Formal and iconographic analysis and interpretation of the most damaged petroglyphs

Jacek Kościuk, Mariusz Ziółkowski, Marta Pakowska

doi:10.37190/arc200208

Abstract

This paper presents a study of some of the most deteriorated petroglyphs from the Samaipata Rock, and is the part of the larger research project “Architectural examination and complex documentation of Samaipata (Fuerte de Samaipata/Bolivia)”. The study involved the following three steps: 1) Searching for visualisation methods that would allow the original form of today’s indecipherable petroglyphs to be identified; 2) Identifying the original iconographic program of individual engravings; 3) Searching for possible stylistic and formal analogies in order to fit the iconographic program into the broader context of rock art in this part of South America. Due to the amount of material available and its multi-threaded nature, the study does not exhaust the topic, but only, based on some of the most characteristic examples, shows the methodological and methodical aspects of studying such petroglyphs.

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2020

2(62)

DOI: 10.37190/arc200208

Outline of the study

The state of preservation of the petroglyphs on the sa-

cred rock of Samaipata is very dierentiated: some are still

well visible, while others have hardly any traces remain-

ing. However, some of them are still identiable thanks

to modern documentation technologies, laser scanning,

structured light scanning, digital photogrammetry, and

advanced digital analysis of images and 3D models.

This reason that some petroglyphs are badly conserved

is the combined eect of at least three factors:

1. Dierential erosion of rock surface. Certain parts of

the rock are more exposed to environmental eects such as

insolation, wind erosion, moisture impact, and lichen ac-

tion. This results in a dierentiated degree of erosion of par-

ticular petroglyphs, depending on their location on the rock.

2. Anthropic factors. This category includes at least

two types of actions:

– The superposition of representations, especially in

the Inca period. This even means some previous repre sen-

tations were erased and replaced with others, according to

the ceremonial or religious requirements of the particular

time period.

Jacek Kościuk*, Mariusz Ziółkowski**, Marta Pakowska***

Formal and iconographic analysis and interpretation

of the most damaged petroglyphs

Formalna i ikonograficzna analiza

najbardziej zniszczonych petroglifów oraz ich interpretacja

– The activities of visitors “decorating” the original

engravings with contemporary inscriptions, drawings, etc.

Thanks to the establishment of the Archaeological Re-

search Centre in Samaipata and the imposed strict protec-

tion of the petroglyphs, such activities ended practically in

the eighties of the last century.

3. Relative chronology of particular petroglyphs: the

oldest ones, mainly due to environmental factors, show

a more advanced state of deterioration than the most re-

cent ones. Obviously, the process of dierentiated wear is

also related to the conditions listed in the rst (and sec-

ond) point, however, generally, we can tentatively accept

that the oldest phases of artistic activity on the rock corre-

spond to the most deteriorated petroglyphs.

We decided to dedicate a study to ve petroglyphs at dif-

ferent stages of deterioration. The study involved three steps:

– Searching for visualisation methods that would allow

the original form of today’s indecipherable petroglyphs to

be identied;

– Identifying the original iconographic program of in-

dividual engravings;

– Searching for possible stylistic and formal analogies

in order to t the iconographic program into the broader

context of rock art in this part of South America.

This is a preliminary study and is not intended to con-

stitute an exhaustive analysis of the possible aliates of

the petroglyphs. Aside from this, it should be stressed that

the aforementioned deterioration processes have erased

several details essential for any attempt at advanced com-

parative analysis on a stylistic and chronological level.

The basis of the analysis, or rather, of the critical com-

* ORCID: 0000-0003-0623-8071. Faculty of Architecture, Wro-

cław University of Science and Technology, e-mail: jacek.kosciuk@pwr.

edu.pl

** ORCID: 0000-0003-4137-0799. Centre of Andean Studies of

the University of Warsaw in Cusco (Peru).

