3D modeling in rock art studies involves different techniques according to the size and morphology of the subject. It has mainly been used for reconstructing the volume of caves, morphology of walls and as a substitute to graphic and photographic recording of the prehistoric pictures. Little work has been done at macroscopic and microscopic scale, partly because lasergrammetry, which is the most common technique, is poorly adequate under the centimetric scale, while for patrimonial purposes recording at high resolution was of little interest. Thanks to the increasing performance of personal computers new modeling techniques are becoming available, based on photographic recording and no longer depending on costly and cumbersome equipments. We have tested in open air and underground sites in France, Portugal and Russia, the potential of photogrammetry and focus stacking for 3D recording of millimetric and submillimetric details of prehistoric petroglyphs and paintings, along with original simple optical solutions. 
From 2D to 3D at macro- and microscopic scale in rock art studies