Defining “Scenes” in Rock Art Research: Visual Conventions and Beyond

The word “scene” originally derives from ancient Greek theater, where it refers to a setting or “sequence of dramatic action” (Oxford English Dictionary 2015: definitions 1, 2). Currently the term is used in a variety of ways in theater, film, and art. Of the fifteen definitions given in the Oxford English Dictionary, only one sufficiently refers to the visual arts: “A view or picture presented to the eye or mind of a place, incident, series of events” (Oxford English Dictionary 2015: definition 15). However, none of the specialist dictionaries consulted including The Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Art Terms and The Oxford Dictionary of Art define the term (Adeline 1967; Chilvers 2004, 2009; Clarke and Clarke 2010; Lucie-Smith 1993), nor do many leading rock art reference books (e.g., Chippindale and Nash 2004; Chippindale and Taçon 1998; Flood 1997; Layton 1992; Morwood 2002; Whitley 2001, 2011). Of the many rock art books we examined for this chapter, only Layton (1992) lists the term in the index. The general absence of “scene” in glossaries and indexes could lead us to think that the term is both well understood and of little importance in rock art discourse, but we may also arrive at a different conclusion (see below).

Rock art researchers commonly require scenes to show juxtaposed motifs...