Rock Art Engravings Research Articles

Бага Ойгорын палеолитын хадны зургийн дурсгал

In 2004, Ts. Turbat made a discovery of a significant site of engraved rock art, dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period. Situated on the south bank of the Baga Oigor River, this remarkable site lies within the protective zone of the World Heritage site of the Mongolian Altai rock art complex. The Baga Oigor-VI complex boasts an impressive array of 41 depictions featuring animals such as horses, ibex, argali, deer, cattle, and snakes from the Upper Paleolithic period, complemented by an additional 16 images originating from the Bronze Age, constituting a total of 57 images. Noteworthy is the superior preservation status of this monument, eclipsing that of comparable sites and presenting unparalleled clarity in visibility. The scarcity of open Paleolithic rock art sites across the globe that bear resemblance to this exceptional find underscores its singular nature. The geographically nearest analogous site of significance is the Gobustan monument in the South Caucasus followed by largest concentration of similar monuments in Iberian peninsula. Beyond the renowned ochre paintings of the Khoid Tsenkher Cave, an extensive exploration of carved rock art open air monuments is underway, elevating the Mongolian Altai region to the status of a pivotal hub in the realm of ancient art. The sheer abundance and widespread distribution of these monuments contribute to its characterization as a veritable “cradle of prehistoric art”.

L’image de l’ovaloïde dans les gravures rupestres de la Tunisie

Rock art engravings discovered in the central (Jebel Ousselat) and centro-southern Tunisia (Gafsa region), show ovaloids of various types and morphologies associated with wild and domestic animals mainly ornate rams. We examine here these cases of associations and propose some interpretations about.

Rock engravings and occupation sites in the Mount Bosavi Region, Papua New Guinea: Implications for our understanding of the human presence in the Southern Highlands

AbstractAn extensive body of engraved rock art on the Great Papuan Plateau is documented here for the first time, along with the first dates for occupation. Consisting largely of deeply abraded or pecked barred ovals and cupules, the rock art of this region does not fit comfortably into any regional models for rock art previously described. It does, however, exhibit some similarity to art in regions to the east and the west of the plateau. Subject to further archaeological testing, we present a number of exploratory hypotheses with which to explain the presence of the engravings; as part of the ethnographic and contemporary Kasua's cultural suite; as part of a relatively recent (late Holocene) migration of peoples from the Gulf to the plateau; or as part of an earlier movement of people from the west, possibly as part of the movement of people into the Sahul continent in the Late Pleistocene. We conclude that the Great Papuan Plateau is not a late and marginally occupied ‘backwater’ but rather part of a possible corridor of human movement across northern Sahul and a region that could allow us to better understand modern humans as they reached the Sahul continent.

The integrated cultural landscape of North Gidley Island: Coastal, intertidal and nearshore archaeology in Murujuga (Dampier Archipelago), Western Australia

Recent studies conducted in Murujuga Sea Country have confirmed that Indigenous Australian archaeology does not end at the modern shore. Since the earliest peopling of the Australian continent, sea levels have fluctuated significantly, dropping as much as 130 m below modern mean sea-level during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). During this period, the continent (including Australia and New Guinea) represented a landmass one-third larger than present day Australia. As sea levels rose following the LGM, this extensive cultural landscape was inundated. The recent reporting of archaeological remains in a submerged context at Murujuga has enabled an integrated analysis of the archaeological landscape, based on direct evidence from archaeological sites that were originally formed on dry land, but are now located in intertidal and submerged environments. This study applies a landscape analysis centred on the submerged Cape Bruguieres channel site, and the Gidley Islands, where submerged, intertidal and coastal archaeology has been recorded. Aerial, pedestrian, and intertidal archaeological surveys were conducted to investigate the onshore and offshore landscape, providing new evidence with which to place the stone artefacts in the Cape Bruguieres channel into a wider context. Rock art engravings, grinding patches, quarries and upstanding stones – some of which are in the intertidal zone – point to the use of a landscape that is now submerged and to the possibility of discovering new underwater sites. By integrating evidence from subtidal and intertidal contexts with the onshore record, we explore the cultural landscape above and below the ‘waterline’ as a continuum.

