Recording Prehistoric Rock-art: A Three Dimensional Approach

The Northumberland and Durham Rock Art Project (NADRAP), a three year English Heritage funded project formally completed in July 2008, set out to pilot a meth­ odology for creating an index of around 1,500 known rock art panels located across two counties of the north-east of England. Principally using around 60 volunteers recruited from the local community, this would provide a georeferenced dataset which included both drawn and photographic records of the motifs represented. It also sought to test, compare and make recommendations against a number of different rock-art recording techniques, including both laser and image based approaches. The latter used a new, lower-cost recording approach based on using 'off-the-shelf' digital cameras, stereo-photo­ graphy and new photogrammetric processing software by Topcon PI-3000. As well as highlighting the recording work undertaken by the project volunteers, this paper will describe the methodological development and how, through training and education, the volunteers have come to terms with using it. Also it will focus on the data dissemination aspects which led to the launch in July 2008 of a new rock-art website entitled England's Rock Art (ERA). Here interested parties, be they rock-art experts or casual visitors, can explore the fascinating detail of England's rock-art, as well as downloading and viewing numerous datasets created by the volunteers, including interactive, 3D models supplied in VRML format. As well as being successfully used within a rock-art context the developed approach to recording, using photogrammetry, has numerous other applications across the heritage sector. INTRODUCTION Within the UK the term ‘Rock Art’ is generally used to describe prehistoric carvings made on boulders and rock outcrops generally dated to the late Neolithic – early Bronze Age (3500-1500BC). The most commonly found carving is a cup mark, although designs can include rings and grooves forming elaborate patterns – also known as ‘cup & ring’ marks. Within England there are approximately 2,400 known panels with over 1,500 located across the two counties of Northumberland and Durham (figure 1).