Diagnosis and monitoring of rock art sites in “4D · arte rupestre” projects

Abstract

Since 2013 the projects “4D · arte rupestre” have been carried out in more than 20 sites along the eastern half of the Iberian Peninsula, in locations included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1998. The purpose of these projects was the development of protocols for diagnosis and monitoring of rock art sites, using several cutting-edge technologies, including 3D modelling based in close range photogrammetry, gigapixel imaging, enhancement with decorrelation stretch algorithms, colorimetric control, in situ physicochemical analyses, biogeochemical analyses of alteration, or thermal imaging.The success of these multidisciplinary projects in the diagnosis of the alterations in a rock art panel and in the monitoring of their change over time demonstrates that current technologies can contribute in a significant way to the preservation of these invaluable cultural properties. This is especially transcendent for controlling the evolution of cave and rock art sites in the present scenarios of climatic change. Finally, some of those technologies can increase the public awareness about the fragility and cultural significance of the prehistoric graphic expressions. Rock art can be appreciated by the general public using webpages and digital repositories that allow a better experience for faded or ill-preserved sites.