Rock Art Research

This article reviews the background and nomenclature of a specific type of graphic phenomenology currently known as geoglyphs. The properties of these materials, especially their technological variation, are examined here based on examples mainly from Peru and India. The record of the mechanical pressure technique to produce geoglyphs stands out, as it is documented at different archaeological sites, from which it is inferred that this technique had wide use in the past, especially in the Andes. It is concluded that the phenomenological definition of the geoglyphs is substantial in determining the nature of this type of archaeological evidence, with implications for its conservation, treatment and interpretation.