Format: Paper presentations with discussion
Convenors:
Mel Marshall, University of Notre Dame Australia, melissa.marshall@nd.edu.au
Emily Miller, Charles Darwin University, Australia, emily.miller@cdu.edu.au
Ethan Williams, Kakadu National Park, Australia, Ethan.Williams@dcceew.gov.au
Jake Goodes, Parks Victoria, Australia
Martin Porr, Archaeology/Centre for Rock Art Research + Management, School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia, Australia
Assoc. Prof. Sally K. May, University of Adelaide, Australia
Unarguably, rock art invokes awe and the imagination, giving unprecedented insights into past lifeworlds and ways of thinking. Seen as a reflection of human creativity and innovation, rock art is found globally as representations of the cultural nuances and complexity between peoples and nations. With Western academic-driven scientific conservation and management practices emerging in the late 1800s, advancements have been seen in techniques and interventions applied over this time. Increasingly as we move into the 21st century, this is informed and underpinned by Indigenous knowledges and traditional ways of caring for these places as part of living heritage.
This session will be hosted by the National Scientific Committee of Rock Art in Australia (NSCRAA) as part of Australia ICOMOS, to provide a platform to showcase advancements and application of techniques and practices to conserve and manage rock art, caring for humanity’s priceless heritages. With knowledge and experiences to be shared of varied approaches to looking after the past, we invite presentations which include innovative methods and methodologies as part of collaborative approaches that consider both the tangible (physical) fabric and intangible (intrinsic) heritage of place. We invite contributions that explore the many intersections between rock art and the varied impacts that affect the long-term preservation and protection of these valuable places.
Papers:
Altering Landscapes and Rock Art: A Study of How Landscape Affects Rock Art in the Betwa Source Region, Madhya Pradesh, India
Shriya Gautam, School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, UK
Perhaps because it is still located where it was first made, rock art is an unalterable aspect of the landscape. It is because of this quality of rock art that its study is imperative to understanding landscape use in prehistoric times. When treated as material culture, rock art can be understood as symbols of mental mapping, marking the stage of performativity where human actors integrated with the non-human components of the environment. Therefore, in the present times, alterations to this landscape poses a significant threat to preservation of rock art sites.
The focus of the present paper is the rock art sites of the Betwa Source Region in Madhya Pradesh, central India, where the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bhimbetka is also located. Based on the primary exploration and recording of over a hundred painted shelters scattered across twelve sites, this paper looks into the natural as well as anthropogenic changes to the landscape that affect the preservation of the prehistoric rock art of this region. The results presented in the paper are based on extensive fieldwork conducted in the region from September 2023 to June 2024.
“I Want to Believe”: Immersive Rock Art Replicas in France
Laura Mayer, The University of Western Australia, Australia
Replicas have long been presented within museum, gallery and heritage site displays. Replicated objects give visitors the chance to see pieces that are unavailable for display, either because the originals are held elsewhere or because the original cannot be displayed due to conservation or other concerns. Since the 1980s, the practice of making and displaying replicas has extended to entire rock art sites that are designed to satisfy visitor demand and contribute to the preservation of original rock art sites that have been deemed too fragile and too precious to open to the public. These sites can now be reproduced complete with geological, anthropological, and archaeological remains to within millimetre accuracy and are often presented as the ‘real’ thing to millions of visitors each year. This paper presents the results of a PhD project that examined how immersive rock art replicas are experienced by visitors and if they can authentically substitute for an original rock art site. Through the exploration of visitor interviews and observations at Lascaux II and Chauvet Cave 2, this paper considers the importance of concepts, such as a sense of place and authenticity, to determine if they can be part of an effective heritage management strategy.
