A new methodology allows for a more precise review of Late Paleolithic portable art and improves the reliability of archaeological interpretations (IMAGE)
Caption
A team of archaeologists from the Universitat Jaume I, the University of Barcelona, and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) has developed a new methodology that allows for a much more detailed, precise and objective analysis of Late Paleolithic portable art pieces. Thanks to this study, the research team was able to review several previously published pieces from Matutano Cave (Vilafamés), a reference site in the Iberian Mediterranean, with greater accuracy and demonstrate that some of the marks previously interpreted as artistic motifs are not anthropic engravings but natural surface reliefs.
Late Paleolithic art is usually characterized by very fine engravings, barely visible to the naked eye, often affected by taphonomic alterations, surface irregularities, and unclear morphologies, which complicates their identification and interpretation. This new methodology allows for a more precise analysis of the remains using photogrammetry and microtopographic analysis techniques. The results were recently published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
The high-precision recording protocol integrates close-range photogrammetry, digital elevation models (DEM), and surface analysis based on geographic information systems (GIS) to detect and quantify extremely fine engravings at a submillimetric scale. This enables a detailed characterization of groove morphology, variations in depth and width, and cross-sectional profiles. The application of this low-cost methodology provides a more objective record of the trajectories, shapes and volumes of the engravings, supporting researchers’ interpretation work and reducing reliance on subjective assessments.
To validate the methodology, the team carried out a recording programme. This programme served as a reference framework for interpreting archaeological marks with greater reliability. Once it was verified that the new method provided reliable data, it was applied to three pieces from Matutano Cave, one of the most extensive Late Paleolithic portable art assemblages on the Iberian Peninsula, and used as a reference for the relative dating of other rock art manifestations. As a result, updated and more precise tracings were made for two of the pieces, and it was confirmed that the third does not contain anthropic engravings, as the observed marks correspond to natural rock reliefs.
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UJI-UB-ICREA researchs
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