Rock art

In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural stone; it is largely synonymous with parietal art. A global phenomenon, rock art is found in many culturally diverse regions of the world. It has been produced in many contexts throughout human history, although the majority of rock art that has been ethnographically recorded has been produced as a part of ritual. Such artworks are often divided into three forms: petroglyphs, which are carved into the rock surface, pictographs, which are painted onto the surface, and earth figures, formed on the ground. The oldest known rock art dates from the Upper Palaeolithic period, having been found in Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Archaeologists studying these artworks believe that they likely had magico-religious significance.

The archaeological sub-discipline of rock art studies first developed in the late-19th century among Francophone scholars studying the Upper Palaeolithic rock art found in the cave systems of Western Europe. Rock art continues to be of importance to indigenous peoples in various parts of the world, who view them as both sacred items and significant components of their cultural patrimony. Such archaeological sites are also significant sources of cultural tourism, and have been utilised in popular culture for their aesthetic qualities.

Rock Art (album)

Rock Art is the 11th studio album by the British melodic rock band Magnum and was released in 1994 by EMI.

Following on from Magnum's experimentation on Keeping the Nite Light Burning, Rock Art took a contemporary approach with stripped down arrangements; blues, rock and roll and soul elements were incorporated into their sound. The radical changes employed in Magnum's sound since Keeping the Nite Light Burning and Rock Art can be considered as Tony Clarkin's attempt to move away from Magnum's sound and style established with the On A Storyteller's Night, Vigilante, Wings Of Heaven and Goodnight L.A. albums, and perhaps even a reaction to grunge, Britpop and indie rock.

Clarkin said, "This is the nearest we've got to the "ballsier" side of Magnum live onto record. Rock Art is the best sounding album we've ever recorded, Bob's vocal performance has been stretched even further this time and everyone has had the freedom to play what they wanted to play."

Two singles were released from the album, "The Tall Ships" and "Back In Your Arms Again". However, they were only distributed in Germany.