SEMINAR: Archaeology Seminar Series

The spatial distribution of chemical species on and within a rock art panel can help to better understand the relations between paint materials, deposits and alteration products and catch a glimpse of events related to the making, alteration and use of the paintings. Analyses of micro samples with laboratory equipment provide insights into the complex fabric of rock, pigments and deposits layers. At a larger scale, handheld portable and non-destructive equipment are now sufficiently fast and reliable to perform chemical mapping of entire rock art panels. With examples from Australia and South Africa, this presentation explores the possibilities of chemical imaging at various scales and dimensions, from the surface of the rock art panel to the micro-stratigraphy of the paint layer.