Relighting Egyptian Rock Art: Rapid, Accurate HD Imaging of Prehistoric Petroglyphs

Abstract

Within the framework of the project “Tracing Palaeolithic Aurochs: Rock Art Survey in Upper Egypt”, financed by the National Geographic Society, the authors participated in the long standing tradition of Belgian rock art research in Egypt. Under the direction of Dr. Dirk Huyge, extensive stretches of rock formations along wadi’s in the Eastern Desert between Edfu and Kom Ombo were surveyed in October-November 2014 for the presence of more prehistoric rock art sites, similar to the ones already discovered and studied by the Belgian team in this same region at Qurta and el-Hosh (Huyge et al 2007, 2011, 2012; Huyge 2009). This contribution focuses uniquely on a new component introduced to the 2014 mission: the development and testing of HD imaging techniques for rapid and accurate field recording of the sites with petroglyphs. Multi-light reflectance and 3D photogrammetry techniques were tested on their reliability and operability for a survey in the field.