Analytical Tracing as a Method for Recording and Understanding Rock Art

The article explores the potential of documenting engravings, analyzing one of the key copying techniques—tracing. Although this approach has some subjectivity as compared to other contact recording techniques based on the principle of estampage, the focus is placed on the analytical capabilities of tracing, which are enhanced as the method develops. This is revealed through the case of re-analysis of a tracing made during the 2016 fieldwork at the Kalgutinsky Rudnik rock art site, located on the Ukok Plateau (Russian Altai). Notably, the article examines the specifics of documenting such category of engravings as «phantoms,» whose creation involved minimal extremely superficial modification of rock surface. Practice shows that the potential of applying analytical tracing for documenting such images is significantly higher than for deeply elaborated ones. The article draws the following conclusions. Tracing is no longer limited to merely reproducing the contours of images; this method allows for the representation of the totality of researcher’s observations on a specific aspect, such as traces of rock surface modification, features of natural context, etc. Using the case of tracing «phantom» images from the Kalgutinsky Rudnik site, the possibilities of revising previously made observations and identifying fundamentally new data are demonstrated. Conclusions are drawn about the specific conventions used to create the contours of head and ear on the finely engraved images of horses. Attention is drawn to a series of sketch lines accompanying one of the horse figures. This way of preparing petroglyph contours has been repeatedly documented at the Baga-Oigur-5 site (right bank) in the Mongolian Altai, where classic examples of the «Kalguty» Style in rock art are found. The obtained results highlight the importance of revising previously made analytical tracings in light of new observations and indicate their significantly greater informational potential for the study of rock art

Copying · Sketch · Subjectivity · Tracing · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Mineralogy and Gemology Studies · Soil and Environmental Studies