Making rock art: thoughts on the composition of rock art figures and panels in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract In this paper, we present a theoretical and methodological proposal that goes beyond analysing the final shape of paintings or carvings and instead considers the process of making figures and their graphic composition, viewing the production process itself as relevant and not just the means of achieving the final product. We start from theoretical discussions (combined with ethnographic and archaeological sources) and present examples from different areas of Minas Gerais (central Brazil) from this perspective. We also examine the construction of rock art panels, since we noticed that the process of constructing figures often involved relations with figures that already existed in these areas.