Session: #400

Content:

Rock art documentation, research, and public outreach are tightly interlinked. New methods of documentation spark new research questions and new research ideas drive methodological developments. The introduction and wider use of image-based and range-based 3D modeling techniques in the UNESCO world heritage areas of Valcamonica, Italy, and Tanum, Sweden, as well as in Iberia, and elsewhere in Europe have opened new venues for research and outreach to the public. This work refreshes theoretical perspectives, for example, the biographical approach.
Technological advances permit the comparison and display of rock art at resolutions beyond the capabilities of human eyes alone challenging, for example, established chronologies through the study of superimpositions. Image recognition algorithms not only provide a way to process more data, but enable new collaborations between archaeology, digital humanities, data sciences, and philosophy of science. Equally important, replicas generated from 3D documentation can promote public engagement by enhancing visual-tactile understanding. High-quality comparanda from all rock art regions in Europe allow us to approach later prehistoric rock art as a trans-European phenomenon.
This session aims to provide a forum for all rock art researchers to discuss the new technologies, the opportunities they provide, and the challenges that may arise, for example, the integration of new data, older documentations, research, and public presentation. The lead questions are: how do we shape the future of rock art studies? How do we interlink methodological, theoretical, and practical advancements in the preservation, protection, and study of the crucial cultural heritage rock art?

Session: #400

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