art intervention during this period, with two outstanding moments: the initial appearance of rock art and the intensification of its production after 1000 CE. Both points in time are related to major transformations in the social dynamics and use of space by its inhabitants.