Digital Rock Art: beyond 'pretty pictures'.

Area of Science:

• Digital Archaeology
• Archaeological Sciences
• Prehistoric Art Studies

Background:

• Traditional rock art documentation relied on subjective analogue methods.
• Recent decades have seen a significant methodological shift in rock art research.
• The field grapples with overcoming the inherent subjectivity in analogue recording.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reflect on the transformative impact of digital archaeology on rock art research.
• To explore how digital resources have reshaped the methodologies and conceptual frameworks in the field.
• To illustrate these changes using Iberian case studies: Schematic Art and Atlantic Rock Art.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of digital recording techniques for prehistoric carvings and paintings.
• Implementation of complex, multi-scalar, and inter-relational analytical approaches.
• Analysis of diverse variables within rock art assemblages, moving beyond motifs and landscape.

Main Results:

• Digital recording provides immediate, quantifiable datasets, overcoming analogue limitations.
• New analytical methods enable broader integration of rock art into prehistoric narratives.
• Case studies demonstrate the practical application and benefits of digital methodologies.

Conclusions:

• Digital archaeology has profoundly changed the way rock art is researched, recorded, and interpreted.
• The integration of digital tools facilitates more objective and comprehensive scientific analysis.
• This evolution allows for richer, more nuanced understandings of prehistoric human behavior and expression.