What does rock art say about gender and how can our understanding of gender shape the way that we view rock art? A significant contribution to the relatively unexplored field of gender in rock art, this volume contains a wealth of information for archaeologists, anthropologists, and art historians interested in past gender systems. Hays-Gilpin argues that art is at once a product of its physical and social environment and at the same time a tool of influence in shaping behavior and ideas within a society. Taking this stance, rock art is shown to be very often one of the strongest lines of evidence avaliable to scholars in understanding ritual practices, gender roles, and ideologicial constructs of prehistoric peoples. Subsequently issues of representation and the people who made these forms of art are also discussed.

"...presents new avenues for research. Her writing style is clear, and the bibliography is valuable for students of archaeology and rock art. Recommended." - CHOICE

"Ambiguous Images is a welcome addition to gender, aterial, visual and even 'science' culture studies, and a text I will eagerly recommend and use in the classroom." - Association for Feminist Anthropology

"In its wide ranging selection of case studies the book introduces the reader not only to a variety of rock art manifestations and contexts, but also to aspects of gendered rock art studies that may inspire the search for new developments in local rock art research." - Aboriginal History

"Gender, together with style, religion and landscape, is one of the most popular topics in rock art studies. This book is a welcome addition to the growing literature on the subject. . . This book will have a significant impact on the field of North American rock art studies and will become a standard work of reference and point of departure for much future scholarship." - Antiquity

"Written in an engaging style that will appeal to non-specialists, it is a thoughtful example of feminist archaeological scholarship that demonstrates many of the congributions of gender-sensitive research." - Journal of Anthropological Research

"Recommended to those interested in rock art, archaeology, and Native American cultures." - Colonial Latin American Historical Review