J.CAC VOLUME 22 (1997)
Design of a Rock Art Protective Structure at Petroglyphs Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada
The design of a protective structure for a petroglyph site in Petroglyphs Provincial Park north of Stony Lake, Ontario, Canada is described. The site, which is called Kinomagewapkong (“The Rocks that Teach”) by the Ojibwa Anishinabe Nation, consists of several hundred glyphs pecked into a sloping marble outcrop. The site was damaged by frost and algal weathering and was vulnerable to vandalism. A structure was built over the site to control visitor access and to protect it from rain and snow in order to mitigate biodeterioration and physical weathering. Earlier studies of the site, following its rediscovery in 1954, are reviewed. The site was recorded using raking light photography, conventional photography and stereophotogrammetry. The preservation, interpretive, operational and design criteria for the structure are described. The decision to build the protective structure was made by the Ministry of Natural Resources (Province of Ontario) and representatives of the Native community from Curve Lake First Nation in consultation with the authors. The protective structure was opened in May 1985; the site has been stabilized and further natural weathering has been prevented. The structure provides for controlled visitor access to the site, including access for the disabled, visitor circulation around the site, unobstructed viewing of the petroglyphs, and evening viewing of the petroglyphs with raking light illumination.
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