40,000 year old aboriginal rock paintings preserved in Australia
Restoration as if by magic – cleanLASER preserves historical paintings for eternity
Jürgen Steiner, stone restorer from Klagenfurt, has known Willie Brim, the leader of the Bulwai tribe, since 2008. Since then, the two have been searching intensively for a method to gently and sustainably remove weathering, algae and soot from the sensitive stone. The thickness of the layers of sandstone, river sediments and charcoal must not be changed.
Now they are sure that with the help of laser technology from Herzogenrath they will be able to preserve the rock and cave paintings in northeast Australia as a unique cultural heritage for future generations. “Rock Art” tells the story of the Bulwai ancestors, often about birth and death, hunting or contact with the first white settlers.
