rock art and settlement evidence, monuments, and other archaeological material as well as topographic and other 'natural' features and characteristics are all valid subjects in attempting to paint a broader and richer picture of the context within which rock art was created. Frequently, rock art research seeks to identify why particular places were selected for embellishment with carved and painted motifs, in order to understand the potential ways people experienced and interpreted the landscape in the past. Chapters which present rock art within its wider context include Purcell's sensitive and detailed study of the landscape setting of rock art in south-west Ireland, Baker's socio-political explanation of the production of graffiti during times of intense conflict, Ramqvist's and Sognnes's distributional studies of motif types and styles across ecological zones, and Diaz-Andreu's interesting study of sacred landscapes and identity in post-Palaeolithic Iberia. However, some of the chapters pay only cursory consideration to the archaeological and landscape context of the sites, particularly compared to previous landscape-oriented studies (Bradley 1997, Chippindale and Taรงon 1998). Others are conducted from quite a different perspective, focusing primarily on symbolism (e.g., Fossati, Frachetti and Chippindale). In some instances the reliance on direct visual interpretations of meaning lacks sufficient evidence in support of the theories presented - particularly in the case of the 'topographical maps' supposedly depicted in areas of alpine Italy (Fossatti). Nash and Chippindale do however discuss the problems associated with symbolism and meaning, contrasting the use of 'informed methods' (direct ethnography and ethnographic analogy) versus 'formal methods' (contextual, experiential and other landscape approaches). The idea of landscape is introduced by Fossatti, Nash and, to an extent, Sognnes, as the subject of rock art imagery, suggesting that the motifs may express a literal or metaphorical map or means of understanding real or conceptual environments. The issue of the interpretation of imagery still represents a major challenge in rock art research, and there is a danger of a dichotomy forming between strictly interpretive approaches to symbolism and meaning, and landscape-oriented studies which ignore the rich information offered by the motifs. Chapters by Purcell, Ramqvist and Sognnes represent
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