The deteriorating preservation of the Altai Rock art: assessing three-dimensional image-based modelling in rock art research and management

Journal article

Gertjan Plets, Geert J. Verhoeven, Dimitry Cheremisin, Ruth Plets, Jean Bourgeois, Birger B. Stichelbaut, Wouter Gheyle, Jeroen De Reu
Rock Art Research, vol. 29(2), 2012, pp. 139-156

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APA Click to copy
Plets, G., Verhoeven, G. J., Cheremisin, D., Plets, R., Bourgeois, J., Stichelbaut, B. B., … De Reu, J. (2012). The deteriorating preservation of the Altai Rock art: assessing three-dimensional image-based modelling in rock art research and management. Rock Art Research, 29(2), 139–156.

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
Plets, Gertjan, Geert J. Verhoeven, Dimitry Cheremisin, Ruth Plets, Jean Bourgeois, Birger B. Stichelbaut, Wouter Gheyle, and Jeroen De Reu. “The Deteriorating Preservation of the Altai Rock Art: Assessing Three-Dimensional Image-Based Modelling in Rock Art Research and Management.” Rock Art Research 29, no. 2 (2012): 139–156.

MLA Click to copy
Plets, Gertjan, et al. “The Deteriorating Preservation of the Altai Rock Art: Assessing Three-Dimensional Image-Based Modelling in Rock Art Research and Management.” Rock Art Research, vol. 29, no. 2, 2012, pp. 139–56.

BibTeX Click to copy

@article{plets2012a,
  title = {The deteriorating preservation of the Altai Rock art: assessing three-dimensional image-based modelling in rock art research and management},
  year = {2012},
  issue = {2},
  journal = {Rock Art Research},
  pages = {139-156},
  volume = {29},
  author = {Plets, Gertjan and Verhoeven, Geert J. and Cheremisin, Dimitry and Plets, Ruth and Bourgeois, Jean and Stichelbaut, Birger B. and Gheyle, Wouter and De Reu, Jeroen}
}

Abstract
The unique rock art of the Russian Altai is increasingly suffering from human and natural processes. Without well-directed action and documentation it will be practically impossible to establish conservation initiatives and, eventually, many of these sites will be lost. This paper presents an overview of the different processes affecting this rock art, based on fifteen years of observations in the region and recent three-dimensional (3D) photorealistic documentation. A cost-effective 3D workflow for rock art recording and research is discussed as a possible way to tackle this worsening situation. The application of 3D documentation in rock art research has seen an explosive growth during recent years, but its use is still maturing and a strategy of how to deal with the models is still lacking.