The Rock Art Podcast

Hosted by Dr. Alan Garfinkel, The Rock Art Podcast explores the fascinating world of Indigenous rock art across North America and beyond. Each episode dives into the cultural, spiritual, and archaeological significance of ancient carvings, paintings, and symbols left on stone. Through interviews with experts and Tribal representatives, the podcast highlights the stories, traditions, and research that bring rock art to life. Whether you're a rock art enthusiast, archaeologist, or simply curious about the past, The Rock Art Podcast offers an in-depth look at one of humanity’s oldest and most meaningful forms of expression.

Dr. John Bellezza on Exploring Pre-Buddhist Tibet and Its Rock Art - Ep 164
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

Dr. John Bellezza on Exploring Pre-Buddhist Tibet and Its Rock Art - Ep 164

Host Dr. Alan Garfinkel interviews Dr. John Bellezza about his path from traveling in India and Tibet in the 1980s to focusing on Tibetan prehistory, archaeology, cosmology, and rock art, later earning a PhD at the University of Kent based on prior publications. Bellezza stresses learning Tibetan languages and working in the field as Tibet opened to travelers in 1984, then turning to pre-Buddhist traditions often erased or absorbed by Buddhism and long neglected by scholars. He describes discoveries at Lake Namtso, evidence for high-altitude pastoralism and hunting, and key finds in rock art and monuments, including chariots and standing-stone complexes. He previews ongoing rock art volumes and future work on bronze talismans and Old Tibetan texts.

Read More
Dr Jayc Sedlmayr and Supernatural Gamekeepers - Ep 163
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

Dr Jayc Sedlmayr and Supernatural Gamekeepers - Ep 163

In this episode, Alan speaks with Dr Jayc Sedlmayr about his research into indigenous theology and animal ceremonial traditions. Drawing on interdisciplinary backgrounds, Sedlmayr discusses his “Embodied Essence” project, which explores how many cultures understood spiritual essence as residing in bodily substances—especially bone marrow. He explains how this perspective helps interpret ritual practices involving bones, such as their treatment as regenerative “seeds,” their placement in ceremonial contexts, and their role in maintaining relationships between humans, animals, and the spiritual world.

Read More
PROMO - BREAKING NEWS - Monte Verde is no longer a pre-Clovis site, with Dr. Todd Surovell - Ethno 33
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

PROMO - BREAKING NEWS - Monte Verde is no longer a pre-Clovis site, with Dr. Todd Surovell - Ethno 33

In this special episode, I sit down with Dr. Todd Surovell, professor of anthropology at the University of Wyoming, to discuss new research that re-examines Monte Verde using modern geoarchaeological methods. The results suggest that the famous site may actually be much younger than previously believed, dating to the Holocene rather than the Ice Age.

Read More
Decolinization and Understanding Cultural Perspective - Ep 161
Rachel Roden Rachel Roden

Decolinization and Understanding Cultural Perspective - Ep 161

In episode 161, Chris Webster and Dr. Alan Garfinkel discuss decolonization in archaeology and rock art studies, arguing that researchers must take Indigenous perspectives seriously as Native communities gain more political and intellectual influence. They emphasize that Indigenåous cosmologies often frame rock art meaning through interconnected energy, reciprocity, and life-death cycles rather than “gods” and rigid categories, and they highlight the value of shared vocabulary, cultural humility, and collaboration in interpretation.

Read More

A podcast about rock art with Dr. Alan Garfinkel, president of the California Rock Art Foundation.


Search the Rock Art Podcast above.


Podcast Archive