Macro Photogrammetry & Surface Features Extraction for Paleolithic Portable Art Documentation

A groundbreaking methodology using macro photogrammetry has been developed to document Paleolithic portable art with unprecedented accuracy. This approach generates 3D models and orthorectified images at a spatial resolution of tens of microns, enabling the detailed documentation of faint paintings and fine engravings on limestone plaquettes. The study focuses on plaquette number 16330 from Cova del Parpalló, a significant Paleolithic site in Spain's UNESCO-listed Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin. By leveraging HyperCube and DStretch software for data processing, researchers have created an objective and reproducible documentation that challenges and reinterprets earlier graphic records from the 1990s. This methodology not only advances the field of archaeological documentation but also provides a new standard for preserving and analyzing delicate Paleolithic art.

Cabrelles, M., Lerma, J. L., & Villaverde, V. (2020). Macro Photogrammetry & Surface Features Extraction for Paleolithic Portable Art Documentation. Applied Sciences, 10(19), 6908. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10196908