Signalling and Performance: Ancient Rock Art in Britain and Ireland presents a state of the art survey of the ancient rock art of Britain and Ireland, bringing together new discoveries and new interpretations. Ancient rock art offers unique insights into the mindsets of its makers and the landscapes in which they lived. The making of rock art was not just an aesthetic practice, but an activity informed by deep social and cultural meanings held by its makers - meanings that they were compelled to express on rocks in Britain and Ireland, through mostly abstract images, for thousands of years. For a long time, ancient rock art remained a topic on the fringes of Archaeology. Since the 1960s, however, there has been sustained recording and research into ancient rock art. Increased publicity has evoked growing interest in British and Irish rock art, with professional and amateur archaeologists and the public, with the latter being responsible for many discoveries.

In 2007, Aron Mazel, George Nash and Clive Waddington published the first edited volume focusing on ancient British rock art, entitled Art as Metaphor. Since then, there have been a number of publications covering this topic. Building on the increased interest in rock art, this lavishly illustrated volume constructed of thirteen thought-provoking chapters and an Introduction will do much to further enhance of understanding of this fascinating and meaningful resource. It will further establish ancient British and Irish rock art as a significant archaeological assemblage worthy of attention and additional study.

About the Author
Aron Mazel is a Reader in Heritage Studies at Newcastle University (United Kingdom) and a Research Associate at the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa).

George Nash is an Associate Professor at the Centro de Geociencias da Universidade de Coimbra and Instituto Politecnico de Tomar in Portugal.

Reviews

'This study of prehistoric rock art does indeed provide an 'insight into the mindset of its makers', investigating how prehistoric people interacted with these motifs and what they meant to them culturally and socially. It is an important contribution to the exploration of this subject in Britain and Ireland, as well as being an enjoyable and academic read that will engage a range of archaeologically minded audiences.' - Ceri Pennington (2023): Current Archaeology Issue 399

Book Information
ISBN 9781803272511
Author Aron Mazel
Format Paperback
Page Count 344
Imprint Archaeopress Archaeology
Publisher Archaeopress
Weight(grams) 888g