Dr.
A. K. Dubey
Senior Associate
Professor, A.I.H.C. & Archaeology, Faculty of Arts,
B.H.U.,
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Abstract:-
Rock art sites are one of the best
testimonies of the human spirit, and reflect the timeless qualities of passion;
adventure and creativity needed for any society at any time to progress and
live a meaningful quality life. Such testimonies are losing their importance
due to lack of support, interest and technologies. Present paper based on the
general aspects and an over view of the rock art Documentation,
Interpretation, Management and Dating with the newly developed technologies.
Recent advances in dating
technologies have significantly increased the number of dating opportunities
for rock art relative to standard radiocarbon dating. In particular, the
development of the Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS) radiometric dating, Cation
Ratio (CR), Carbon isotope analysis, Amino Acid Racemisation (AAR),
Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL), lichenometry and Micro-erosion. Some
of the above cited techniques are introduced in India under the EIP (Early Indian
Petroglyphs Project) lead by Dr. Robert G. Bednarik and his team at Auditorium
Cave at Bhimbetka (near Bhopal, M.P.), Daraki-Chattan (a recently discovered
cave near Bhanpura, M.P.), and Bajanibhat (a rock shelter near Kotaputli, Raj).
The
important documentation techniques are Flotation Analysis, studies of
Microfossils, Pollen, Phytoliths, Micowear and residues on stone implement
edges, Detailed Sedimentlogy etc.
In spite of the dating
technique, the Management through digital technology is also the important tool
for the documentation and interpretation. The technologies are provided by the
computer generated are the AutoCAD,
Digital Cameras, D-stretch Camera, Google earth, G.P.S., CD-Rom which create
image enhancements with AutoCAD, a computer aided drafting, programming through
one can create maps and plot archaeological feature on a maps. Above all
techniques can be useful for rock art study, research to access and massage
information. However since one purpose of rock art recording is to preserve a
record of its existence before it is destroyed by human, animal or natural
force, caution should be used when considering how best to preserve that record
for future use.
These details are especially helpful to
understand the new dimension of the rock art research with the help of techno-tools
and methods. The present paper based on
the techniques and tools developed for the rock art documentation,
interpretation, management and dating that will discussed in the presentation.
Keywords:- AMS, CIA, CR,
AAR, OSL, EIP, Conservation, Preservation.
Introduction:
Rock art
as the term implies is the art on rock, any type of artistic activity found on
rock is rock art, which types of art? It is still in debate, is it right that a
prehistoric stone tool, which was made by our ancestor, is under the rock art?
We agree because it had been done on the stone, which is a small part of rock. Ajanta, Ellora, Ellephanta etc. any
art thing that has been done on the rock, that is under the rock art, because
here again it has been done on the rock. Like also inscription which had been
done in those times on rock itself or part of boulder or a smallest part of
rock that could be stone slab, that is also rock art, why because engraving
which is under rock art study but why not inscription (only those which has
been done on the rock).
However, for the study of Rock art
now various techniques and applications are developed, which are helpful to
understand the rock art in scientific way. Before entering in to detail about
the techno-tool and applications of science in rock art study, authors’ wants
to clear that the all works neither personally created nor personally feel. The
details are encountered from the various articles and books. Authors have gone
through the details and reconstructed its importance in the rock art study.
In some cases it is possible to
directly date the art itself. This can be done with pigments containing organic
materials, such as charcoal, plant fibers, protein binders, as well as with
beeswax figures. However, some studies have shown that, with the small samples
required for AMS dates, the question of provenance is crucial. For instance,
McDonald recently obtained inconsistent radiocarbon dates, ranging from 6 085
B.P.to 29795 B.P. from charcoal taken from the same motif at a rock art site in
the Sydney Basin, Australia. The important point to be drawn from this study is
that micro-contamination may not be identified in those cases where only one
sample is taken.