Automated tracing of petroglyphs using spatial algorithms

Inventories of a rock art site often do not include tracings due to time and budget constraints, however they are still important for aiding interpretation. While digital inventories from 3D models are expediting the documentation process, on-screen digitization is still tedious. We propose a method of automated tracing using open source spatial algorithms on enhanced 3D derivatives of an engraved rock art site. Automated tracing not only reduces time resources, but has also been suggested to improve interpretation by reducing subjectivity. We evaluate the results by comparing the automated tracing with on-screen digitization. While some subjectivity may be reduced with automatization, there is still subjectivity in the choice of parameters.

An accessible, agile and low‐cost workflow for 3D virtual analysis and automatic vector tracing of engravings: Atlantic rock art analysis

AbstractIn recent years, three‐dimensional (3D) modelling with photogrammetry and enhancement methods from computer graphics communities have been used with excellent results for studies of rock art engravings. However, despite their abundance, most Atlantic rock art elements in the Iberian Peninsula have not yet been geometrically documented in 3D. The aims of this study include deepening the application of imaged‐based modelling, digital 3D model post‐processing, and diffusion tools in determining an accessible and straightforward workflow that is accessible for amateur and professional rock art researchers. The proposed workflow makes possible the prospection, documentation, enhancement, and diffusion of this heritage phenomenon in a massive collaborative manner. Thus, a representative sample of Atlantic rock art was documented using an affordable and time‐optimized methodology for image‐based modelling with free software at all stages of the process. This methodology improves the promotion of documentation of heritage through professional and social collaboration. The diffusion can be performed from two‐dimensional (2D) vectorizations from the rendering of MeshLab Radiance Scaling enhancement and automatic vectorizers or from the direct publication of enhanced 3D models, which are currently possible with platforms such as Sketchfab.

Петроглифы Канцзяшимэньцзы (Синьцзян, КНР): еще раз о хронологии и семантике памятника

The article discusses a unique monument of rock-art on the territory of Xinjiang – namely the petroglyphs of Kangjiashimenzi (Hutubi County). The person who began scientific investigation of this site in 1987 was Professor Wang Binghua. From that time, the issues of Hutubi petroglyphs became among the most popular topics in Chinese archaeological literature but only in a few publications in other countries and only one – in Russia. This article aims to fill this gap. The Kangjiashimenzi rock-art panel comprises 292 images of different size composed as a whole ensemble depicted using a counter-relief technique, with some grinding after. The images were given in quite stylized (dancing) poses. The male figures are often presented with an erect phallus. The picture also includes several coitus scenes. We supposed this ensemble in general served as a pictorial reflection of ancient mystery-plays connected with genus or tribal worships and with sacred wedding rituals. The main part of the petroglyphs dates to the Middle Bronze Age (circa first half of II millennium BC). On the territory of Xinjiang this period was presented by Xiaohe Culture. Within these rock-art engravings, two groups of petroglyphs, most likely, with later dates can be distinguished though they were very precisely incorporated into the ensemble. Images of ‘tigers’ one could connect with activity of nomad tribes of Saka (circa first half of I millennium BC), and antithetical figures of two horses – with some other nomad tribe of Yuezhi (circa II century BC). In any case, the monument with rock engravings has been created and used over quite a long time. It is very probable that Kangjiashimenzi was a functioning sanctuary, at least for the whole region.

ROCK ART RECORDING IN KHATM AL MELAHA (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES): MULTIRANGE DATA SCANNING AND WEB MAPPING TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract. The application of geometric recording data and representation of open-air rock art is intrinsically so heterogeneous that new online web platforms are required for a more efficient analysis to link all the geo-referenced information and facilitate its scientific study. From 2015 to 2018, three geometric documentation campaigns led by the Departamento de Ingeniería Topográfica y Cartografía of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain) were completed in the area of Khatm al Melaha (Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates) along the Gulf of Oman. More than 370 rock art engraved motifs were documented in this area close to the southwest border with the Sultanate of Oman. All those figures were picked in 149 stone blocks with different dimensions and morphologies, distributed along the slope of an isolated 58-meter-high elevation. The aim of this project was to establish a protocol for the recording, analysis, preservation and prevention of this set of open-air rock art engravings with the following actions: developing an aerial and terrestrial recording data documentation, creating and developing a web platform called threeDcloud for visualizing three-dimensional models and web mapping, and integrating a data base by means of different JavaScript open-source libraries.

