Photo Gallery

Painted, mysterious shapes. The diameter of the concentric circle on the left is 74.4 inches. Near Salt Creek Canyon, Canyonlands National Park (Utah).

A variety of signs and symbols-spirals, a snake, the sun, corn stalks, a labyrinth, very schematic human figures etc.-are clearly visible against the black and brown patina of the sandstone. Inscription Point, near Wupatki National Monument (Arizona).

Geometric designs are called labyrinths, a common motif found on Southwest pottery and baskets, but also in other parts of the world, such as Crete or the Italian Val Camonica. Length: approximately 48 inches. Magnetic Masa, Wupatki National Monument (Arizona).

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Entre les scènes peintes des abris sous roche de Pizacoma figurent des signes géométriques dont la signification exacte nous échappe.

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Au moyen de substances minérales de différentes couleurs, les femmes Shipibo tracent, à la surface d'étoffes en coton blanc, des dessins symboliques qui ressemblent beaucoup à ceux que l'on aperçoit sur les objets en terre cuite. - Paococha près Pucallpa (département d’Ucayali). - 1969

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Entre Cuzco et Abancay, à 3500 mètres d'altitude, surgit un fascinant monolithe! Sculptés dans un dôme de lave haut de plus de 2 mètres, entre des «temples, des lagunes-réceptacles et des canaux, ressortent quelque deux cents figures allégoriques: morts allongés, pumas, serpents, vigognes, singes, lézards, crapauds, scorpions. Peut-être la «maquette» en pierre de Sayhuite était-elle liée à des sortilèges et à des rites de pluviomagie...

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Chef-d'oeuvre tant par la texture du tissage en cumbi que par l'harmonie des coloris, ce somptueux uncu impérial fut porté par l'un des dynastes ou par quelque noble de la cour du Cuzco. Quatre-vingt-huit «cases» contenant de mystérieux symboles dits tocapus, interprétés comme une «écriture antique» et secrète, sont actuellement étudiés par Victoria de la Jara et Tomas Barthel. (Museo e Instituto de Arqueologia de la Universidad nacional del Cuzco, Pérou.)

Representations of a younger, more developed culture depict meanders, either painted or carved, forming intricate overall patterns. In certain cases, they are even extremely complex labyrinths. They too are probably an expression of religious ideas, but the exact meaning of all these symbols cannot be determined. - This rock painting is located near San Martín de los Andes. - 1975

175 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter II. - Enigmatic figure with no rational explanation. Total height: 0.51 m.

279 - Col d'Amoggiar (Mauritania). - Ochre painting of a "solar" symbol with four small inner circles. The fifteen rays are not joined with the circle. Two hands, one in negative (in red ochre), are visible on the left. Diameter of the solar symbol: 0.18 m.

328 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Mysterious fresco organized around two black circles, from which four rays extend to the left, ending in circles covered with a lattice pattern. These circles are all open outward. Between two open circles, at the bottom right, an independent round structure contains two seated people and a child. On the left, but in the open air, a man stands. On the opposite side, at the opposite edge, there is also a black circle from which two rays extend, also ending in round, lattice-like, and open structures. A third ray seems to lead nowhere. Finally, outside of what might be a hut, there is a seated figure. On the left figure, there is also a circle containing another with small rays. The entire painting is done in red ochre, and the represented panel measures 1.36 m.

329 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Detail of the previous structure. Diameter of the "hut": 0.20 m.

449 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A symbolic figure painted with bold strokes. Perhaps an elephant whose legs are overloading a fore bovid. In this curious figure, two back ends of undetermined animals are also visible, touching at the median section of the belly. Height of the figure: 0.48 m.

450 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The animal (?) from the previous photo, as seen by Y. Tschudi. (Tschudi Y. - North African Rock Paintings. Sansoni Ed., Florence, 1955).

474 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - In the center of the ceiling of a shelter, a circle painted in red ochre. The diameter is 0.08 m. From this circle, which contains a smaller one, small appendages with double lines extend. They are small in size, except for one that is extended and fades into the wall. There is no explanation for this.

548 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Three rectangular structures, two of which show stakes (?) at each corner and contain indeterminate objects in the shape of spools. Three in the right structure, one in the two others. In all three structures, the lines forming the rectangles are doubled on the outside. Width of the right rectangle: 0.50 m.

Representations of a younger, more developed culture depict meanders, either painted or carved, forming intricate overall patterns. In certain cases, they are even extremely complex labyrinths. They too are probably an expression of religious ideas, but the exact meaning of all these symbols cannot be determined. - This rock painting is located near San Martín de los Andes. - 1975