Format: Paper presentations with discussion
Convenors:
Tom McClintock, Getty Conservation Institute, USA, tmcclintock@getty.edu
Gerard O’Regan, Ngāi Tahu tribe, Tūhura Otago Museum, Aotearoa New Zealand, Gerard.O’Regan@otagomuseum.nz
Paul S.C. Taçon, Griffith University, Australia, p.tacon@griffith.edu.au
Rock art is one of the most vulnerable sectors of cultural heritage globally. The reasons for this are numerous and interrelated. Remote sites are often on the vulnerable edges of a changing climate, resources dedicated to the care of rock art places are scant, and in most parts of the world there is a dearth of trained, qualified professionals to undertake informed conservation and management work. Additionally, rock art is still a widely underappreciated and undervalued treasure, which places it at particular risk of vandalism and other mistreatment.
What can be done to remedy this? Obviously, resources are a big piece of the puzzle, as are enforcement of protective legislation and public education on the importance and values of rock art. What efforts can the current field of rock art professionals undertake to address the pressures faced by rock art places? How can we work more closely with adjacent fields of heritage research and preservation? How can institutions rooted in Western scientific modalities work with First Nations to better promote cultural and values-based preservation?
Presenters will share examples of challenges faced by rock art and those caring for it in different places. They will explore current and emerging issues impacting the preservation of rock art places and management solutions to those. A subsequent round table discussion will focus on assessing the needs of the field of rock art conservation and management.
Papers:
Assessment of Past Trainings and Workshops Delivered by the Getty Conservation Institute
Tom McClintock, Getty Conservation Institute, USA
The Getty Conservation Institute’s Buildings and Sites Department works to advance conservation practice in the fields of built and place-based heritage through model projects, research, capacity building, and publications. With a long though sporadic history of engaging in rock art conservation and management, the GCI is undertaking a review of past projects and current needs assessment to approach new project development strategically.
Training and capacity building, particularly in site management and technical conservation skills, are in demand across the spectrum of constituencies responsible for rock art preservation. In the interests of informing the development of future training programs and workshops, this presentation will offer a critical assessment of past courses delivered by the GCI, including those in Southern California from the late 1980s to early 1990s and in various Southern African countries from 2005-2011. Where possible, examples of other training courses will be included for comparison, for example the one-year graduate diploma course delivered by Canberra College in 1989. Particular attention will be paid to the environmental and cultural specificity of curricula, target audience and participants, and the courses’ lasting impacts.
Risk and Vulnerability Assessment of the Edakkal Rock Art- Understanding the Impact of Climate Change and Micro Vegetation
Mobeersha K. M., Kerala Council for Historical Research, Kerala, India
Edakkal is the largest prehistoric rock engraving site in India. The site is under threat from both natural and human made challenges. The effects of climate change on heavy rainfall, increasing humidity, and shifting weather patterns speed up the weathering process. The growth of micro vegetation on engravings and surrounding areas poses a significant risk since it continually obscures and erodes the petroglyphs.
The purpose of this study is to examine the risk and vulnerability of Edakkal rock art by conducting a scientific assessment of climatic, geological, and biological hazards. Systematic research, including field surveys, documentation, and comparative analysis, led to the finding of critical risks and vulnerabilities.
Rock art is vital to archaeological research because its preservation is critical since it contains a cultural record of human expression as well as how communication systems interact with the environment. The study emphasises the urgent need to create climate-specific conservation measures for locations in Kerala experiencing similar environmental circumstances. The findings of this study will enable critical talks regarding tropical rock art conservation while also establishing a foundation for heritage protection strategies in disaster prone areas.
Preserving Usandawe Rock Art: Challenges, Opportunities and the Role of the Local Community
Maciej Grzelczyk, Institute of Religious Studies, Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland
In my presentation, I will discuss the methods of protecting the rock art of Usandawe and the challenges associated with this process. The name Usandawe originates from the Sandawe people, whose ancestors are linked to the creation of most rock art sites in central Tanzania. Usandawe is divided into Swaga Swaga and the Southern Usandawe Hills. Swaga Swaga is currently a game reserve and has not been inhabited by human groups since 1997. As a result, the Sandawe now reside only in the Southern Usandawe Hills.
