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Pictograph Photo Gallery


A pictograph is a drawing or painting that is created on a rock.
It is not "carved" into the rock - that would be a "petroglyph."


Lascaux Cave Pictograph

Lascaux Cave Pictograph: Photo of a pictograph from the famous Lascaux cave complex in southwestern France. In addition to the many realistic depictions of animals in the caves, some scholars believe that markings (dots, arrows and lines) that accompany the paintings are an early form of "written" communication. This photograph by Prof saxx is displayed here under a Creative Commons License.

Pictographs: Cave of the Hands, Argentina
Pictographs at Cueva de las Manos

Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of the Hands) is a series of caves in Argentina where ancient people painted on the walls starting over 9,000 years ago. The wall above is one of many that is covered with hand silhouettes. These silhouettes are thought to be made by the artist placing a hand on the wall and then blowing liquid pigment through a hollow bone to spray-paint the wall. The paintings in the caves are so significant that Cueva de las Manos, Patagonia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Image copyright iStockphoto / edurivero.

Pictographs: Cave of the Hands, Argentina
Pictographs at Cueva de las Manos

Not all of the paintings at "Cave of the Hands" are hands in silhouette. Some are geometric designs, herds of animals, bow hunters, and weapons. Pigments used include: iron oxides (reds), kaolin (white), natrojarosite (yellow), and manganese oxides (black). Image copyright iStockphoto / edurivero.

Pictographs: South Africa
Pictographs in South Africa

Bow hunter pictographs on the wall of a cave in the Cederberg region of South Africa. These images are thought to have been painted about 1500 years ago. Image copyright iStockphoto / skilpad.

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Pictographs: Brazil
Pictographs in Brazil

Pictographs painted on a Monte Alegre cave in the Para State of Brazil. Image copyright iStockphoto / Brasil2.

Pictographs: South Africa
Pictographs near Drakensberg, South Africa

Pictographs on a rock wall near Drakensberg, South Africa. Image copyright iStockphoto / Henk Badenhorst.


Petroglyph Photo Gallery


Pictographs: Australia
Pictographs in Australia

Aboriginal pictographs of the Gagudju people of northern Australia. The art is believed to be at least 5,000 years old. Image copyright iStockphoto / Matthew Scherf.

Pictographs: Namibia
Pictographs in Namibia

Pictographs of Bushmen of the Namibian Desert of Africa. Image copyright iStockphoto / Jan Derksen.

Pictographs: Utah
Pictographs in Utah

Pictographs representing people from the Fremont Culture. Image copyright iStockphoto / Andrea Gingerich.

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Pictographs: Canyon de Chelly, Arizona
Pictographs at Canyon de Chelly, Arizona

Native American pictographs and petroglyphs at Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona. Image copyright iStockphoto / Karen Parker.

Pictographs: British Columbia, Canada
Pictographs in British Columbia

Pictograph painted on a bluff near Vaseux Lake, British Columbia, Canada. Image copyright iStockphoto / Laure Neish.

Pictographs: Nevada
Pictographs in Nevada

Pictographs made by Native Americans at Red Rock Canyon, Nevada, USA. Image copyright iStockphoto / Robert Maxwell.

Pictographs: Aruba
Pictographs in Aruba

Ancient pictographs photographed in a cave on the island of Aruba. Image copyright iStockphoto / zinchik.

Pictographs: Sri Lanka
Pictographs in Sri Lanka

One of many ancient paintings known as the Sigiriya Damsel frescoes, inside the cave temple at Sigiriya Rock, Sri Lanka. Sigiriya Rock is a UNESCO World Heritage site that is thought to date from the 5th century. Image copyright by iStockphoto / Cinoby.

Pictographs: Mexico
Pictographs in Mexico

Pictographs photographed in Mexico. Image copyright iStockphoto / Juan Rodriguez.

Pictographs: Ontario, Canada
Agawa Rock pictographs

"Two Figures" from the Agawa Rock pictographs, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Image copyright iStockphoto / David Lewis.

Pictographs: Indonesia
Pictographs in Indonesia

Rare example of a prehistoric pictograph featuring a fish, discovered in a cave on Misool Island, in the Raja Ampat archipelago of West Papua, Indonesia. The artist(s) likely held the fish against the rock, then used a blowpipe to apply numerous bursts of pigmented water to outline the silhouette of a fish. This cave has numerous fish pictographs; some are silhouettes, others are line art. Image copyright iStockphoto / LoweStock.

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Pictographs: Utah
Pictographs in Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Native American pictographs of hands, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, United States. Image copyright iStockphoto / Andrea Gingerich.

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