South African Rock Art Digital Archive

The South African Rock Art Digital Archive is a collection of drawings, re-drawings, historical documents, and slides depicting rock art from South Africa. After digitizing their own collection, the Rock Art Research Institute (RARI) decided to use their experience and expertise to digitize important items from both private and institutional collections in the African continent. The project is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

1) Selection Decisions

The items digitized are chosen by RARI and are taken from a variety of institutions. No specific selection data is provided on the website, and the only qualifier used is that the items need to be "important" to the rock art field. RARI initially digitized it's own collection with the primary intent of preserving it's materials. It is implied that the organization chooses the items to be digitized based on preservation over access.

2) Metadata

Alongside each image is basic descriptive metadata, including image type, material, medium, and description. Structural metadata is also provided, and includes an image ID number, a collection code, as well as a corresponding DVD name. Images are also arranged by collection, subject, and author. The current location of the item and who owns the copy are listed beside the image.

3) Object Characteristics

Items are scanned using one of three different scanners, depending on the material format. The scanners have different resolution capabilities, and items are scanned at various dpi's. After the item is scanned, an archival copy is stored on DVD. The images available online are jpg files, and vary in resolution. Thumbnails of the images are displayed as search results, and a larger image is displayed along with the metadata. The image can be made larger still, but it is not possible to zoom in further than this.

4) Intended Audience

The collection is intended for researchers and historians who would use the physical collection of rock art at RARI and other institutions like it. The digital collection's mission is to provide increased access to researchers and the general public in order to facilitate further research.