Close-range digital 3D data acquisition from UAV of a medieval keep in Montecorvino (Italy). (Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA) international conference. March 19 - 23 2018, Tubingen, Germany). (original) (raw)
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INTEGRATIVE 3D RECORDING METHODS OF HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE: BURG HOHENECKEN FROM SOUTHWEST GERMANY
This research explores the methodology and application of photogrammetric and laser-scanning recording methods to a castle ruin, with the primary purpose of digitally preserving the castle. Both methods generated interactive 3D models via the combination of still images (photogrammetry) and precise laser measurements (laser-scanning), which were then combined into a single model. The case study is the medieval castle ruin Burg Hohenecken located in the city of Kaiserslautern in southwest Germany. The castle was active from 1212-1689, as one of over fifty castles within the region of the Pfalz. The inhabitants included the noble von Hoheneck family and various Prince Electors. Burg Hohenecken’s duty was to protect the imperial palace in Kaiserslautern as well as the surrounding area. In addition to the 3D model, seventy letters from 1212-1560 CE concerning the correspondences of the castle were translated in order to contextualize the digital model and the castle’s historical significance. The information extracted from the letters includes names and inheritances of the von Hoheneck family, physical locations in the surrounding environment, and construction details of the castle. These data describe a network of communication within a past landscape and provide evidence for pre-existing structures of the castle. This research contributes affirms that Burg Hohenecken was site of regional significance given the many high-ranking inhabitants over the course of over 450 years—a major shift in our understanding of the history of the area. Future work includes placing the 3D model in the Unity game engine allowing the castle to be virtually controlled and examined. The digital model provides an excellent opportunity to determine the function of the castle throughout the past and to potentially create virtual reconstructions of the castle from the different periods of its construction. These methods may even lead to the discovery of hidden structures. The combination of approaches from both the sciences (photogrammetry and laser-scanning) and the humanities (textual analysis) allows for a more holistic representation and preservation of this excellent example of medieval architectural cultural heritage.
3D modelling in archaeology: the case-study of St Martino’s Church, Lomaso, Trento, Italy, 2009
"Modern 3D modeling techniques (e.g. laser scanning and photogrammetry) allow the creation of accurate, realistic and measurable digital 3D model of cities, buildings, terrains, artifacts and archaeological sites. Although these systems are broadly used within the wide sector of the Cultural Heritage for mapping, monitoring, visualization and documenting cultural and historical assets, the aforementioned techniques are sporadically used in archaeology due to several factors. In this context the SMALL 3D project was launched by the Soprintendenza Beni Librari e Archeologici of the Autonomous Province of Trento and The Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK) of Trento. The goal of the project was the creation of a digital model of the medieval church of San Martino (Lomaso, Trento) and the studying of modern surveying techniques in the archaeological field. In this article I present the processing of the laser scanner data (range data alignment, editing, mesh generation, geometric simplification and texture mapping), the visualization of the achieved 3D model into the Lidar DEM and the successive archaeological analysis of the investigated site."
3D Reconstruction in Archaeological Analysis of Medieval Settlements
P. Verhagen (ed.) Archaeology in the Digital Era: Papers from the 40th Annual Conference of Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA)., 2014
The road inland from Massa Marittima (Italy) takes you to a small town, Montieri. In the Middle Ages, thanks to its metal-bearing deposits, this area was the focus for a complex history, and the town still boasts a range of impressive architectural features, remains of its important past. Using the results of archaeological surveys and historical sources, a complete three-dimensional reconstruction of the architecture of this town was carried out, focusing attention on the most important buildings. The 3D reconstruction helped researchers to make hypotheses regarding the original architecture and layout, and will also help tourists to visualize the ancient site, and understand it better. This paper discusses the project’s methodology, tools, and aims. Special attention is given to the various stages of the work that is under way, and on the types of data used to obtain the 3D reconstructions.
