PETROGLYPHS: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY, MULTICULTURAL PROJECT COMBINING SCIENCE, ART, AND BUSINESS IN THE LIBERAL ARTS CLASSROOM

Petroglyphs, or prehistoric rock carvings, are inherently multicultural, found wherever cultures have flourished. Common motifs found in the petroglyphs of most cultures appear in many modern marketing logos. We commonly associate rock art with caves or rock shelters, but many are found on open exposures, from cliff-tops to flat rocks at stream confluences. Surprisingly, petroglyphs are carved not only into soft rock, but also into hard rocks, such as granite.

In this paper, petroglyphs are used as the basis for an interdisciplinary project involving geology, chemistry, art and marketing. Geology and chemistry: students will be introduced to topography, rock types, rock strength, composition and susceptibility to weathering. Art: students will be introduced to common universal motifs and traditional methods for inscribing images in rock. Marketing: students will be introduced to the importance of brand development and management, particularly for global products. They will compare selected logo designs with common petroglyph motifs to identify common elements. Armed with this knowledge, they will design a logo to represent a simulated product. Students will integrate all these concepts by creating actual petroglyphs in different rocks. Other disciplines, such as sociology, anthropology, and psychology could easily be incorporated into a petroglyph project.