THE ROCK ART AT ROSARIO, CHILE

The rock art of the Atacama abounds in zoomorphic imagery. In many cases llamas have been depicted. The first photo shows a deeply abraded and stylised llama that appears on the vertical west-facing side of a large boulder at Rosario (boulder 4 in Rock Art Paper 2 -use link below to read this paper). The second photo shows one of Rosario's specialities: a few petroglyphs have been painted in with dark red paint (blood??) for some unknown reason. Notice the downeard moving position of the animal.

Anthropomorphic figures also occur frequently at Rosario. The first photo shows a rare scene of a camelid hunt in which a kneeling (?) hunter shoots at a small herd of animals. The second photo shows a possible dancing scene and the third photo shows a rare assemblage of a clearly male and female couple. This scene possibly expresses a deep concern for fertility.

Geometric designs allso occur at Rosario like this cross figure on a vertical outcrop rock and the deeply carved concentric rings that are placed on the high vertical wall that hovers above a prominent rock shelter with artificial pit at Rosario.

This is one of the several anthropomorphic figures at Rosario (possibly with male gender indicated) in a typical position: one arm raised and one arm down. Notice the possible head dress.

Also characteristic for Rosario are the anthropomorphic figures that seem to play a flute or may be inhaling drugs through a tube. Both practices have been archaeologically recorded in the Atacama. Such figures almost invariably hold the flute o tube with one hand only. This figure seems to hold a staff (?) in the other hand.

A paper, previously published in ALMOGAREN, describes and illustrates the enigmatic upside-down bird petroglyphs at Rosario.