*** ORCID: 0000-0003-0857-2700. Faculty of Architecture,

Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

60 Jacek Kościuk, Mariusz Ziółkowski, Marta Pakowska

mentary presented below, is mainly the works of the inter-

disciplinary team that included anthropologists, archaeol-

ogists, architects, specialists on rock art, and specialists on

remote sensing.

The authors of this paper did nothing more than com-

pare these two approaches, contextualised with some re-

cent publications on the general theme of rock art in the

Bolivian East.

Methods of documenting and visualising

petroglyphs at different stages of erosion

In most cases, it is dicult to separate documentation

methods from methods of visualising the results of docu-

mentation processes, as the same method can be applied

for both purposes. The methods used for these purposes in

this particular project were as follows:

– Short-range digital photogrammetry;

– Structured light 3D scanning;

– Hill shading algorithms;

– DTM and hypsometry;

– 3D printing;

– Virtual polynomial texture mapping (vPTM) and

virtual reectance transformation imaging (vRTI) as the

most reliable sources for interpretation attempts.

These are detailed in the following sections of this article.

Short-range digital photogrammetry

Photogrammetry is becoming an increasingly common

tool in cultural heritage documentation [1], [2]. It was

used in this project both for the documentation of the

entire Samaipata rock and detailed documentation of the

most important petroglyphs

However, with all its advantages (ease of data collec-

tion, simplicity of processing, accuracy, and resolution),

photogrammetry has some drawbacks. For this project,

a major disadvantage was its dependence on local eld

conditions. Images of some highly eroded petroglyphs

that were photographed in diused light (weather condi-

tions were not always optimal) do not suciently reect

all the nuances of the surface (Fig. 1A). In more favoura-

ble lighting conditions and with larger relative dierenc-

es in the depth of the relief, images are admittedly more

satisfactory, but due to unidirectional lighting, still, not all

details are clear (Fig. 1B). In this situation, texture-free

renderings from 3D models preferably illuminated from

the opposite direction were applied on orthoimages ob-

tained from photogrammetry. Adding two such images

denitely improved the readability (Figs. 1B, D).

Structured light 3D scanning

Despite the fact that virtually no structured light scan-

ners are particularly suitable for outdoor use, scanning the

most important petroglyphs produced very informative data.

The very detailed and accurate registration of the current

condition of the petroglyphs has in itself great documenta-

tion value. The obtained data also brought a lot of addition-

al information to the process of interpretation of individual

petroglyphs. Particularly useful was to turn o the texture

when rendering 3D mesh models (Figs. 2A–D). Even the

simplest rendering algorithms with unidirectional lighting

revealed many new details that were invisible in the eld.

Cf. B. Ćmielewski, I. Wilczyńska, C. Patrzałek, J. Kościuk, Digi-

tal close-range photogrammetry of El Fuerte de Samaipata, in this issue

of “Architectus”.

Fig. 1. Examples of orthoimages

from short-range digital photogrammetry:

A – RGB orthoimage of “Puma(?)” petroglyph from sector W05;

B – same RGB orthoimage with unidirectional hill

shading superimposed;

C – RGB orthoimage of “Jaguar(?)” petroglyph from sector W06;

D – same RGB orthoimage with unidirectional hill

shading superimposed (elaborated by J. Kościuk)

Fig. 2. Examples of structured light 3D scanning.

Views of 3D models without texture but

with unidirectional hill shading:

A – “Puma(?)” petroglyph from sector W09;

B – “Jaguar(?)” petroglyph from sector W06;

C – “Double Puma(?)” petroglyph from sector S14;

D – “Snake-catching Animal” and “Meandering Snake” petroglyphs

from sector W10

(elaborated by M. Pakowska)

Analysisandinterpretationofthemostdamagedpetroglyphs / Analizaiinterpretacjanajbardziejzniszczonychpetroglifów 61

Fig. 4. Hypsometric mapping

based on DTM:

