Rock art documentation in the shadow of Fukushima nuclear power plant

 

The interior of the 7th-century Kiyotosakuoketsu tomb, located 3 kilometres near the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, East Japan, was documented and mapped in 3D. The tomb contains unique wall paintings dated to the Asuka period (538-710 AD).

Rock art near Fukushima (by Tatsuo Kanai)

The tomb is in the closed zone with high radiation levels due to the 2011 nuclear disaster, and the mapping was done in preparation for future unforeseeable circumstances. The rock art consists of a spiral pattern, animals including some people on horses and other objects painted in red on a wall inside the tomb. The spacial data was collected to document the tomb’s exact shape and the artwork within, as the site is considered a valuable cultural asset.

Documentation of the paintings (by Tatsuo Kanai)

(after Asahi Shimbun & Tatsuo Kanai)

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