From sketchbook to structure from motion: Recording prehistoric carvings in Ireland

• Techniques of recording Irish megalithic and rock-art developed in punctuated phases.
• Recording techniques progress when scholars work in collaboration and/or competition.
• Photogrammetry is a cost effective method for 3D modelling, easy to use and adaptable across scales.
• Immersive and realistic virtual worlds can be integrated with traditional recording methods.

This paper traces the development of techniques of recording carvings on megalithic tombs and on open-air rock-art in Ireland from 1699 to the present day. Analysis shows that after the initial pioneering phase, recording methodologies tended to develop in accelerated bursts, interspersed with lulls in activity. In all, four phases of activity can be identified; in each there were a critical number of researchers who interacted with each other, driving forward advances in various forms of recording methods. Part 2 of the paper describes the application of new methods of digital recording, notably Structure from Motion photogrammetry. It shows how the resulting data have been used to create new ways of experiencing Irish prehistoric art in virtual environments, either as entire monuments in the landscape or within a “virtual museum”, using the open-source Blender 3D animation and game engine software.