A – “Triple Snakes” petroglyph

from sector N10

(unidirectional hill

shading applied);

B – same image

with contour lines added;

C – triangular niches

(Snake petroglyph?)

from sector S29

(unidirectional hill

shading applied);

D – same image

with contour lines added

(elaborated by J. Kościuk)

Fig. 3. Examples of the hill

shading algorithm applied to

photogrammetric projects:

A – unrecognised petroglyph(?)

from sector N10

(RGB orthoimage);

B – same fragment as 3D model

without texture but with hill

shading applied;

C – unrecognised petroglyph(?)

from sector N10

(RGB orthoimage);

D – same fragment as 3D model

without texture but with hill

shading applied

(elaborated by J. Kościuk)

Hill shading algorithms

A similar situation was observed when analysing pho-

togrammetric data. Textured 3D models were practically

just as indecipherable as the petroglyphs in the eld. The

colourful patches of lichens and moss, as well as the rock

itself at various stages of its erosion, distracted the eyes

and hindered the interpretation of shapes even in favoura-

ble lighting conditions (Figs. 3A, C).

Turning o colour information on the rendered 3D

model and using a hill shading algorithm denitely im-

proved the clarity of shapes (Figs. 3B, D).

This method of documentation and analysis was used

as the rst stage of research where the existence of blurred

petroglyph traces was suspected. It did not always give

conclusive results, but many doubts were eliminated in this

way. Where suspicions were conrmed, the more sophis-

ticated analysis techniques of vPTM and vRTI were used.

DTM and hypsometry

Another method of visualising photogrammetry results

was the use of hypsometry to colour DTM models. In ad-

dition, unidirectional hill shading (Figs. 4A, C) was ap-

62 Jacek Kościuk, Mariusz Ziółkowski, Marta Pakowska

plied to the DTM to emphasise the relief. All these func-

tions are the standard options of AgiSoft PhotoScan Pro

– the software used in this project.

Visualisation by colouring relative and absolute height

relations (hypsometry) did not bring breakthrough results,

but allowed better understanding of the spatial shape of

the analysed rock surface. Application of contour lines

(another option available in AgiSoft PhotoScan Pro) addi-

tionally made the images clearer (Figs. 4B, D).

3D printing

In recent years, 3D printing has found its way into

applications in cultural heritage research [3], [4]. In this

project, it was primarily used to check how truly physical

3D prints of virtual 3D models can imitate original petro-

glyphs.

As the Samaipata rock will continue to erode, one

should take into account that at some point, even the petro-

glyphs that are still decipherable today will disappear com-

pletely. Will only photographs, drawings, and descriptions

be left as the only testimony? When using digital photo-

grammetry and 3D scanning with structured light, we get

virtual copies of the petroglyphs, but they are only avail-

able to a small group of researchers with the appropriate

software and will be rather dicult for a wider audience to

see. So what is the chance that they can be made available

to a wider audience in the form of exact physical copies?

To check this possibility, four 3D prints of selected

petroglyphs were made in a reduced scale. Due to the lim-

itations of the maximum dimensions of the printout that

ts our printers, depending on the size of the petroglyph,

the scales 1:20 (Figs. 5B, D) or 1:25 (Fig. 5A) were used.

In our opinion, even prints in such a reduced scale well re-

ect the characteristic features of an individual engraving.

With the progress of 3D printing technology, printing at

scales closer to the originals and even on a 1:1 scale will

be possible. To check whether such 3D prints would ren-

der all the details visible, a small fragment of the scanned

surface, with characteristic ssures and numerous frag-

ments of rock material already separated from its base,

was selected for printing (Fig. 5C). On even a 1:10 print-

out, all these details became clearly visible. This proves

that 3D printing has great potential in mapping reality

and that 3D scanning documentation is accurate and has

a high resolution.

