ABSTRACT
The last three chapters have had one feature in common. Although they were concerned with the rock art of different regions, the emphasis has been on the characteristics that unite those areas. The design grammar discussed in Chapter 5 was a very simple scheme which could be used in all the case studies. It depended on a straightforward distinction between ‘simpler’ and more ‘complex’ rock art. Similarly, Chapter 6 considered the relationship between rock carvings and the pattern of settlement in terms of those elements that were shared between different regions. In most cases the carvings seemed to vary according to elevation. To a large extent the contents of Chapter 7 took a similar course, but this time I discussed the relationship between rock carvings and the siting of ceremonial monuments. No doubt such basic comparisons do play a useful role in highlighting general patterns that cross-cut the distribution of these carvings, but to suspend analysis at this stage is to lose sight of some of the fine details that could illuminate our perception of this material.