Deterioration processes affecting prehistoric rock art engravings in granite in NW Spain

AbstractPrehistoric rock art sites are endangered despite conservation efforts. The lack of scientific documentation regarding weathering agents affecting rock art and the absence of specific diagnostic protocols hinder the development of conservation strategies. The aim of this research was to investigate active deterioration processes in a granite petroglyph site located in Mougás (Galicia, NW Spain) by characterizing the granite, conducting a geotechnical study of the outcrop and describing and analysing the main weathering processes. Two main deterioration factors were identified. First, water favours block disjunction at the massif scale and causes pitting and surface erosion at the millimetre scale that affects the readability of the engravings. Second, high temperatures associated with wildfires cause mineral transformations that increase the susceptibility of the rock to weathering. Identifying deterioration factors is a first step in developing appropriate preventive conservation measures, which should aim to reduce rock contact time with water (technically affordable in the short term) and to reduce the probability of wildfire occurrence (technically more complex and possibly with longer‐term results). Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rock art as microtopography

AbstractStructure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry and geographic information system (GIS) tools were used to document an engraving site in Bontoc, Philippines. The natural discolorations of the rock obfuscated the engravings rendering traditional recording methods ineffective. Using a GIS software not only highlighted the engravings by applying an algorithm, but also allowed for a pioneering way to digitally trace and classify motifs, resulting in a spatially linked database. The digital tracings were also compared with manual tracings and proved to be more accurate. The database was then quantitatively analyzed for the seminal inventory of the rock art of Alab, Bontoc. This combination of SfM photogrammetry and GIS tools introduces a cost‐efficient method to effectively enhance, document, and analyze engraved rock art.

Trapping or tethering stones (TS): A multifunctional device in the Pastoral Neolithic of the Sahara.

The Pierres de Ben Barour, also known as trapping or tethering stones (TS), are stone artefacts with notches or grooves usually interpreted as hunting devices on the basis of rock art engravings. Though their presence is a peculiar feature of desert landscapes from the Sahara to the Arabian Peninsula, we know little about their age, context and function. Here we present a new approach to the study of these artefacts based on a large dataset (837 items) recorded in the Messak plateau (SW Libya). A statistically-based geoarchaeological survey carried out between 2007 and 2011 in Libya, alongside landscape and intra-site analyses of specific archaeological features (such as rock art, settlement and ceremonial contexts), reveal that these artefacts were used for a prolonged period, probably from the early Holocene. This was followed by a multifunctional use of these devices, particularly during the Pastoral Neolithic phase (ca. 6400–3000 cal BC), with the highest concentrations being found near ceremonial contexts related to cattle burials.

On confluence and contestation in the Orinoco interaction sphere: the engraved rock art of the Atures Rapids

Abstract

Monumental megalithic burial and rock art tell a new story about the Levant Intermediate Bronze "Dark Ages".

The Intermediate Bronze Age (IB) in the Southern Levant (ca. 2350–2000 BCE) is known as the “Dark Ages,” following the collapse of Early Bronze urban society and predating the establishment of the Middle Bronze cities. The absence of significant settlements and monumental building has led to the reconstruction of IB social organization as that of nomadic, tribal society inhabiting rural villages with no central governmental system. Excavation in the Shamir Dolmen Field (comprising over 400 dolmens) on the western foothills of the Golan Heights was carried out following the discovery of rock art engravings on the ceiling of the central chamber inside one of the largest dolmens ever recorded in the Levant. Excavation of this multi-chambered dolmen, covered by a basalt capstone weighing some 50 tons, revealed a secondary multi-burial (of both adults and children) rarely described in a dolmen context in the Golan. Engraved into the rock ceiling above the multi-burial is a panel of 14 forms composed of a vertical line and downturned arc motif. 3D-scanning by structured-light technology was used to sharpen the forms and revealed the technique employed to create them. Building of the Shamir dolmens required a tremendous amount of labor, architectural mastery, and complex socio-economic organization well beyond the capacity of small, rural nomadic groups. The monumental megalithic burial of the Shamir dolmens indicates a hierarchical, complex, non-urban governmental system. This new evidence supports a growing body of recent criticism stemming from new discoveries and approaches that calls for rethinking our views of the Levantine IB “Dark Ages.”