vPTMandvRTIasthemostreliablemethod

for interpretation attempts

vPTM and its variant vRTI turned out to be the meth-

ods that provided the most reliable data for the interpreta-

tion of blurred petroglyphs

In the case of relatively well-preserved carvings

(Fig. 6A), vPTM allowed additional details to be captured,

or for alternative hypotheses to be checked (Fig. 6B). Us-

ing images generated with vPTM technology, it was also

easier to interpret some details (Fig. 6C), such as the rep-

resentation of the face of a mythical creature placed above

the heads of two pumas (Fig. 6D). Even in the case of

the completely blurred petroglyph of “Crawling Snake”

(Fig. 6E), on whose location and shape we have only very

scant historical records [5], [6] we could at least indicate

its most likely location and outline (Fig. 6F). The vPTM

method also allowed the entire petroglyph to be recon-

structed (Fig. 6G) and its blurred parts to be virtually re-

stored. It also turned out to be more useful for distinguish-

ing concave and convex relief (Fig. 6H).

The benets from using the vPTM method in the

project were best demonstrated in the case of the petro-

glyph from sector W10. Small protrusions on the surface

of the rock suggested the existence of a gural relief in

this place. 3D structured light scanning had revealed that

there could be some unclear animal and at least one snake

there (Fig. 2D). It was only when twice scaling the virtual

3D model along the z-axis and using the vPTM method

(Fig. 6I) that it was possible to identify it as a representa-

tion of an animal that catches a snake’s head with its

snout. Another snake is grabbing the tail of the rst one

(Fig. 6J). Scaling along the z-axis a further three times

(Fig. 6K) revealed yet another snake (Fig. 6L) emerging

from a hole in the rectangular protrusion in the centre of

the whole scene

Cf. J. Kościuk, M. Telesińska, M. Nisztuk, M. Pakowska, Doc-

umentationofthemostimportantpetroglyphsbystructuredlightscan-

ningandanalysisofthemostdamagedpetroglyphsbyvPTMandvRTI

methods, in this issue of “Architectus”.

J. Kościuk, G. Orefici, M. Ziółkowski, A. Kubicka, R. Muñóz

Risolazo, Description and analysis of El Fuerte de Samaipata in the

lightofnewresearch,andaproposaloftherelativechronologyofits

main elements, in this issue of “Architectus”.

Fig. 5. Examples of scaled-down petroglyphs copied on a 3D printer:

A – “Snake-catching Animal” and “Meandering Snake” petroglyphs

from sector W10;

B – “Puma(?)” petroglyph from sector W05;

C – post-holes for quincha wall in sector N02;

D – “Puma(?)” petroglyph from sector W09

(3D models and 3D printing: M. Pakowska; photo by J. Kościuk)

Analysisandinterpretationofthemostdamagedpetroglyphs / Analizaiinterpretacjanajbardziejzniszczonychpetroglifów 63

For obvious reasons, the vPTM method failed when

there were no physical traces left of a petroglyph known

only from historical sources, so we were dependent only

on more or less reliable guesses. This was the case with

the relief depicting the rhea.

Formal and iconographic interpretation

of petroglyphs

The following description follows the order of the ex-

amples of petroglyphs in Figure 6. After this list is ex-

hausted, other rock carvings are discussed.

PetroglyphfromsectorS14–“DoublePuma(?)”

Engravings suggesting the existence of an image with

two eyes between which water ows (Fig. 6D) have anal-

ogies in the pre-Columbian art of South America.

The rst is a slightly geographically distant sculpture

from Lavapatas near San Augustin in Columbia (Fig. 7).

Although in this case, the water ows around the face

of the depicted character, the analogy of the interac-

tion between the engraved image and the water stream

is obvious [7]. The second analogy, much geographi-

cally closer and more similar to the case of Samaipata,

is the relief from Urco Calca near Calca Calca in the

Urubamba Valley in Peru (Fig. 8). Here, the stream of

water ows just through the centre of the image of the

mythical creature.