The applications of techno-tools are described
below in detail:
DATING
TECHNOLOGIES
The number of examples of dated rock
art is increasing rapidly. However, most dates have not been particularly
informative because their sampling and analysis was not directed towards
general questions. Clearly, there is a great range of possible dating
techniques for rock art, and any particular body of such art will offer a
unique combination of potential approaches. The most convincing dated art
sequences are those based on a range of data and the complementary use of
relative and absolute dating methods. Recent
advances in dating technologies have significantly increased the number of
dating opportunities for rock art relative to standard radiocarbon dating. In
particular, the development of the Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS)
radiometric dating means those milligrams of organic material can now be dated.
Other 'new' techniques include Cation Ratio (CR), Amino Acid Racemisation
(AAR), Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL), lichenometry and Micro-erosion.
Cation Ratio: The Cation Ratio dating of desert
varnish is based on differences in the mobility of different chemical
constituents of desert varnish with some cations like potassium (K+) and
calcium (Ca+) leaching out of the varnish faster than others like Titanium (Ti+).
(Nelson and Chaloupka, 1995:151) If the cation-leaching curve can be calibrated
using such techniques as K-Ar dating of basalt flows, tandem accelerator mass
spectrometry radiocarbon dating of organic fractions, and ratios from surfaces
of known age, the varnish can be dated to provide a minimum age for underlying
engravings. In a series of papers, Dorn and Nobbs have explored the application
of the ‘cation-ratio dating method’, developed by Dorn in arid south-western
USA to a thin patina covering rock-rock art in the arid Olary region of South
Australia. 
Amino Acid Racemisation: AAR depends upon the presence of
aluminous binders, such as blood or egg white, in paintings. The technique is
based on the observation that the number of amino acids present in proteins
decreases over time, which forms the basis of a decay curve using paint samples
of known age. (Geib, Fairley and Field,
1992:155) However, this technique is restricted to dating paints less than 1800
years old. 
Optically Stimulated
Luminescence: OSL
measures the number of electrons trapped in micro-fissures in quartz grains.
This is correlated with to the length of time that the quartz has been removed
from sunlight, which 'bleaches' out any
trapped electrons. This technique can
be used to date mud wasp nests and termite tracks, which contain 'buried'
quartz grains. When such nests or tracks cover, or are covered by rock art,
this allows assessment of a maximum or minimum age for the art. The EIP project
team of Indo-Australian scientists collected seven soil samples in 2002, three
from V. N. Misra’s trench in III F-23, one from V. S. Wakankar’s trench in the
adjoining Auditorium Cave, III F-24, and three from Daraki-Chattan for OSL
(optically stimulated 
luminescence) dating in Australia.
luminescence) dating in Australia.
Lichenometry: Lichenometry depends upon the
development of a species-specific, lichen-growth curve by measuring lichen
thallus diameters on dated rock surfaces. This can then be used to calculate
the minimum age of rock surfaces by measuring the thallus diameters of the same
lichen species growing on these surfaces.
Micro-Erosion Analysis: This
method has been developed specifically for dating of petroglyphs (Bednarik, 1992: 279-291).
Under the EIP project it has been used in India. In view of the large cupule in
the stratified Acheulian deposit in Wakankar’s trench, close to Microerosion
analysis was also applied to petroglyphs at Morajhari and Moda Bhata in Ajmer
District, Rajasthan (Bednarik, Kumar,
Watchman and Roberts, 2005: 147-197) where ages of the very early and the late Holocene were secured
from cupules. It is the only method that involves the dating of the petroglyph
itself, rather than some other physically related feature.
Uranium Thorium Dating: It
estimates an average of the time of duration required by the process of
deposition of the accretion (which covers the petroglyphs), it can only provide
approximate ages for the deposit, and not estimates of the petroglyphs ages.
The Chemistry Laboratory of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmadabad
scientist are working on this method.
