CREAP > Themes > Methodologies...

      This theme constitutes a central part of the research undertaken by all participants of the Axis-2 of the TRACES laboratory as all methodological choices play a central role in the development of this line of research. These choices in many ways condition the quality of the information that we gather when studying Rock Art and objects with symbolic characteristics and hence influence our understanding of prehistoric societies. We share such considerations with many researchers from Spain (Universities of Oviedo, Santander, Cordoba, Valencia), Algeria and South Africa. Modern technologies relating to the observation and analysis of cave walls and objects (graphic information, macro and microscopic observations, technological studies through experimentation, reconstitution of techniques and know-how, pigment analysis without taking samples...) can be associated with new ways of using scientific information (3D recordings and creations, databases, form-based grammars linked to expert systems...).

      The combination of all these methods has brought about a new vision to add to the traditional approach. Within this new framework (and while building on past research), we are able to combine different points of view (necessarily from different branches of research) and hence place our research on a firmly objective basis.

      Over the past few years, we have worked on four main subjects:

• Methods relating to graphic data collection

• Experimentation: from gesture to analysis

• Restitution: using new technologies (3D, film...)

• Databases and statistical analysis of information