Marking Memories: Public Archaeology and the Boomplaats Iron Age Rock Engravings
Jean-Pierre Celliers, Lydenburg Museum, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Lauren Dyll, Centre for Communication, Media and Society, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa & ARROWSA
Roger Fisher, Dept of Architecture, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Mary Elizabeth Lange, Centre for Communication, Media and Society, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Julie Grant, Dept of Communication and Media, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
David Morris, School of Humanities, Sol Plaatje University, South Africa & McGregor Museum, Kimberley, South Africa
Miliswa Magongo, Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Pedro Dausab, Nama Specialist and Activist
Izak Kruiper, ǂKhomani traditional healer specialising in intergenerational transfer of cultural knowledge, Northern Cape, South Africa
The Mashishing Marking Memories research project at Boomplaats rock engraving site near Mashishing in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, collected new diverse oral interpretations of the rock engravings and on how present and new data and interpretations might be communicated to the public, particularly through the agency of the Lydenburg Museum. The presentation describes how the researchers collected and disseminated qualitative data from field observations at the time of a challenging Covid-19 episode and discusses role players, outcomes, successes, challenges, the museum’s role, tourism potential and a possible future vision of the Boomplaats rock engraving site. The diverse oral reception project included skills transference workshops and the creation of an educational booklet for schools, a tourism brochure and documentary video for the popular dissemination of research findings. We will also explore how adaptions in PAR methodology were made as a response to Covid-19 practical shortcomings and challenges. This is an extension of an earlier and similar community focused narrative about engraved rock art at Biesje Poort, Northern Cape Province. The Boomplaats engravings, which are attributed to Iron Age agro-pastoralist communities (CE 1650’s – early 19th century) fall under the Thaba Chweu Municipality and Lydenburg Museum administration and the Boomplaats Community Steering Committee as custodians. By following the participatory action research (PAR) methodology at Boomplaats, the authors make use of a comparative approach where the Mashishing engravings project builds on the model devised in the Biesje Poort engraved landscape project. The Biesje Poort and Mashishing projects both focus on the inclusion of multiple voices in the dissemination of data, as well as its interpretation. The Mashishing project, however, expands the Biesje Poort project by including a strong public or social archaeology aspect.
Marking of Place: Towards a Deeper Understanding of Graffiti Creation and Prevention in Rock Art Heritage
Marisa Giorgi, University of Queensland; Extent Heritage, Australia
Vanessa Gertz, James Cook University, Australia
By interrogating some of the core Western concepts of place and space within the landscape, we aim to work towards a deeper understanding of graffiti creation and prevention that can be applied to cultural heritage practices. Examples from Australia, Europe and the Arabic Peninsula are critically investigated to call for a more inclusive cultural representation and methodology. Exploration of 3D modelling in accessibility, education and conservation is explored through an Indigenous lens as a tool for prevention of graffiti through cultural valuing.
We aim to enhance understanding and appreciation of rock art heritage beyond the aesthetic to protect it more effectively. Cultural damage prevention processes, which explore new pathways and more inclusive narratives are needed to reduce cultural asset loss. For evidence we draw from a number of rock art projects, new digital options and recent conservation projects in conjunction with a number of interviews to evaluate if new developments are successfully incorporating inclusive heritage practices. The aim is to foreground more tools for best practice for institutions and private organisations and stimulate robust discussions within this area of cultural heritage management.
Graffiti, Historical Inscriptions and Prehispanic Rock Art: A Comparative Study of Different Key Sites from Argentina
Anahí Re, Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano (INAPL), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)
Guadalupe Romero Villanueva, Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano (INAPL), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)
Mercedes Podestá, Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano (INAPL)
Many different behaviours underlie the production of historical inscriptions and graffiti. Hence, there has been a long-standing debate regarding the information that can be gathered through their study and what, if any, management and conservation practices should be undertaken.
In this work we will address some of these issues through the comparison of three diverse case studies from different cultural contexts and geographical settings in Argentina. We select key rock art sites from the Strobel plateau in the Santa Cruz province, Barrancas-Buta Ranquil locality in Neuquén and Inca Cueva in Jujuy. In particular, we will analyse the placement of historical inscriptions/graffiti in relation to previous images. We will evaluate if they are superimposed over older images and, if so, how they are superimposed. This comparative study will allow us to identify different behaviours and attitudes towards previous rock art across different regions, mainly during the 20th century.