On one hand, the Sandawe perceive the rock paintings as ‘ancestral signs’, and rock shelters with rock art often serve as ritual sites. On the other hand, the reserve authorities view the paintings as potential tourist attractions that could draw visitors. In my opinion, the key factor in mitigating the negative impacts on the rock art of Usandawe is education, partnership-based cooperation, and an understanding of the interests of all involved parties. In my presentation, I will demonstrate how this process can be implemented and what measures have already been undertaken.
Preserving Levantine Rock Art: Lessons, Gaps, and the Path Forward
Inés Domingo-Sanz, ICREA, University of Barcelona, SERP, IAUB, Spain
With more than a thousand sites spread across Mediterranean Iberia, Levantine rock art—a UNESCO-listed heritage since 1998—faces critical conservation challenges due to exposure to open-air conditions, vast territorial distribution, diverse microclimatic environments, and human threats, particularly vandalism.
Ensuring the preservation of this unique heritage requires a careful balance between archaeological research, conservation strategies and sustainable site uses. Key approaches to achieve this include multidisciplinary research, the implementation of preventive measures, appropriate regulations, long-term site protection, specialised conservation training, and informed decision-making. Additionally ongoing monitoring, engagement with local communities and policy makers, public education, and responsible site management are essential for sustainable conservation efforts.
This presentation explores the primary threats to Levantine rock art, conservation strategies developed to date, existing gaps, and future directions. By sharing the challenges and lessons learned from current approaches to this art form, the aim is to offer valuable insights for broader global debates on the conservation of open-air rock art and management, as well as sustainable strategies for ensuring public enjoyment of this heritage while preserving it for the future.
A Fragile Future for Māori rock art in Aotearoa New Zealand
Dr Gerard O’Regan, Ngāi Tahu tribe; Curator Māori, Tūhura Otago Museum, Dunedin, New Zealand
Very few of the 800 Māori rock art sites across Aotearoa New Zealand are actively monitored and managed. For those that are, the signs are worrying. Storm surges are carving away at coastal rock art shelters and shifting boulder beaches to obscure previously recognised engravings. Efforts towards reforestation and timber plantations surround numerous rock art sites while others in nature reserves have been licked by wildfires. It is not clear whether farming irrigation or more extreme rain events are impacting the water tables that cause rock fall dangers at some of the few sites promoted for public visitation. Whatever the case, while New Zealand still struggles to understand the distribution and character of our rock art heritage, threats and impacts that we typically associate with other countries are increasingly presenting locally. And with increased recognition of Māori guardianship of our ancestral places, so are our communities now confronted with new and weighty management challenges. Although a nation with advanced heritage management systems and resources, properly articulating the problems and what stands to be lost still remains a critical first step if New Zealand is to secure a future for our Māori rock art treasures.
Platinum vs. Preservation: Digital Strategies for Protecting Makgabeng’s Heritage
Catherine Namono, School of Geography, Archaeology & Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
The Makgabeng Cuesta, a site of rich cultural heritage and ecological importance, faces escalating threats from platinum-group metals mining. Since 2014, Waterberg JV Resources (Pty) Ltd, a subsidiary of Platinum Group Metals Ltd., has expanded its operations in the area, securing mining rights to farms that host significant rock art and biodiversity. The recent application for additional mining rights in 2024 puts significant heritage sites and community tourism initiatives at further risk. Mining activities—such as blasting, dust generation, and vibrations—pose severe threats to fragile rock art and local livelihoods. This paper proposes a digital, community-led monitoring strategy that utilises accessible technologies and software to document rock art site changes. By establishing a data-driven baseline, local communities can systematically track mining-related impacts, advocate for heritage protection, and engage with policymakers.