The Rock Art Podcast

Archaeology Pod Network
Archaeology Pod Network
  • 5.0 (28)
  • History
  • Updated Semimonthly

Rock art is one of those things that just captivates your attention. The ancient carvings, drawings, and paintings tell a story. Sometimes we can interpret what that story is and sometimes we can't. World renowned rock art expert, Dr. Alan Garfinkel joins APN founder Chris Webster and a cast of expert guests to talk about rock art: what is it, how do we know how old it is, who made it, and much more. Join us as we take you on a journey through space and time via pictures on rock.

  1. Jul 17

    Göbekli Tepe with Jens Notroff - Ep 169

    In this episode, Alan speaks with Jens Notroff about the groundbreaking discoveries at Göbekli Tepe, one of the world's oldest monumental archaeological sites. They explore what its remarkable stone architecture, animal imagery, and material culture reveal about the social organization, ritual practices, and symbolic lives of hunter-gatherers more than 12,000 years ago. The conversation also examines how ongoing research is reshaping our understanding of the origins of monumentality, cooperation, and the transition to settled life. Transcripts For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/rockart/169 Links The APN Awards - Nominations Open! Jens Notroff wesbite Jens Notroff academic papers Göbekli Tepe, Türkei: Die Arbeiten der Jahre 2014 (Herbst) und 2015 Building Monuments, Creating Communities. Early monumental architecture at Pre-Pottery Neolithic Göbekli Tepe. Contact Dr. Alan Garfinkel avram1952@yahoo.com Dr. Alan Garfinkel’s Website Support Dr. Garfinkel on Patreon ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates and Sponsors Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. Jul 3

    Nahua Cosmology and Decolonizing Rock Art with Jose Botello - Ep 168

    In this episode, Alan speaks with Jose Battello about his Indigenous Nahua heritage, his journey into anthropology, and the role of Indigenous knowledge in archaeological interpretation. They explore decolonial approaches to research, Nahua cosmology as a lens for understanding Coso rock art, and the importance of Indigenous self-representation, language, and ceremonial traditions in preserving cultural knowledge. Transcripts For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/rockart/168 Links The APN Awards - Nominations Open! Contact Dr. Alan Garfinkel avram1952@yahoo.com Dr. Alan Garfinkel’s Website Support Dr. Garfinkel on Patreon ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates and Sponsors Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  3. Jun 19

    Alan Ehrgott and The Elusive Conquest of Queen Califa - Ep 167

    In episode 167, Dr. Alan Garfinkel interviews author and conservationist Alan Ehrgott about his recent book, The Elusive Conquest of Queen Califa: California History Revisited. The discussion explores the Indigenous peoples of Baja California, the arrival of Spanish explorers and missionaries, and the role of rock art as a visual record of history, belief, and cultural survival. Ehrgott describes how his work blends historical research, memoir, adventure travel, and historical fiction, drawing from a 1,200-mile backpacking journey along Baja California’s Camino Real and decades of study of California history and conservation. The episode examines Indigenous lifeways, missionization, colonial encounters, cave paintings, and the enduring cultural landscapes of Baja California, while reflecting on how archaeology, oral traditions, and rock art help illuminate the complex history of California and its first peoples. Transcripts For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/rockart/167 Links The Elusive Conquest of Queen Califa by Alan Ehrgott Contact Dr. Alan Garfinkel avram1952@yahoo.com Dr. Alan Garfinkel’s Website Support Dr. Garfinkel on Patreon ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates and Sponsors Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  4. Jun 5

    Five Pilgrims and a Lunar Spirit: A Panel Deconstruction - Ep 166

    In episode 166, Dr. Alan Garfinkel continues his discussion of a major Coso rock art panel, focusing on recurring symbolic elements and their possible cosmological meanings. He examines prominent figures depicted with snakes and distinctive staff-like wands, drawing on insights from researcher Bernard Jones and Hopi ceremonial traditions to explore connections between rock art, the winter solstice, and beliefs about maintaining cosmic balance. Alan discusses Indigenous concepts of the sun and moon as opposing yet complementary forces, including Nahua and broader Uto-Aztecan traditions that explain celestial cycles through mythic conflict and renewal. Transcripts For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/rockart/166 Links Iconicity of the Uto-Aztecans: Snake Anthropomorphy in the Great Basin, the American Southwest and Mesoamerica Contact Dr. Alan Garfinkel avram1952@yahoo.com Dr. Alan Garfinkel’s Website Support Dr. Garfinkel on Patreon ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates and Sponsors Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. May 22

