Ground Cairn

The term “ground cairn” refers to any rock structure or rock features that are on an Indigenous site.  They can be naturally placed, or man-made.  This can be base stone cairns, platform structures, nice stones, serpent walls and ground serpent effigies, split stones, altars, stone animal or human effigies, ceremonial circles including concentric circles. 

 

Summary of types of Indigenous rock art-

 

Indigenous rock art can be categorized into several forms:

 

A painting using ochre made from hematite and berries or black bitumen is called a “pictograph.” 

 

An image that is carved into the body of a rock using lines to create the outline of an image is called a “petroglyph.”

 

 An image that has been created into the body of a rock using many short individual lines (pecking) that creates not only the outline of an image, but throughout its entire body is called a “pecked petroglyph.”

 

 A rock or boulder that has had the outer edges manipulated into the image or effigy of a human, animal, or thing, is called an “outline glyph.”

 

There are also many examples of Indigenous rock art having a combination of several of these rock art types.  An outline glyph can also have carved lines into the body of the rock and paint added as well.  Combining an outline glyph, petroglyph and an pictograph into one rock art form.