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Late Predynastic rock art in Egypt: Considerations on engravers’ techniques and specialisation

par Vanhulle, Dorian ;Gatto, Maria;Darnell, John;Bertoncello, Veronica;Urcia, Alberto
Référence Third International Conference: "The Rock Art of Northern Africa" (12-14 September 2023: Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences, Brussels)
Publication Non publié, 2023-09-14

Communication à un colloque

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Résumé :

Rock art in Egypt and Nubia was produced following diverse processes, each of them characterised by a wide range of technical expertise and abilities. Attempts to record and categorise engraving techniques have been made on Egyptian and Nubian material (for more references, see Varadzinová 2017), but these observations have rarely been considered beyond mere descriptive approaches. Yet, comparative analysis focusing on the degree of completion and complexity of Late Predynastic and Early Dynastic rock art productions scattered in the Upper Egyptian Nile Valley and its desert hinterlands allow suggesting the progressive specialisation of some of their author(s) and the existence of high-status commissioners.This paper describes the tentative criteria used to assess the “degree of completion and complexity” of a rock image, discuss the evolution over time of the skill set of prehistoric rock art makers, and address the possible existence of rock art specialists in Upper Egypt at the dawn of the Pharaonic state. Based on preliminary observations made on Upper Egyptian material, it does not intend to provide any definite results but rather aims at raising rich and fruitful discussions with colleagues both working in and outside Egypt.