Rare Vegetation Degradation within “Buffer Zones” In Gobustan State National Park, Azerbaijan

This paper investigates the spatial change of rare vegetation cover of Gobustan, Azerbaijan. The Gobustan State National Park (Conservation Area) is a nationally important desert/semi-desert located west and south-west of Baku, Azerbaijan. In 2007 Gobustan was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered being of outstanding universal value for the quality and density of its rock art engravings. The Study Area at Gobustan contains a wealth of historical and archaeological sites and is also known for its rare vegetation. This investigation includes monitoring of existing threats to rare vegetation (Global Climate Change, oil and gas exploration, overgrazing of winter and summer pastures by domestic sheep, goats and cattle, pollution, etc.) as well the processing of remote sensing data to produce “measured” vegetation indicators. This study has shown that oil and gas infrastructure, in an ecologically important semi-arid region, has a negative effect on species abundance and cover of vegetation. Rare vegetation classification within a buffer zone indicates: Plant cover has decreased in the buffer zone and is higher than the Sensitive Area. Bare ground has increased dramatically in the buffer zone whereas in the Sensitive Area it has decreased slightly.

The Curious Case of the Steamship on the Mekong

Painted and engraved rock art appear at the Pak Ou caves, a complex of caverns containing Buddhist offerings and shrines located at the confluence of two rivers in Luang Prabang Province, Lao PDR. Faded red paintings and writing can be found on the cliff face housing the lower cave, colloquially known as the “Cave of a Thousand Buddhas,” while in the upper cave, red anthropomorphs and flowers along with black anthropomorphic figures are painted on the walls. This red and black rock art may predate the Buddhist use of the cave. However, one painting found in the upper cave 10 m from the entrance is unusual as it utilizes a green pigment, and resembles modern steamships that might have transited the upper Mekong. This article considers the historic context of the cave and significance of this Laotian rock art site, which has received little attention in academic literature thus far. Because boat imagery in rock art is not unheard of in Southeast Asia, we hope to highlight the potential for this art to illuminate episodes from the recent past.

Hunters and herders: Exploring the Neolithic transition in the rock art of Shuwaymis, Saudi Arabia

In Arabia the transition to a Neolithic economy is thought to be characterised by a shift to mobile pastoralism, rather than the traditional icons of the Neolithic such as sedentism and crop cultivation. However, in the absence of detailed archaeological research, the Early Holocene prehistory of central, northern and northwestern Saudi Arabia remains largely unknown. Here we use the engraved rock art recorded on 254 panels in Shuwaymis, Ha'il Province, and in particular depictions of hunting and herding scenes, to identify evidence on the character of the Neolithic transition in the region. Due to high levels of erosion it was not possible to carry out spatial analysis of the sites. However, the content and stratigraphic relationship of hunting and herding panels, re-engraving events, and cultural markers related to human figures were analysed. The results show that the engravings can be divided into an exclusive hunting period, where equids are frequently being hunted. Domestic cattle are often placed over and integrated into existing hunting scenes by re-engraving parts of the scene and turning hunting figures into herding figures. Cultural markers associated with human depictions such as headdresses and possible penis sheaths continue across both periods. The evidence in the rock art indicates that herding was adopted by local hunters. Moreover, the rock art shows that herders identified with the depicted hunters and that ibex hunting remained part of the image repertoire, and potentially of the subsistence economy, throughout the Holocene.

Burrup Peninsula: Cultural Landscape and Industrial Hub, a 21st Century Conundrum

The Dampier Archipelago, situated on the north-western coast of Australia, arguably contains the world’s greatest concentration of engraved rock art. It is also one of Australia’s largest bulk handling ports. Iron ore brought from the inland, gas processed from offshore wells and locally produced sea salt are all sent off to ever-growing international markets. Many regard the wealth generation and job opportunities as benefits without issue. For others, they witness the destruction of an important cultural landscape and rail against the encroaching industry. Aboriginal people hold an integral link to country and all the features (natural and cultural) within this landscape. It is part of their cultural inheritance to maintain and respect the environment and spiritual realm. In 2007, recognising the rock art and other cultural values of the Dampier Archipelago, including Burrup Peninsula, the archipelago was placed on the Australian National Heritage List. Is this enough protection? Many think not.

