Within the symbolic world of the prehistoric hunters: A GIS-based and 3D model analysis of sites with complexes of linear incisions in western Sicily

Abstract

The prehistoric peopling of Sicily has left scattered traces of symbolic activities through well-known rock art expressions in caves and rock shelters located all around the island (among the most significant, the sites of Addaura, Racchio and Genovese). A peculiar phenomenon is the incision of linear signs, often grouped on the same rocky walls, hidden in fissures or placed at the entrance of the underground chambers of caves. In this report, we investigate a sample of these graphic expressions from a spatial and technical point of view. A GIS-based approach presents the territorial pattern providing insight, on a macroscale, into the intentional positioning of the sign complexes. A 3D model of the rock panels, coupled with the spatial analysis performed in a GIS environment, is presented here as a research protocol to ascertain and comprehend the physical gestures involved in the production. © 2021