Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, depending on where in the world you’re listening from. I warmly welcome you to the very first episode of the Rock Art Zone Podcast, a space dedicated to exploring the deep and powerful connection between contemporary humanity and its most ancient form of expression: rock art.My name is Roger Swidorowicz, and it is both an honor and a privilege to open this platform of reflection, education, and inspiration—one that seeks to bring us closer to a phenomenon as old as it is fascinating: the visual traces our ancestors left behind on stone.This opening episode is more than just the beginning of an intellectual and sensory journey—it is a statement of purpose: to contribute to the understanding and appreciation of rock art as one of the most profound manifestations of the human spirit. Every pigment stroke, every carving etched in stone, is far more than a simple image. It is a message, a collective memory, a gesture that transcends time and binds us to our oldest roots.Why a podcast on rock art?In a world saturated with digital imagery and fleeting content, talking about rock art may, at first glance, seem like a journey into the past. But in reality, it's a return to our core—what truly makes us human. Rock art is not merely an archaeological artifact. It is an open window into the sensibility, spirituality, and worldview of ancient cultures who, for tens of thousands of years, have left their mark on the world.This podcast was born from the conviction that rock art deserves a place in today’s cultural conversations. Not only because of its heritage value but also due to its power to challenge us and ask essential questions:Who were we when we first began painting and engraving stone?What drove us to do it?How do these images shape our understanding of the sacred, of community, of time, and of territory?Art as a founding human actLet’s start with something fundamental: rock art is not a marginal or accidental expression of prehistoric people. On the contrary, it is a deliberate, systematic practice imbued with symbolism. It is, in many ways, a founding act of humanity. Before writing, before farming, before cities or structured civilizations—humans were already painting. Already engraving. Already telling stories through images.This cannot be overlooked. In those ochre strokes, in the figures of animals, in those scenes of hunting or ritual, there is a powerful affirmation: “We are here. This is what we see. This is what we live. This is what we dream.”On this podcast, we will explore many forms of rock art: Paleolithic cave paintings in Europe, Andean petroglyphs, Saharan engravings, Aboriginal Australian rock art, Amazonian and Patagonian expressions, as well as rock imagery from North America and Sub-Saharan Africa. We will speak with archaeologists, preservationists, Indigenous communities, contemporary artists, and scientists from multiple disciplines. Each will help us reconstruct this vast symbolic and visual puzzle we call rock art.A threatened heritageBut this first episode also serves as a wake-up call. Rock art is under threat. Despite many sites being recognized as World Heritage by UNESCO, the dangers are many: vandalism, urban development, mining, unregulated tourism, climate change, and institutional neglect. Too often, rock art sites lack the protection and public awareness necessary to ensure their survival.Here’s a critical question:What happens when a rock painting is destroyed?The answer is simple and painful: a unique piece of human history disappears. It cannot be recovered. It cannot be recreated. Every image is one-of-a-kind—like a thousand-year-old signature telling us something irreplaceable about its time and people.That's why awareness is urgent. And this podcast wants to be part of the solution: to inform, to educate, to sensitize, and to advocate for the active preservation of this irreplaceable legacy.Memory and the present: the ancestral still livesOne common mistake when discussing rock art is to consider it purely "prehistoric," as if it were the dead remains of extinct cultures. But in many parts of the world, rock art traditions are still alive. Some Indigenous communities continue to produce symbolic rock imagery as part of their living rituals and knowledge systems.In Australia, in Africa, in South and North America, there are communities that regard these artworks not as relics, but as integral parts of their ongoing cultural identity. In this podcast, we will hear their voices. We will learn from the descendants of those who painted and engraved these rocks centuries ago. We will explore their traditional interpretations, which are often more meaningful and nuanced than strictly academic or archaeological readings.This is, therefore, a space for intercultural listening. A place for respectful dialogue and the recovery of ancestral wisdom.Rock art and the imaginationBeyond preservation and research,...