PetroglyphfromsectorW06–“CrawlingSnake”

Using vPTM and vRTI techniques (Fig. 6E), we were

able again to identify at most a vague outline of a snake

crawling towards the north-west (Fig. 6F).

However, according to some earlier investigators, this

petroglyph was interpreted as a representation of a coiled

snake – at least, that is how Leo Pucher depicts it on his

map of Samaipata rock from 1936 [8]. Given the availa-

ble evidence, we must reject Pucher’s interpretation. Ad-

ditionally, such representations are not known in the rock

art of the investigated region

although a representation of

a semi-coiled snake appears among the motifs carved in

the megalith of Santa Cecilia [9, p. 43, Fig. 10]. However,

the traces left on the Samaipata rock seem to correspond

to a crawling serpent. The signicant deterioration of the

image excludes any attempt to determine its stylistic and

cultural aliation, but the motif of the crawling snake is

also often present in Inca culture (Figs. 9, 10).

PetroglyphfromsectorN10–“TripleSnakes”

Very interesting is also the image of the three parallel

serpent-like incisions going in the same direction to give

the same movement in the descent of the liquid. However,

although the motif of the snake is profusely represented

G. Oreci, personal e-mail communication from August 2019.

Fig. 6. Examples of 3D virtual models of petroglyphs viewed in a multi-lighting vPTM environment:

A – Altar petroglyph from sector C05; B – interpretation of the same petroglyph;

C – “Double Puma(?)” petroglyph from sector S14; D – interpretation of the same petroglyph;

E – “Crawling Snake” petroglyph from sector W06; F – interpretation of the same petroglyph;

G – “Triple Snake” petroglyph from sector N10; H – interpretation of the same petroglyph;

I – “Snake-catching Animal” petroglyph from sector W10; J – interpretation of the same petroglyph;

K – “Snake-catching Animal” petroglyph from sector W10 after scaling 3-times alongside the z-axis;

L – interpretation of the same petroglyph

(elaborated by J. Kościuk)

64 Jacek Kościuk, Mariusz Ziółkowski, Marta Pakowska

in rock art (Figs. 9, 10), given the schematic character of

the representations, it would be risky to propose specic

chronological or cultural analogies.

PetroglyphfromsectorW10–“Snake-catchingAnimal”

This petroglyph has already been briey discussed

above. Considering the fact that the form of this snake-

catching animal seems to be dierent from all other rep-

resentations of four-legged animals present on the Samai-

pata Rock, which are all feline, an interpretation may go

in the direction of white-nosed coati (lat.: Nasua narica;

local names: pizote, antoon, tejón), the only similar ani-

mal from the area, known as a snake catcher [9]. In addi-

tion, if the gure of the main animal had ears, they do not

seem typical of feline ears, and the elongated shape of the

head is also dierent to felines. The only problem is that

there are no other known examples of a scene of a coati

grabbing a snake. Regardless, it is a scene related to the

cult of water.

Fig. 9. Snake relief from Qenco near Cusco (Peru)

(photo by J. Kościuk)

Fig. 10. Snake relief from Urco Calca near Calca Calca (Peru)

(photo by J. Kościuk)

Fig. 7. Detail of the relief from Lavapatas near San Agustin (Columbia)

(photo by M. Ziółkowski)

Fig. 8. Detail of the relief from Urco Calca near Calca Calca (Peru)

(photo by J. Kościuk)

Analysisandinterpretationofthemostdamagedpetroglyphs / Analizaiinterpretacjanajbardziejzniszczonychpetroglifów 65

PetroglyphfromsectorW10–“MeanderingSnake”

This type of representation is quite widespread in the

rock art of the Bolivian East [9], but the degree of erosion

of the image does not allow any more precise chronologi-

cal or cultural aliation to be made.

PetroglyphfromsectorW05–“Puma(?)”

