Hey Group,
I found an article that I had written a number of years ago and wanted to share what I have learned.
This topic is in no way complete as the methods used to create these shadow symbols (to include animated versions) are quite complex.
Introduction to Animated Rock Art
Rock Art has been around for thousands of years, found in many places covering the earth left by many different cultures. Each type and style however designed and created was left as a testimony to a particular group of people or person communicating a story or an event, either physical or spiritual pertaining to that culture or group who created and constructed the message. Thousands of examples of rock art still exist to this day that we do not understand, primarily due to the fact that certain cultures and people that once lived on this earth have long departed leaving no evidence or clues of their existence. We have not yet found the knowledge to translate many types of these art forms left by the ancient and mysterious cultures that depicted their lives and beliefs on the surfaces of solid rock and stone.
We can guess what these art forms mean just by translating simple pictures and symbols that were drawn. We have found that some pictures and symbols that have been studied still to this day have eluded us. This type of rock art is actually quite simple, crude and relatively easy to create. All one has to do is to find a hard rock surface to mark a symbol upon. This symbol could be scratched, pecked, carved, stained, painted and or drawn upon with charcoal from a fire. Some were created with great care and the art forms were quite remarkable. One did not have to be educated to produce these simple art forms.
Archaeoastronomy has taught us that there is one exception to the rule. If the heavens are used to determine the times of the year to plant and harvest they can also be used to create rock art forms and some level of education was and is required. Many cultures had developed different ways to determine the seasons simply by determining the length of the days by the positions of the sun or moon. Short days happened during winter and long days took place during the summer. By using a given known point on the ground which resulted as the mark of a fixed shadow one could draw a mark every day and soon create a typical figure eight or what is more commonly known as an analemma within a one year time period.
Animated (shadow) rock art is a highly developed form of shadow rock art using many of the sciences available thousands of years ago. A group of professional individuals (the Architects) that worked together planned and constructed these unique art forms. They were comprised from the following fields; geologists, astronomers, mathematicians, botanists, meteorologists, architects, surveyors, cartographers, artists, sculptors and other science related personnel. The author selects and enhances each geologic structure to match an art form by using a number of unique techniques. Geomorphic areas had to be pre-qualified as being capable of supporting these art forms which were designed to be used. They were placed on selected mountain sides, cliffs and landforms and had to remain there intact for hundreds of years or more.
The viewing corridor is designed to intersect the most commonly traveled trails or routes. Those familiar with this type of rock art will recognize these viewing corridors allowing them to be guided to an area of importance. These animated art forms can only be seen in their entirety when viewed within the viewing corridor and the sun or moon are located in the correct positions of altitude and azimuth thus producing shadows which create the symbol or art form the author wished to produce. In many cases these art forms were designed to take on an animated form as the sun and/or moon moved across the heavens, thereby producing a message or an image.
©Ellie Baba