Graffiti, Vandalism and Destruction: Preserving Rock Art in a Globalized World

In our globalized world access to rock art sites is unprecedented. But despite awareness campaigns, education about the universal value of rock art, global media attention and the efforts of those who manage rock art sites, purposeful damage to rock art imagery and the landscapes it is a part of continues at an alarming rate. There are many reasons for this, including ignorance, indifference, iconoclasm, racism, political motivations, and economic priorities. It also has been observed that ‘marks attract marks’ so for some people there is a compulsion to leave one’s own mark at rock art sites because previous people have done so. Indeed, new graffiti at rock art sites, unless quickly removed, can soon lead to a growing number of incidents. To further complicate things, Indigenous interactions with rock art sites can sometimes lead to new mark making construed by others as a form of vandalism. After summarizing why rock art is important in today’s globalized digital world, the history of purposeful damage to rock art sites is briefly reviewed before recent case studies from Australia and elsewhere are discussed. New strategies for preventing graffiti and vandalism at rock art sites, are then outlined. It is concluded that our global rock art heritage needs to be valued as a part of living culture rather than archaeological artefact in order to best conserve it for future generations.