# Digging the topology of rock art in Northwestern Patagonia

## TL;DR

This study applies network analysis to rock art sites in Northwestern Patagonia, revealing patterns linked to geography and cultural history, and offering insights into prehistoric social communication strategies.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel network analysis approach to understand the spatial and cultural organization of rock art in Patagonia.

## Key findings

- Sites form significant clusters based on motifs and geography
- Motif distribution aligns with archaeological and cultural backgrounds
- Provides new insights into prehistoric social communication

## Abstract

We present a study on the rock art of Northern Patagonia based on network analysis and communities detection. We unveil a significant aggregation of archaeological sites, linked by common rock art motifs that turn out to be consistent with their geographical distribution and archaeological background of hunter-gatherer stages of regional peopling and land use. This exploratory study will allow us to approach more accurately some social strategies of visual communication entailed by rock art motif distribution, in space and time.