Digital technologies in context: Prehistoric engravings in the Northern Cape, South Africa

This project in the Northern Cape of South Africa focuses on engravings, a relatively understudied genre of prehistoric imagery in the region. Combined with an earlier pilot study of paintings, I attempt to identify a digital technique that would allow us to record and analyze prehistoric images. The central criterion in this selection is that the technique be low cost and be suitable for specific postcolonial contexts. Moreover, it should be sustainable into the future, without requiring extensive staff training in museums where the archive would be available to local communities. These prerequisites are a methodological as well as a theoretical challenge to the project in South Africa, and will likely resonate with archaeologists who work in similar contexts. In describing the project design, I discuss some of the challenges of work in remote areas. Multiple images are shown to illustrate the challenges and solutions.