Symbols by the sea: The first recording of Atlantic coastal rock art in Patagonia (Punta Odriozola, Río Negro, Argentina)

Abstract

The recent detection of petroglyphs on the west coast of the San Matías Gulf is the first recording of rock art in the Atlantic littoral of Patagonia. This evidence is discussed in the context of the regional and global information about coastal rock art sites. Techno-morphological and visibility analyses show similarities with motifs located in south Patagonia. These are discussed in terms of visual communication systems in societies with high mobility and open social interaction networks. It is concluded that the singular location of the petroglyphs in a coastal environment is the result of natural and social processes, such as the lower availability of rocks in the Atlantic coastal fringe, the sand-dune dynamics and the selection of specific micro-environments for the production of certain images.