Work

Ancestral Connections: Re-Evaluating Concepts of Superimpositioning and Vandalism in Rock Art Studies

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The aim of this article is to comprehend the significance of superimpositions as social practices and processes and to deconstruct how notions of superimpositions and vandalism have been used in rock art studies. Although attempts in the past have been made to determine why certain motifs were intentionally placed on top of other images, superimposition and vandalism/iconoclasm are often – and unhelpfully – used interchangeably in rock art literature. Interpretations have mostly lingered on the negative connotations of superimpositions, such as the “defacement” of previous motifs. Here, we argue that uncritically categorising certain practices as vandalism – often from the perspective of a Western knowledge system – has a negative influence on interpretations of traditional art systems. Instead, by recognising the active role that past depictions played – and, in some places, continue to play – within contemporary Indigenous communities, we hope to clarify and expand conceptualisations of superimpositions in rock art research. Our case study focusses on superimpositioning in the Kimberley region of Australia.

Source: Open Archaeology

DOI: 10.1515/opar-2024-0033

Authors: Ana Paula Motta, Jamie Hampson

Institutions: The University of Western Australia, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, University of Exeter

Language: English

Topic: Archaeology and Rock Art Studies

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $848

Funder: University of Exeter