Rock Art Research

Languages and cultures are related phylogenetically in that both derive from a common ancestral tradition. Austronesian is a linguistic classification that represents a common language phylum that correlates with archaeological and cultural traditions that span the Pacific from the east Asian mainland to the furthest reaches of Polynesia. For instance, a linguistic-cultural correlation can be used to identify a common Polynesian culture through shared patterns of language, society and symbolism. This study attempts to evaluate the extent to which this symbolism can be used to elucidate ‘Austronesian’ as a broader linguistic-cultural category, in which sense it will be used in this study. This will be undertaken against a background of linguistic and archaeological correlates, including Austro-Asiatic languages and their associated cultures, through a focus on the use of design elements and their combination in motifs as they are found in rock art.