Abstract

A comprehensive understanding of the spatial trends of rock art on a regional scale requires an appropriate management of information which is not always equivalent in quality or detail. As a result of the work of different research teams through time and with the use of different methodologies it is expected that large areas will present a high degree of data diversity. This is the case of the Aisen Region in West Central Patagonia, where despite the abundance of rock art, its associated information is variably known, unevenly published, and with different levels of accessibility. However, given the great interest that these manifestations produce and the need of different social actors to inform themselves for the adequate protection of heritage, we developed a project to systematize information of rock art at a regional scale for making available a wealth of weighed and useful data for scientists, authorities, and local communities. In this article we present the methodology implemented in this research and its results. This corresponds to an initial stage in the systematization of information in a regional scale in which differences are expected to increase and in which strategies integrating research teams, disciplines, and visions are required. However, the use of standardized information in the spatial and contextual levels and in terms of the basic descriptive attributes of the rock art allow obtaining initial results on the spatial distribution of manifestations and their relative chronology.