Not-so-Set in Stone: An Investigation of Rock Art Digitization Methods and Scale of Applicability

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Around the world, rock art sites present significant preservation challenges due to their vulnerability to deterioration from natural weathering as well as human impacts. Various forms of digital recordation are frequently presented as a means to preserve rock art images at various sites. The goal is to preserve them as they are before they disappear entirely. While digital documentation methods (e.g., lidar, photogrammetry, Dstretch) can be effective in many cases, these technologies may not always be the best or only solution when situated within systems of cultural values and traditional knowledge of affiliated descendant communities. This extended literature review summarizes and theorizes contemporary uses of digital rock art preservation methods, including their effectiveness and impacts on site conditions. In doing so, this work investigates the plausibility of broad-scale application of digital preservation technologies for known rock art sites across the United States. I also explore where digital documentation has been done in collaboration with affiliated descendent communities and public response in these cases. I emphasize the importance of community engagement and the intertwining of archaeological and Indigenous cultural knowledge in pursuit of effective heritage preservation protocols.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39373.0