Rock art is a term in archaeology for any man-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into: Importance and applicability Archaeology is the study of human nature and attempts to illuminate the question of what it means to be human. ...

• Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces
• Pictographs - rock and cave paintings
• Mobiliary rock art - smaller, portable examples of either of the above types.

Both petroglyphs and pictographs can be parietal, meaning on the walls of a cave or rock shelter, open-air meaning they are made on exposed natural outcrops or monument-based which are made on stones consciously deposited. Petroglyphs on a Bishop Tuff tableland Petroglyph on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Petroglyph Point Petroglyphs on Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument Petroglyphs from Scandinavia (Häljesta, Västmanland in Sweden). ... Pictogram for public toilets A pictogram or pictograph is a symbol which represents an object or a concept by illustration. ... Cave or rock paintings are paintings painted on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to prehistoric times. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Traditionally, individual markings are called motifs and groups of motifs and known as panels. Sequences of panels are treated as archaeological sites. This method of classifying rock art however has become less popular as the structure imposed is unlikely to have had any relevance to the art's creators. Even the word 'art' carries with it many modern prejudices about the purpose of the features. In literature, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance. ... A panel is a thing that blocks one area from another. ... An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been investigated using the discipline of archaeology. ...

Rock art can be found across a wide geographical and temporal spread of cultures perhaps to mark territory, to record historical events or stories or to help enact rituals. Some art seems to depict real events whilst many other examples are apparently entirely abstract. In archaeology, culture refers to either of two separate but allied concepts: An archaeological culture is a pattern of similar artefacts and features found within a specific area over a limited period of time. ... A ritual is a formalised, predetermined set of symbolic actions generally performed in a particular environment at a regular, recurring interval. ...