Only very weather-beaten traces of this gural petro-

glyph are extant. Earlier research described it as a rep-

resentation of a puma or jaguar [5], [6], but today it is

dicult to establish the shape of the gure, not to mention

determine a particular species. Its reconstruction must be

treated with great caution since the surface is highly erod-

ed and additionally disturbed by projecting mosses and

lichens. Fragments of the rough rock surface, especially

around the north-western edge of the oval, that were de-

tected on the images obtained using the vPTM technique

may suggest that the gure has been intentionally recut

(and perhaps also erased) by the most recent occupants of

the site. This could explain the observation that the pro-

portions of the parts of the body of the animal, in par-

ticular the relatively small size of its tail in relation to the

rest of the body, are not typical of other representations of

felines still visible in the rock. Nevertheless, the identi-

cation of this image as a puma remains problematic.

PetroglyphfromsectorW09–“Rhea(Ñandú)”

The petroglyph representing the rhea has also probably

been intentionally hammered out. Our attempts to recon-

struct it using vPTM and vRTI ended only with a general

suggestion about the size and orientation of the gure

Cf. J. Kościuk, M. Telesińska, M. Nisztuk, M. Pakowska, Doc-

umentationofthemostimportantpetroglyphsbystructuredlightscan-

ningandanalysisofthemostdamagedpetroglyphsbyvPTMandvRTI

methods, in this issue of “Architectus”.

Cf. J. Kościuk, M. Telesińska, M. Nisztuk, M. Pakowska, Doc-

umentationofthemostimportantpetroglyphsbystructuredlightscan-

Although the presence of a representation of a rhea in

this part of the rock is conrmed by both d’Orbigny’s and

Pucher’s drawings and indirectly by Frank’s early testi-

mony [10], several doubts persist as to the exact shape

of the animal. D’Orbigny and Pucher draw a bird with its

neck and head raised, although their representations dier

in orientation by 180 degrees.

One of interpretations derived from vPTM studies pro-

posed a similarly oriented reconstruction (Fig. 11). How-

ever, it is completely dierent from any similar image in

Bolivian rock art. There are no known examples of rheas

represented with the neck down. The other reconstruction

(Fig. 12), which again is based only on technical observa-

tions, seems to be less doubtful. Additionally, the draw-

ings by d’Orbigny and Pucher, although both very sche-

matic, contradict each other. In any case, the rhea is a very

important animal in the mythology of dierent indigenous

peoples of the Bolivian East [9].

PetroglyphfromsectorC05–“Altar”

The most obvious aspect of this representation is that it

seems to correspond to the last phase of the sculpturing of

the Samaipata rock in the time of the Incas. It is possible

that this petroglyph erased some earlier carvings from the

pre-Inca period that surely had great symbolic importance

given the prominent character of this part of the rock.

Conclusions

The analysis of the eroded petroglyphs allows them

to be linked to fairly common representations in the rock

art of the Bolivian East. The supposed image of the coati

catching a snake is particularly interesting. However, the

degree of deterioration of the petroglyphs and the disap-

pearance of certain diagnostic details makes it dicult to

search for specic chronological and cultural aliations

ningandanalysisofthemostdamagedpetroglyphsbyvPTMandvRTI

methods, in this issue of “Architectus”.

Fig. 11. Rhea (Ñandú) petroglyph from sector W09.

First interpretation (elaborated by J. Kościuk)

Fig. 12. Rhea (Ñandú) petroglyph from sector W09.

Corrected interpretation (elaborated by J. Kościuk)

66 Jacek Kościuk, Mariusz Ziółkowski, Marta Pakowska

elagua,laculturaylaroca,asícomolasavessemejantes

aavestrucesoñandús–piyosenTierrasBajas–poseenuna

relaciónconlanoche,elalimentoylasestrellas [9, p. 32].

Samaipata is decidedly anomalous with respect to other

relief representations of mythical gures that are stylisti-

cally of selvatic origin. They are also the oldest in com-

parison to the altar and other geometric representations.

