Rock Art Research

Hand stencils and prints have been long recognised to be ubiquitous throughout most rock art regions of Australia. This study examines the variation in hand stencil measurements of a single individual and then the correlation between hand size and a range of physical anthropological traits from central Australian populations. It concludes that only the broadest age distributions can be discerned from stencils and prints, and also that sex cannot be reliably distinguished. However, the measurement of attributes remains warranted as particular age/sex associations may be confidently proposed when examined in conjunction with other archaeological evidence.