Rock art and social life - Revisiting the Neolithic transition in Mediterranean Iberia

Fairen-Jimenez, S. (2007) Rock art and social life - Revisiting the Neolithic transition in Mediterranean Iberia. Journal of Social Archaeology, 7 (1). pp. 123-143. ISSN 1469-6053 doi: 10.1177/1469605307073179

Abstract/Summary

This article revisits the Neolithic transition in Mediterranean Iberia taking into account an aspect usually neglected in the archaeological discourse: the rock art styles that emerged in this context. These distinct styles have been generally attributed to different populations, according to a historicist point of view that equates stylistic variability and ethnic identity. However, the recent recognition that they were developed by the same social group requires the formulation of an alternative explanation. My proposal is based on the exploration of the social context of production and consumption of the rock art, through the analysis of the patterns of location of the sites within the landscape and the definition of their archaeological context.