Archaeology is benefiting from fresh technological developments that are introducing new recording systems based mainly on 3D modelling. Innovative digital recordings are improving key aspects of archaeological practice, including accuracy and efficiency. This is the case of a novel procedure that uses Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for data acquisition and software such as Structure from Motion (SfM) to produce volumetric models from photographs. These photorealistic 3D models can be processed further using Building Information Modelling (BIM) to create plans, sections, digital elevation models, orthophotographs and other types of images useful for analysis and publication. The study of the architectural features of the megalithic necropolis of Panoría (Granada, Spain) has benefited from these innovative technologies.
(2014) 3D documentation of a megalithic building in Sardinia
2014
The research presented in these pages is about reality-based 3D modeling for documentation, analysis and sharing knowledge of a prehistoric site called Nuraghe Oes. A “nuraghe” is a megalithic monument built only in Sardinia during the Bronze Age; Nuraghe Oes is a complex type of nuraghe, well preserved, composed of a three-tower basement, similar to a bastion, connected with a main tower. The first season of stratigraphic investigation revealed the need for a high-quality documentation to preserve and to better understand the archaeological site: we planned a complete 3D survey to create a high resolution 3D model using terrestrial laser scanning and close-range photogrammetry. The use of multiple techniques was an essential requirement to produce a complete 3D model of the monument. Data processing was a timeconsuming operation performed using different kinds of software. From the points of view of documentation and archaeological analysis, we produced CAD technical drawings to illustrate elevations, sections and plans, and to generate a measurable 3D PDF with the geometry of the monument. These products have been used for conservation purposes by the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Sassari and Nuoro, the local agency of the Italian Ministry of Culture, and to carry out archaeological analysis and interpretation. Furthermore, exploiting the objectivity of the 3D recording, we proposed a standard scheme for the analysis of different features of this type of monument in order to improve the typological comparison of nuraghi. Lastly, we rendered and edited a video to share the results of the archaeological research about the Nuraghe Oes: the short movie leads people into the monument through a virtual tour, showing aspects and peculiarities of the megalithic building.
The research project VisualVersilia 3D aims at offering a new way to promote the territory and its heritage by matching the traditional reading of the document and the potential use of modern communication technologies for the cultural tourism. Recently, the research on the use of new technologies applied to cultural heritage have turned their attention mainly to technologies to reconstruct and narrate the complexity of the territory and its heritage, including 3D scanning, 3D printing and augmented reality. Some museums and archaeological sites already exploit the potential of digital tools to preserve and spread their heritage but interactive services involving tourists in an immersive and more modern experience are still rare. The innovation of the project consists in the development of a methodology for documenting current and past historical ages and integrating their 3D visualizations with rendering capable of returning an immersive virtual reality for a successful enhancement of the heritage. The project implements the methodology in the archaeological complex of Massaciuccoli, one of the best preserved roman site of the Versilia Area (Tuscany, Italy). The activities of the project briefly consist in developing: 1. the virtual tour of the site in its current configuration on the basis of spherical images then enhanced by texts, graphics and audio guides in order to enable both an immersive and remote tourist experience; 2. 3D reconstruction of the evidences and buildings in their current condition for documentation and conservation purposes on the basis of a complete metric survey carried out through laser scanning; 3. 3D virtual reconstructions through the main historical periods on the basis of historical investigation and the analysis of data acquired.
2010
In the APSAT project (Ambiente e Paesaggi dei Siti d’Altura Trentini), an experimental research have started regarding the 3D modeling and documentation of a small old town in the north of Italy (Canale di Tenno, Trento, Italy) which still conserves medieval asset and architectonical elements (narrow alleys, arcades and thick distribution of structures). The surveyed area, approximately 170 x 150 m, contains about 50 buildings and it was digitally reconstructed with a photogrammetric approach. The main goals of the project are to document the architectural structures for visualization, conservation and preservation purposes and, at the same time, to verify if the 3D models could help the researchers in charge of studying the architectonical and stratigraphy elements of the buildings. Furthermore the project aims to verify whether non-expert operator could be able to obtain detailed and realist 3D models of a large and complex architectonical contest with the inexpensive (but still complicated) photogrammetric method.