Visibility and intention of the rock paintings in the GO-CP-33 site, in Palestina de Goiás, Brazil

Abstract

The rock paintings of the GO-CP-33 site are located in the municipality of Palestina de Goiás in the southwest of the state of Goiás. The images are characterized by expressions that suggest movement, and they differentiate from other traditions in Brazil. The rupestrian paintings were analyzed, indicating the spatial distribution of the images, the height of the panels, and the organization of the data to verify the visual range of the figures, having the person who was in front of the cave panels as a reference. It was suggested that the choices for rock support were related to different visibility strategies. Some rock paintings were made to be easily seen, and the eyes did not easily capture others. It was taken as a basis that the rock representations hold different meanings. It was taken as a basis that the rock representations hold different meanings, endowed with agency and related to cultural practices for which the collective memory of the occupants would have been a relevant temporal element. We understand that the articulations involved in the figures' visibility are not restricted to the dichotomy of “seeing”. Instead, they are part of an interactive dynamic constituted by the visual reach, the theme of the graphic compositions, and the context in which they are. It can also be articulated with other aspects of culture.

Keywords
Rock painting; Palestina de Goiá; Visibility and intention; Collective memory