However, we have no elements of comparison with relief

gures known in Bolivian rock art in the areas of Coch-

abamba and Santa Cruz for which Samaipata provides

unique examples of rock art. We remain then with the

enigma of the origins and cultural aliations of the rst

phases of cultural activity of the sacred rock of Samaipata.

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Acknowledgements /Podziękowania

Thepresentedworkispartoftheresearchprojectsponsoredbythegrant

giventotheWrocławUniversityofScienceandTechnologybythePolish

NationalScienceCentre(grantNo.2014/15/B/HS2/01108).Additional-

ly,themunicipalityofSamaipata,representedbyMayorFalvioLópes

Escalera,contributedtothisresearchbyprovidingtheaccommodation

duringtheeldworkinJuneandJuly2016,aswellasinJuly2017.The

MinistryofCultureandTourismofBoliviakindlygrantedallnecessary

permits(UDAMNo.014/2016;UDAMNo.060/2017).Theresearchwas

conductedinclosecooperationwiththeCentreforPre-ColumbianStud-

iesoftheUniversityofWarsawinCusco,Peru.

Abstract

This paper presents a study of some of the most deteriorated petroglyphs from the Samaipata Rock, and is the part of the larger research pro-

ject “ Architectural examination and complex documentation of Samaipata (Fuerte de Samaipata/Bolivia)”. The study involved the following three

steps: 1) Searching for visualisation methods that would allow the original form of today’s indecipherable petroglyphs to be identied; 2) Identifying

the original iconographic program of individual engravings; 3) Searching for possible stylistic and formal analogies in order to t the iconographic

program into the broader context of rock art in this part of South America.

Due to the amount of material available and its multi-threaded nature, the study does not exhaust the topic, but only, based on some of the most

characteristic examples, shows the methodological and methodical aspects of studying such petroglyphs.

Key words: Samaipata, rock art, 3D laser scanning, structured light scanning, digital photogrammetry

Streszczenie

Artykuł przedstawia badania kilku z najbardziej zniszczonych petroglifów z El Fuerte de Samaipata i jest częścią większego projektu „Badania

architektoniczne i kompleksowa dokumentacja stanowiska Samaipata (Fuerte de Samaipata/Boliwia) z Listy Światowego Dziedzictwa”. Badanie

miało trzy fazy: 1) poszukiwanie metod wizualizacji, które pozwoliłyby zidentykować oryginalną formę dzisiejszych nieczytelnych petroglifów,

2) określenie oryginalnego programu ikonogracznego poszczególnych rytów, 3) poszukiwanie możliwych analogii stylistycznych i formalnych

w celu dopasowania programu ikonogracznego do szerszego kontekstu sztuki naskalnej w tej części Ameryki Południowej.

Ze względu na ilość dostępnego materiału i jego wielowątkowy charakter praca nie wyczerpuje tematu, ale jedynie – w oparciu o niektóre z naj-

bardziej charakterystycznych przykładów – pokazuje metodologiczne i metodyczne aspekty badania silnie zniszczonych i nieczytelnych petroglifów.

Słowa kluczowe: Samaipata, sztuka naskalna, laserowe skanowanie 3D, skanowanie światłem strukturalnym, fotogrametria cyfrowa

and analogies. Incidentally, authors who write about Sa-

maipata seem rather cautious in any complex comparative

iconographic analysis with other manifestations of rock

art of this area [9], [11], [12].

On the other hand, interpretations of the symbolic and

religious aspect of the representations underline the pres-

ence of important motifs and gures in the worldviews of

some contemporary indigenous peoples: Mediante la re-

cuperacióndemitosoralesdepueblos de Tierras Bajas

hemoslogradoacercarnosunpocoalaprobablesigni-

cacióndelosmotivosrepresentados.Quedaclaro,enbase

alasreferenciasaquípresentadas,quemotivoscomolas

serpientes se relacionan fuertemente con elementos como