Rock art and digital technologies: the application of Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) and 3D laser scanning to the study of Late Bronze Age Iberian stelae

• Main Authors: Diaz-Guardamino, Marta (Author), Wheatley, David (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2013-12.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

 In spite of a long-standing research tradition, the study of Late Bronze Age Iberian stelae has been severely limited by a very fundamental shortcoming: the inaccuracy of the methods and techniques that have been employed to record, examine and reproduce these stones and their engravings. This paper will describe the recent application of two innovative techniques, namely Reflectance Transformation Imaging and 3D laser scanning, to record various Late Bronze Age stelae found in the South of the Iberian Peninsula. It will then comment on the preliminary results of this undertaking and their implications for current research on Late Bronze Age Iberian stelae. Finally, it will assess the potentials and limitations of these techniques for recording and interpreting Late Bronze Age Iberian stelae in particular, and prehistoric Rock Art in general.