New Methods for Rock Art Recording and Virtual Analysis

George V. Landon and W. Brent Seales. New Methods for Rock Art Recording and Virtual Analysis. Michael A. Cinquino and Michele Hayward, organizers. Symposium on Latin American Rock Art: Conservation and Research Status. Proceedings of the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. 2006 April 26-30; San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA.



Abstract:

We present a method for preserving and visualizing petroglyphic art. The process creates accurate 3D textured models of carved surfaces, making the intricate geometry available for study with interactive computer tools. Examples of useful virtual analysis include visualization with synthetic lighting, simulation to highlight the subtleties of the carvings, and texture-mapping with annotated content. We demonstrate with results from Taino petroglyphs, which are located at the ceremonial center in Caquana, Puerto Rico.