3-dimensional scanning of engraved rock representations in the Altai

A large number of rock representations made in the engraving technique stand out among various petroglyphs of the Altai. In the valley of the Chagan River, they started to appear since the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age; they are also typical of the Early Middle Ages and the Modern period. Highly artistic engravings of the ancient Turks, which represent the realia of the time, are of particular value. In 2017, a structured-light scanner was used to document the ancient engravings. Traditional methods of copying, such as 3D-modeling methods, photogrammetry, and photo stacking are ineffective for obtaining the whole compositions of the engravings due to the small depth and width of lines. A visual comparison was made between the results of the three-dimensional scanning and high-resolution photographs of the representations of rock art executed in different techniques.