Rock Art Research Institute, South Africa

Contex HD Wide-Format Scanner Helps the Rock Art Research Institute Preserve the Cultural Heritage of a Nation.

Summary

The Rock Art Research Institute in Johannesburg, South Africa uses the Contex 54” HD scanner to support researchers in their work to digitize and protect priceless and irreplaceable rock art collections for future generations. With outstanding image quality and flexibility, the Contex HD wide-format scanner gives researchers a fast and reliable way to digitize fragile historical documents of varying lengths and media – quickly and carefully - without damaging the originals.

240,000 digital images

The laboratory is part of the South African Rock Art Research Institute, the custodian of the world’s largest rock art digital archive. They are using a Contex HD 54” large-format scanner as part of an extended project to digitize the existing rock art collections from more than 30 institutions and individuals throughout Africa, providing access to more than 240,000 digital images.

As the quality of many of these documents deteriorates over time, The Rock Art Research Institute, with funding from the Ringing Rocks Foundation, started the digitization of its own
collections. The project expanded to include other institutions throughout South Africa.

Fragile documents up to 6 meter long

There are many challenges when scanning long, fragile documents – some up to 6 meters long. It is a painstaking process sometimes requiring several people. Not only do you have to ensure the integrity of the original object, but, according to Mr. Da Fonseca, the director of the Ringing Rocks Digital Laboratory in Johannesburg, the idea is to get the best image as possible on the first scan so as to limit the physical handling of the original object.

Scanned map dating from 1890

The work at the Ringing Rock Digital Laboratory is wellknown and the capabilities of the Contex HD scanner have become popular. Recently, Mr. Da Fonseca was approached to scan one of the oldest plans of Johannesburg and its suburbs, which dates back to 1890. The map was so old, yellow and brittle that many thought it was impossible to scan it without damaging it. He was advised not to scan it, but “we were able to do it without difficulty - the result was great and the owner was most appreciative and amazed by the results".

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The challenge
To scan rock art materials of unlimited length and of different media types and thicknesses – without compromising image quality and worrying whether or not the scanner would ruin the original

The solution
A Contex HD 54” large format scanner, in constant use from early morning to late at night.

The benefits
Produces high quality scans of sensitive historical documents made of diverse media, length and thicknesses.

The results
With outstanding image quality and flexibility, the Contex HD 54" wide-format scanner gives researchers a fast and reliable way to digitize fragile historical documents of varying lengths and media – quickly and carefully – without damaging the originals.