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Journal of Sistan and Baluchistan Studies

Journal of Sistan and Baluchistan Studies

BEYOND VISIBILITY: DSTRETCH-BASED DIGITAL ANALYSIS OF ROCK ART AT SEPANTASH, UZBEKISTAN

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors
1 Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University named after Mirzo Ulugbek.
2 "Silk Road" International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage.
3 Tashkent State University of Economics
4 Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages
10.22034/jsbs.2026.579980.1145
Abstract
Over the past few decades, archaeological research in Uzbekistan has led to the identification of more than 200 rock art sites. However, the studies conducted so far have been mainly limited to site identification, iconographic analysis, and relative dating, with little emphasis on in-depth analytical approaches and the application of modern scientific methods. In this context, the use of advanced technologies in digital documentation, image processing, and absolute dating plays a critical role in advancing the quality of rock art research. These approaches not only allow for higher-resolution recording of the motifs, but also help reveal details that are not visible due to erosion. This is particularly important given that rock art heritage is facing significant destruction and fading due to natural weathering and anthropogenic impacts and requires urgent conservation measures. Accordingly, the present article aims to document, interpret, and analyze rock art discovered at the Sepantash site near the village of Koruksoy in the Kashkadrya region. In this research, modern tools such as DStretch have been used to enhance and reveal faded motifs. The results show that the use of this technology allows for more precise identification of visual features and provides more reliable data for subsequent analysis. Both pictographs and petroglyphs have been identified at the site. The pictographs were drawn using red and black pigments. Digital analysis also showed that a significant part of the visual data can only be identified through image processing, and the overlapping motifs and color differences confirm the existence of several temporal stages in the formation of these works. This research emphasizes the importance of using modern technologies in the documentation and analysis of rock art and highlights Sepantash as a significant case study for reconsidering symbolic systems in Central Asian rock art traditions.
Keywords

فراتر از رؤیت‌پذیری: تحلیل دیجیتال هنر صخره‌ای سپنتاش، ازبکستان، با استفاده از فناوری DStretch

چکیده
پژوهش‌های باستان‌شناختی انجام‌شده در ازبکستان طی چند دهه گذشته به شناسایی بیش از
۲۰۰ محوطه هنر صخره‌ای منجر شده است. با این حال، مطالعات صورت‌گرفته تاکنون عمدتاً به شناسایی محوطه‌ها، تحلیل شمایل‌نگارانه و گاهنگاری نسبی محدود بوده و کمتر به رویکردهای تحلیلی عمیق و کاربرد روش‌های نوین علمی توجه شده است. در این میان، بهره‌گیری از فناوری‌های پیشرفته در مستندسازی دیجیتال، پردازش تصاویر و تاریخ‌گذاری مطلق نقش بسزایی در ارتقای کیفیت پژوهش‌های هنر صخره‌ای دارد. این رویکردها نه تنها امکان ثبت دقیق‌تر و با وضوح بالاتر نقوش را فراهم می‌کنند، بلکه به آشکارسازی جزئیاتی کمک می‌کنند که در اثر فرسایش و عوامل محیطی از دید مستقیم پنهان مانده‌اند. اهمیت این موضوع از آن‌رو دوچندان است که میراث هنر صخره‌ای در معرض تخریب و محوشدگی ناشی از هوازدگی طبیعی و مداخلات انسانی قرار دارد و نیازمند اقدامات فوری حفاظتی است. بر همین اساس، مقاله حاضر با هدف مستندسازی، تفسیر و تحلیل نقوش صخره‌ای کشف‌شده در محوطه سپنتاش، واقع در نزدیکی روستای قوروق‌سوی در منطقه قشقه‌دریا، تدوین شده است. در این پژوهش از ابزارهای نوین، از جمله نرم‌افزار DStretch، برای تقویت و آشکارسازی نقوش کم‌رنگ و محوشده استفاده شده است. نتایج نشان می‌دهد که بهره‌گیری از این فناوری امکان شناسایی دقیق‌تر ویژگی‌های بصری را فراهم کرده و داده‌های قابل اعتماد‌تری را برای تحلیل‌های بعدی در اختیار پژوهشگران قرار می‌دهد. در این محوطه، هم نقاشی‌های صخره‌ای و هم سنگ‌نگاره‌ها شناسایی شده‌اند. نقاشی‌های صخره‌ای با استفاده از رنگ‌دانه‌های قرمز و سیاه اجرا شده‌اند. تحلیل دیجیتال همچنین نشان داد که بخش قابل توجهی از داده‌های بصری تنها از طریق پردازش تصاویر قابل شناسایی است و هم‌پوشانی نقوش و تفاوت‌های رنگی، وجود چندین مرحله زمانی در شکل‌گیری این آثار را تأیید می‌کند. این پژوهش بر اهمیت به‌کارگیری فناوری‌های نوین در مستندسازی و تحلیل هنر صخره‌ای تأکید دارد و محوطه سپنتاش را به‌عنوان مطالعه موردی مهمی برای بازاندیشی در نظام‌های نمادین سنت‌های هنر صخره‌ای آسیای مرکزی معرفی می‌کند.

کلیدواژه: آسیای مرکزی، هنر صخره‌ای، نقاشی‌های صخره‌ای و سنگ‌نگاره‌ها، بهبود دیجیتال تصاویر، DStretch.

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Volume 6, Issue 2
Special Issue on Rock Art Studies in Iran, Central Asia, and South Asia
December 2026
Pages 1-13

  • Receive Date 29 January 2026
  • Revise Date 11 June 2026
  • Accept Date 17 June 2026
  • Publish Date 20 December 2026