    The Rock Art of India with Dr. Meenakshi Dubey-Pathak - Ep 165

    In episode 165, Dr. Alan Garfinkel interviews Dr. Meenakshi Dubey-Paik about her decades of research on India’s rock art, including extensive work on painted rock shelters. She describes how some tribes treat certain sites as sacred for vows, offerings, and festivals, using signs/symbols, animal imagery, dance, and music-induced trance, while noting cultural change from relocation and the addition of later shrines (e.g., Shiva/Kali) that shifts attention away from older images. Meenakshi highlights key motifs (animals, honey collection, dancers, tiger beliefs), and urges education and conservation to prevent vandalism and development damage. Transcripts For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/rockart/165 Contact Dr. Alan Garfinkel avram1952@yahoo.com Dr. Alan Garfinkel’s Website Support Dr. Garfinkel on Patreon ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates and Sponsors Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  6. May 8

    Dr. John Bellezza on Exploring Pre-Buddhist Tibet and Its Rock Art - Ep 164

    Host Dr. Alan Garfinkel interviews Dr. John Bellezza about his path from traveling in India and Tibet in the 1980s to focusing on Tibetan prehistory, archaeology, cosmology, and rock art, later earning a PhD at the University of Kent based on prior publications. Bellezza stresses learning Tibetan languages and working in the field as Tibet opened to travelers in 1984, then turning to pre-Buddhist traditions often erased or absorbed by Buddhism and long neglected by scholars. He describes discoveries at Lake Namtso, evidence for high-altitude pastoralism and hunting, and key finds in rock art and monuments, including chariots and standing-stone complexes. He previews ongoing rock art volumes and future work on bronze talismans and Old Tibetan texts. Transcripts For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/rockart/164 Contact Dr. Alan Garfinkel avram1952@yahoo.com Dr. Alan Garfinkel’s Website Support Dr. Garfinkel on Patreon ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates and Sponsors Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  7. Apr 24

    Dr Jayc Sedlmayr and Supernatural Gamekeepers - Ep 163

    In this episode, Alan speaks with Dr Jayc Sedlmayr about his research into indigenous theology and animal ceremonial traditions. Drawing on interdisciplinary backgrounds, Sedlmayr discusses his “Embodied Essence” project, which explores how many cultures understood spiritual essence as residing in bodily substances—especially bone marrow. He explains how this perspective helps interpret ritual practices involving bones, such as their treatment as regenerative “seeds,” their placement in ceremonial contexts, and their role in maintaining relationships between humans, animals, and the spiritual world. Transcripts For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/rockart/163 Links Embodied Essence sessions (SAA 2024 collection) The Ensouled Body (co-authored by Jayc Sedlmayr) Contact Dr. Alan Garfinkel avram1952@yahoo.com Dr. Alan Garfinkel’s Website Support Dr. Garfinkel on Patreon ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates and Sponsors Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  8. Apr 10

    Mobile Artifacts and Conventional Signs with Dr Christian Bentz and Dr Ewa Dutkiewicz - Ep 162

    In this episode, Alan speaks with Dr Christian Bentz and Dr Ewa Dutkiewicz about their research on early systems of conventional signs. They explore how recurring symbols in rock art and mobile artifacts may reflect shared visual communication as far back as 40,000 years ago, and what this reveals about early human cognition and culture. Transcripts For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/rockart/162 Links SignBase, a collection of geometric signs on mobile objects in the Palaeolithic Humans 40,000 years ago developed a system of conventional signs Dr Ewa Dutkiewicz Profile Dr Christian Bentz Profile Contact Dr. Alan Garfinkel avram1952@yahoo.com Dr. Alan Garfinkel’s Website Support Dr. Garfinkel on Patreon ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates and Sponsors Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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5
out of 5
28 Ratings

About

Rock art is one of those things that just captivates your attention. The ancient carvings, drawings, and paintings tell a story. Sometimes we can interpret what that story is and sometimes we can't. World renowned rock art expert, Dr. Alan Garfinkel joins APN founder Chris Webster and a cast of expert guests to talk about rock art: what is it, how do we know how old it is, who made it, and much more. Join us as we take you on a journey through space and time via pictures on rock.

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