With the application of above techniques
now the India is oldest known rock art heritage. These are cupules, and the
oldest known site is in India are Auditorium Cave (Bednarik, 1996: 63-72) at
Bhimbetka , Madhya Pradesh belongs to Acheulian age. Most attempts of
thorium-uranium dating have shown this tradition in India to be beyond the
limit of the method, 350 000 years. In view of the petroglyphs in Auditorium
Cave these claims need to be carefully examined, and the International
Federation of Rock Art Organizations has assembled a commission to investigate
the extraordinary evidence from Bhimbetka, Daraki-Chattan and more such sites
in India (Bednarik, 2001: 72).
Early Indian Petroglyphs
(EIP) Project:
The EIP Project collaborates several research laboratories in Australia,
and it has substantial support from the Archaeological Survey of India, the
Indian Council of Historical Research and the Australia-India Council in
Canberra, but also from numerous Indian scholars. This project is the first to
attempt scientific dating of Indian rock art as well as to provide a
comprehensive chronological framework for the Paleolithic periods of India.
1.
Auditorium Cave at Bhimbetka near Bhopal, M.P.,
2.
Daraki-Chattan near Bhanpura, M.P. and
Daraki-Chattan near Bhanpura, M.P. and
3.
Bajanibhat near Kotaputli,
Rajasthan are the site selected for this project. The EIP Project is a joint
venture by the Rock Art Society of India (RASI) led by Giriraj Kumar and the
Australian Rock Art Research Association (AURA) led by R.G.Bednarik under the
aegis of IFRAO. This project has assembled an international commission to
review the claims made concerning Indian early petroglyphs. The EIP project has
demonstrated that currently the oldest known art in the world is in central
India. It uses methods such as:
A.
Carbon isotope analysis,
B.
Optically stimulated luminescence
dating,
C.
Uranium Thorium (U-Th) series dating of
ferromanganeous accretions deposition,
D.
Micro erosion analysis and
E.
Archaeological excavation.
The
Commission intends to report its first findings to the international research
community during 2003. Numerous
methods are has been employed in this three-year project, such as;
1.
flotation
analysis,
2.
studies
of microfossils,
3.
pollen,
4.
phytoliths,
5. micowear and
6. residues on
stone implement edges,
7. Detailed sedimentlogy etc
According to excavator
at Daraki-Chattan in its lower strata, it contains a layer of Oldowan pebble tools, which amazingly have
received almost no attention so far. It must be borne in mind that the entire
region between southern/eastern Africa and Levant in the west and Java and
China in the east remains profoundly neglected, in terms of its hominid
history. It’s all achievements are came to our knowledge only after the
introduction and application of the techniques and science. To appreciate the
significance of the project, it must be considered that its current terms of
reference can realistically achievements to the following main achievements:
1. The presentation of the first scientific rock art dating evidence from
India, from both petroglyphs and pictograms.
2. The clarification of the claims that Indian petroglyphs represent the
oldest rock art currently known in the world, dating back to the Acheulian
period.
3. The presentation of the first comprehensive chronological framework from the entire duration of the human presence on the Indian subcontinent.
4. The first assessment and dating of the Oldowan pebble tool industry in India.
5. The introduction and international transfer of rock art dating technology.
3. The presentation of the first comprehensive chronological framework from the entire duration of the human presence on the Indian subcontinent.
4. The first assessment and dating of the Oldowan pebble tool industry in India.
5. The introduction and international transfer of rock art dating technology.
However, In the case of
ancient rock art conservation, we try to retain the significance of sites by
protecting the original fabric on the one hand, while promoting controlled
public access, on the other. The primary problem for understanding the content of
Rock-art in India is the absence of any standardized and detail
documentation of the rock-art and accounts on the site proper. There are many
methods and application related to true scientific approach the rock art site
can be protect with the problems.
