Graffito (archaeology)
A Graffito (plural "graffiti"), in an archaeological context, is a deliberate mark made by scratching or engraving on a large surface such as a wall. The marks may form an image or writing. The term is not usually used of the engraved decoration on small objects such as bones, which makes up a large part of the Art of the Upper Paleolithic, but might be used of the engraved images, usually of animals, that are commonly found in caves, though much less well known than the cave paintings of the same period; often the two are found in the same caves. In archaeology, the term may or may not include the more common modern sense of an "unauthorised" addition to a building or monument. A decorative technique of partially scratching off a top layer of plaster or some other material to reveal a differently coloured material beneath is more usually known as sgraffito.
Read more about Graffito (archaeology): Listings of Graffito, Ancient Egypt Graffitos, Sator Square, Deir El-Bahri Religious Graffiti, Graffiti in Ancient Athens, Medieval Church Graffiti, See