Session: #655

Theme & Session Format

Theme:
Theories and methods in archaeological sciences
Session format:
Session, made up of a combination of papers, max. 15 minutes each

Title & Content

Title:
Rock art and archaeological science – Exploring methodological adaptations, innovations and limitations
Content:
Over the past 30 years contemporary archaeological rock art research projects have expanded in their breadth of focus. Increasingly archaeologists do not only record art images and their context but now also employ a variety of archaeological scientific methods requiring specialist scientific expert knowledge and skills. These methods often require novel adaptions and innovations in order to be applied in rock art research contexts. In many instances the uniqueness of rock art contexts combined with multiple micro and macro geo/environmental settings can place significant limitations on the viability of some methods, the instrumentation and the sampling and research strategies employed on a project. In this session we invite colleagues from around the world to detail research case studies that highlight the successes, failures and potential of novel scientific methodological approaches to investigating rock art. Suggested topics that are welcomed in this session include (but are not limited to):
• Rock art dating methods, protocols and standards (Uranium-Thorium series, AMS radiocarbon, Thermoluminescence, OSL) and geochemical / isotopic analysis of associated dated materials;
• Materials characterisation (microscopy and spectroscopy) and technique application in rock art research;
• Quantitative analytical methods (statistical and computational research methods such as GIS, geometric morphometrics)
• Digital recording technologies (3D modelling, digital image enhancement and processing)
Keywords:
rock art, methods, archaeological science
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no

Organisers

Main organiser:
Dr Daryl Wesley (Australia) 1
Co-organisers:
Dr. Tristen Jones (Australia) 2
Prof. Ines Domingo Sanz (Spain) 3
Prof. Peter Veth (Australia) 4
Affiliations:
1. Research Fellow Department of Archaeology Flinders University
2. Visiting Fellow Research School of Earth Sciences The Australian National University
3. ICREA Research Professor Section of Prehistory and Archaeology The University of Barcelona
4. Kimberley Foundation Ian Potter Chair in Rock Art Centre for Rock Art Research and Management The University of Western Australia