Rock art conservation and management: the past, present and future options

Abstract

The primary function of this review is to provide the reader with an overview of the issues that impinge on the conservation management of rock art sites around the world. Because of the author’s familiarity with Australian rock art sites, particularly those in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the review is somewhat slanted towards Australian issues. The first section covers factors associated with the basic points of documentation, which includes the sites themselves as well as the images painted or engraved on the rock surfaces. Techniques range from the rudimentary methods of sketching and tracing to the use of photogrammetric, photographic, videographic and colourimetric methods of documenting both the nature of the surfaces and the way in which the images have been presented. The involvement of indigenous persons in all the areas of documentation and any subsequent intervention at the site or on the images is considered to be most important. Detailed discussion of the role of controlling visitor access indicates that this is a primary factor influencing the deterioration of rock art sites, whether they are in subterranean environments or in open shelters.Management of the natural factors of the impact of flora and fauna and human visitation at the sites are discussed and some simple and practical options for cost-effective management are provided. The importance of recording base-line information about the microclimate, in terms of the temperature and relative humidity, are frequently stressed. The roles of bacteria, lichens and moulds are reported, with some guidance as to how the relative importance of these forces of decay varies with the nature of the site. The next section contains a detailed discussion regarding the nature of the pigments that have been used in the execution of the paintings and how these minerals and other products have undergone changes. Not all natural ageing processes lead to the irreversible deterioration of the images. Examples of beneficial weathering are given as illustrations of the need to identify carefully the nature of the materials on the surface, in the substrate and in the immediate microenvironment before reaching any decisions as to the nature of the site. The impact of graffiti and the removal of the same is reviewed in the context of overall visitor and site management. The final section covers the primary role of water as the principal agent of decay of the painted surfaces. This can be in the form of direct dissolution of the rock substrate, erosion, salt efflorescence and the promotion of bacterial and algal activity. The concluding chapter offers some comments on the future directions in the management of rock art sites and the need for continuing research.