Abstract:
In the earliest stages of the Neolithic, certain practices of rock art were carved on the natural outcrops and boulders in the landscape of Alpine Europe, beginning a tradition of striking artistic representation and expression that lasted well into the Iron Age. With over 500,000 works (and
counting) in nearly 1,000 sites, Alpine rock art holds an almost uninterrupted period of 10,000 years
of heritage. Despite this, Alpine rock art remains decidedly absent and detached from the broader
currents of archaeological discourse regarding the prehistory of this region. As a result, the
overarching research objective of this thesis will be to explore how applying diverse theories in the
study of Alpine rock art may recontextualise the material and bring the discipline out of isolated
studies. More specifically, this thesis will propose a robust methodology founded on the basis of
ontology, assemblage theory and the communities of practices framework to provide a more nuanced
and holistic understanding of the complex nature between archaeological entities (rock art) and the
overall contexts (the prehistoric Alpine arc) in which they are situated.