Under the
supervision of qualified conservationists and chemists, the cracks and fissures
in the shelter from within and has to be filled the top and side of the cavern
to be watertight Ned by using suitable material like coloured cement or lime,
depending on the nature of the stone surface, mixed with powered parent rock or
proper type of sand and desirable chemicals wherever necessary. In carrying out
such work it has to be seen that the material foreign to rock has to be used in
such a way that it matches with the original surface of the rock. To divert the
flow of rain water from entering inside, suitable channels or slopes may be
provided on the sides of a shelter. (Ronald, 2008:37–70) Undesirable vegetation
should be periodically removed from within and top of cavern. (Prasad, 2001:13)
Further, to prevent the overhanging rock projections from falling, strong
masonry support even using RCC could be provided by giving it a naturalistic
rock form by matching with the feature of the shelters and the environment. But
it must contain a date on its less conspicuous part indicating that it is an
artificial support. And also those rock blocks which are prone to fall should
be glued to the wall by filling organic high molecular material. (S.P.Singh) large pins of stainless steel were
can be use in the gaps between blocks, with wooden and later plastic spacing
blocks. (Batarda: 111-120)
Rock bolting can
be done through Titanium Rod for better strengthening of the rock mass. The
modern artificial dripline is usually of a silicon sealing compound which is
applied with a pressure gun. And that should be digitally document as in the
process of weathering. (Barnett, 2005:25–29) The silicon must have good bonding
ability, but remain removable without damage to the rock; it must have a high
thermal stability and resistance to moisture and ultra-violet radiation, and
should be of an unobtrusive colour. Rock surface need to be cleaned of organic
deposits before the silicon is applied. Guttering can also been use to reduce
excessive capillary action of water. (Bednarik, 2007:95)
MAINTENANCE (PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION)
From Conservation, point of view maintenance should be done to the
natural conditions and original environment of the rock art site. Conservation
practices should keep sites as dry as possible should be adopted.
Management inside the
Rock Art sites:
Periodic checks
should be made so that the water dose not collect on the roof of the shelter
where it is slowly directed towards the art work through porous rock and
through cracks and fissures on the roof. Water should be directed off the roof
by removing soil and vegetation from it, and by allowing the water to runoff,
by opening drainage lines to the side of the shelters. In addition some minor
drainage channels should be made in the roof on the shelters using, cement and
rock. In this way runoff water can be diverted away from the site.
To control the
anti-termite treatment is to be launched taking care that this treatment also
it does not damage the paintings nearby. Monitoring periodically for
re-inspection is recommended preferably at the end of every succeeding wet
season.
Management through digital technology:
Computer
technique provides a number of tools like AutoCAD, Digital Cameras, CD-Rom
which create image enhancements with AutoCAD, a computer aided drafting,
programming through one can create maps and plot archaeological feature on a
maps. (Donna, 1995:35-38) Above
all techniques can be useful for rock art study, research to access and massage
information. However since one purpose of rock art recording is to preserve a
record of its existence before it is destroyed by human, animal or natural
force, caution should be used when considering how best to preserve that record
for future use.
Further from
conservation and for maintenance point of view there should be involving
excavation of selected rock art sites (Jeyaraj, el., at., 2004:91-100). On the research front micro-documentations
of rock art is a must and scientific investigation be done for understanding of
the plan and strategy of the execution of motifs and artistic creations by their
authors in time and space on the site and in the entire region. The issue has
to be viewed in totally for better preservation of the sites under references.
Above all the
steps which has been taken in world we should also apply in India but keep in
mind that all the rules should maintain the Indian phenomena’s. The immense heritage of rock art is vulnerable to natural processes of
wear, obliteration and destruction, which are further accelerated by human
acts. Every day bits and pieces of rock surfaces are falling apart. Development
projects, road construction, home building, and agriculture can hardly be
stopped, but measures need to be taken to document and record rock art in its
current state to assure that its testimony will remain for future generations.
Lastly,
the importances of sites are only emphasis with the applications of these
technologies. Protection of rock art sites is a great task and government alone
can’t meet this challenge properly. We can not only document and preserve the
rock art sites through these major steps of technology even these techniques
are very useful for the protection of this heritage.
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Museum Conservation Branch, New Delhi).