La ‘Galería de los Bisontes’: un nuevo sector decorado en la Cueva de Alkerdi (Urdazubi/Urdax, Navarra)

Alkerdi is the only cave with Paleolithic rock art engravings known in the Regional Community of Navarre. Located in Pyrenean foothills, its discovery was carried out by the French speleologist N. Casteret in 1930, who published it briefly shortly after (1933). The detailed study of the engravings will not take place until several decades after, by I. Barandiaran (1974) who, in the last years, has excavated the archaeological deposit of the cavity (2009). During 2014 the signers have developed a new study of the parietal art because of the finding of a new decorated gallery in which there are concentrated twenty engraved figures, mainly representations of bison, which exponentially multiply the previously known set. The conventions and formal characteristics of the figures respond to those ones of the Middle Magdalenian, and especially tie to the sets of the Pyrenean region. This new turn in the knowledge of the parietal art of the cavity forces a re-evaluation of the study in this area hinged in the western Pyrenees.

TECHNIQUES FOR REVEALING 3D HIDDEN ARCHEOLOGICAL FEATURES: MORPHOLOGICAL RESIDUAL MODELS AS VIRTUAL-POLYNOMIAL TEXTURE MAPS

Abstract. The recent developments in 3D scanning technologies are not been accompanied by visualization interfaces. We are still using the same types of visual codes as when maps and drawings were made by hand. The available information in 3D scanning data sets is not being fully exploited by current visualization techniques. In this paper we present recent developments regarding the use of 3D scanning data sets for revealing invisible information from archaeological sites. These sites are affected by a common problem, decay processes, such as erosion, that never ceases its action and endangers the persistence of last vestiges of some peoples and cultures. Rock art engravings, or epigraphical inscriptions, are among the most affected by these processes because they are, due to their one nature, carved at the surface of rocks often exposed to climatic agents. The study and interpretation of these motifs and texts is strongly conditioned by the degree of conservation of the imprints left by our ancestors. Every single detail in the remaining carvings can make a huge difference in the conclusions taken by specialists. We have selected two case-studies severely affected by erosion to present the results of the on-going work dedicated to explore in new ways the information contained in 3D scanning data sets. A new method for depicting subtle morphological features in the surface of objects or sites has been developed. It allows to contrast human patterns still present at the surface but invisible to naked eye or by any other archaeological inspection technique. It was called Morphological Residual Model (MRM) because of its ability to contrast the shallowest morphological details, to which we refer as residuals, contained in the wider forms of the backdrop. Afterwards, we have simulated the process of building Polynomial Texture Maps - a widespread technique that as been contributing to archaeological studies for some years - in a 3D virtual environment using the results of MRM calculations. By this, we wish to benefit from the rendering capabilities of RTI-viewer and from its intuitive graphic interface. At the same time, virtual PTM is a way of applying this to areas barred to conventional PTM, like in the case presented of an entire roman city occupying a plateau of several sq. km. The results of this research project are presented and discussed using the two case-studies aforementioned, a Latin inscription from a Roman sanctuary in the north of Portugal and a engraved panel with zoomorphic motifs from a rock art site in the north border of Portugal.

Reflections on Bronze Age travels

In the above paper, Johan Ling and Zofia Stos-Gale present results from a project comparing isotopes from Bronze Age artefacts with signatures from known Bronze Age mining localities. The results showed that artefacts found in southern Sweden were made from bronze mined in Cyprus. This is in itself interesting, but the discovery of rock art engravings in Sweden that resemble ‘oxhide’ bronze ingots from Cyprus adds a new dimension to the interpretation of Scandinavian rock art, with its strong focus on boat images. The number of possible oxhide ingots represented in Swedish rock art is low, but if the identification of these images is correct, we have evidence, for the first time, of direct connections between Scandinavia and the eastern Mediterranean, connections that have been supposed, but not evidenced, for more than a century (e.g. Hansen 1909). Here, I focus on some implications this article may have for future Scandinavian Bronze Age studies, with special emphasis on rock art.