Rock Art of the World with Jeff LaFave

Indigenous people around the planet have left an incredibly rich, but fragile, rock art legacy. Rock art is a truly global phenomenon and an expression of what it is to be human. This free public talk presented by the Santa Barbara County Archaeological Society at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History relates to the recent publication of Jeff LaFave’s book Rock Art of the World: Ancient Images of Power, Ritual, and Story. Some of the themes from the book will be discussed, such as the importance of considering the landscape context of rock art sites. The presentation will also include photographs from important sites from all six continents which have rock art.

Jeff LaFave has been involved in rock art research and documentation for over twenty-five years. An environmental lawyer by day, he has authored multiple publications and given many presentations about rock art, including at meetings of the International Federation of Rock Art Organizations (IFRAO), and the American Rock Art Research Association (ARARA). He also serves as a board member for Western Rock Art Research, a nonprofit which is dedicated to the preservation and documentation of rock art in the U.S. and Australia. In 2017, he was presented with the Oliver Award from ARARA for “Excellence in the Art & Science of Rock Art Photography.”

Pictured: Petroglyphs from Niola Doa, Ennedi Plateau, Chad. Photo by Jeff LaFave