Our Mission
The California Rock Art Foundation (CRAF) is a scientific and educational organization dedicated to the research, understanding, conservation, documentation, and education about the rock art resources created by the Native peoples of California (including both Alta and Baja California)
The California Rock Art Foundation (CRAF) is a scientific and educational organization dedicated to the research, understanding, conservation, documentation, and education about the rock art resources created by the Native peoples of California (including both Alta and Baja California)
Announcement (August 2025)
The California Rock Art Foundation is currently undergoing a reorganization to better align with our mission and to better serve those we engage with and serve. During this process most of our website will be inaccessible. We appreciate your patience during this time. We look forward to engaging with our members, clients, and communities again soon.
The California Rock Art Foundation is currently undergoing a reorganization to better align with our mission and to better serve those we engage with and serve. During this process most of our website will be inaccessible. We appreciate your patience during this time. We look forward to engaging with our members, clients, and communities again soon.
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What is Rock Art?
The term "rock art" refers to human made markings on natural rock surfaces. This includes pictographs that are painted or drawn on the rock surface and petroglyphs that are pecked or carved into the rock, while figures such as intaglios and geoglyphs may be placed on the ground surface. Pictographs and petroglyphs are typically found on rock art panels, which are the fracture or weathering planes of a natural rock outcrop. Panels may exhibit one or several rock art elements. Individual elements and images are often difficult to identify due to overlap; therefore, rock art sites are often described by the number of panels rather than elements or images. Rock paintings and drawings in California date from about 10,000 B.C. to the historic era. California has one of the largest and most diverse collections of rock paintings, drawings, portable rock art and ground figures than anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. |
Talking Stone
CRAF is honored to have sponsored and been part of the production and documentation in the film and book taken throughout the Californias (Alta and Baja).
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