Modelling a new understanding of prehistoric rock art in Scotland
0Tertia Barnett, Joana Valdez-Tullett
Prehistoric rock art is one of the most abundant yet poorly understood monument types in Scotland. Between 2017 and 2022, Scotland’s Rock Art Project (ScRAP) created a coherent and detailed database for rock art from across the country through co-production with trained community teams. Our overarching aims were to conduct research that would enhance our understanding of this enigmatic carving tradition, whilst engaging with local communities and raising awareness more widely. We developed a multiscalar methodology which we applied to the large ScRAP database. The methodology comprised detailed assessment of 3D models produced for each carved rock, together with a range of computational, spatial and statistical analyses. This allowed us to investigate the character of the rock art, as well as inter-regional differences and similarities in the nature and contexts of the carvings. The results of our study generated a renewed understanding of prehistoric rock art in Scotland, and enabled us to challenge previous interpretations while exploring new patterns in the data. This talk will focus on some details of the methodology we used to research this rock art tradition, and will discuss the main findings of the project, specifically regarding cultural transmission and connectivity.