Dan Mandelbaum "petraglyph 2"

Mandelbaum looks to another ancient carving tradition with his petraglyph works. A petroglyph is an image or symbol created by carving or incising directly into a rock face, differentiating it from a pictograph, which is painted onto the rock surface. These ancient rock carvings are found globally, but with significant examples in the American Southwest (dating as far back at 2000 BCE), and often depict animals, humans, and geometric shapes. Petroglyphs hold deep cultural and spiritual meaning for various communities, with their precise placement and symbolism integral to complex ancient societies and still carrying contemporary significance.