New unique images were discovered in Shulgan-Tash cave in Bashkiria

UFA, 7 June 2017. /Bashinform News Agency, Gulfiya Akulova/. New images previously unseen to the human eye were discovered in the Shulgan-Tash cave in Burzyan district of Bashkortostan. The research work was carried out by the staff of the Palaeo-Art Centre of the Archeology Institute of the Academy of Sciences (Moscow). The results were obtained by modeling based on photogrammetric survey of the entire rock surface of the cave.

"At the end of March, we carried out work on continuous photographing of the walls covering not only those areas where well-known drawings were located, but all the walls as a whole. To do this, we used photography and photogrammetric processing. Then textures of the photo images were taken from the 3D models and after digital processing new images previously invisible were discovered," said Alexander Pakhunov, junior researcher at the Academy of Sciences.

Also numerous red spots were observed on the walls, in addition to geometric images. Now experts carefully analyze the samples of spots, in order to understand whether these are natural traces or intentionally applied images. Preliminary colour analysis suggests that these are actual traces of paint, because natural formations look different, they have a different colour.

Also, archaeologists managed to collect together certain fragments of images that had not previously been integrated into complete drawings, to see how various drawings correlate. The research and restoration works will be continued, the composition of the paint, its formula, the order of distribution of drawings along the surface of the cave walls will be studied.

It should be noted that the Moscow archaeologists arrived in Ufa at the 3rd "Historical and Cultural Heritage Preservation: Theory and Practice" International Symposium, dedicated also to the urent issues of preservation, turning into museum and popularization of the ancient rock art of Shulgan-Tash Cave. The Forum will take place in the Murat-Tugai district of Burzyan district. The symposium will also be attended by foreign rock art experts. The international expedition on the removal of modern graffiti from the walls of the Shulgan-Tash cave will continue its work. It will be headed by the European restorer Anton Eudal. Also the French specialist Alain Dalis takes part in the forum, who will be engaged in the exact copying of the walls of Shulgan-Tash cave for the museum of the same name. The museum historical and cultural complex will be created at the cave itself to preserve its unique Paleolithic painting, to form a new scientific and tourist cluster of European level there.