CONSIDERATIONS ON THE USE OF DIGITAL TOOLS FOR DOCUMENTING ANCIENT WALL GRAFFITI

Abstract

Ancient graffiti are a valuable and constant historical evidence through the human history, regardless from the geographic area or historical period. They can be found on different kinds of surfaces and in different contexts, such as religious building or civic structures, in public or private environments. Their study and comprehension need to be grounded on good and complete documentation techniques. The application of accurate recording methods is even more important for ancient graffiti, for a series of reasons. First of all, their perception is often less immediate than other historical or artistic evidence, and directly depends on external aspects, such as the lighting conditions, and personal skills. Moreover, their interpretation is often challenging also for expert scholars, so as to require both the most objective reproduction possible and the personal interpretation of the scholar. As a case study, several late medieval graffiti scratched on frescos have been documented with digital methods. Results will be presented and discussed. This paper will mainly focus on graffiti scratched on frescos or plaster, and not on petroglyphs, i.e. marks and drawings on rock surfaces.