Rock Art Research

As a core heritage carrying the memory of early human civilisation, rock art faces multiple challenges, including scattered sites, vulnerability to damage and limitations in interpretation. Against the backdrop of the vigorous development of digital humanities technology, constructing a systematic rock art heritage archive database has become a key path to address these dilemmas. By sorting out international practices in rock art digitalisation and mature cases of cultural heritage digitalisation in China, combined with the distribution characteristics and research status of China’s rock art resources, this study proposes a fourstage systematic framework: data collection, database construction, function expansion and public application. Based on the IFRAO Rock Art Glossary, the framework integrates rock art ontology information, associated background and multimedia resources, builds a four-tier platform covering resource foundation construction, management, opening and application, and is supported by multiple functions such as multilingual consultation, virtual exhibition halls, immersive experiences, and cultural and creative co-creation. The research clarifies that database construction must address core challenges, including data integration heterogeneity, lack of unified standards, and insufficient cross-entity collaboration. Through technical adaptation,  professional collaboration, and full-life-cycle quality control, it realises the permanent preservation, academic research innovation and global dissemination of rock art heritage, injecting lasting vitality into the digital transformation of cultural heritage and the development of the creative industry.