Rock art preservation : improved and ecology‐based methods can give weathered sites prolonged life
Journal article, Peer reviewed
View/ Open
Date
2006Metadata
Show full item recordCollections
- Articles (AmS) [142]
Original version
Bakkevig, S. (2006). Rock art preservation : improved and ecology‐based methods can give weathered sites prolonged life. Norwegian Archaeological Review, 37(2), 65-81 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00293650410014942Abstract
Rock art is defined as systematic and man-made depressions or paintings on a
smooth rock surface. In contrast to other cultural monuments, they have
hardly any ecological importance. Nevertheless rock art sites should be
regarded as a part of the landscape, both with respect to interpretation and
preservation. The method of gluing together fragmented rock art panels with
an organic glue, and the repairing of cracks on rock art panels by mortar, are
criticised. The author raises doubts about the ‘crumbling effect’ of mosses and
the effect of ‘aggressive lichen’, postulated by other authors. The need for a
long time perspective and international co-operation in rock art preservation
and conservation is underlined, and it is emphasized that experiments with
new methods of conservation should be done on panels without rock art.
Based on observations of an accidentally covered rock art panel in
Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, a new and reversible method for stabilisation of
severely weathered rock art panels is proposed, using dissolved calcium
carbonate which is precipitated in a calcification process on the weathered
rock and in cracks.
Description
This is an electronic version of an article published in the Norwegian Archaeological Review© 2006 Copyright Taylor & Francis; Norwegian Archaeological Review is available online at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00293650410014942.