Archaeology Articles

In this light-hearted article, the author with a few quick photos demonstrates 3d capture of an in-situ Camarasaurus bone in Yellowstone National Park. Note that modern PhotoModeler Scanner is capable of producing the result shown at the end.

Rock carvings are disappearing and there is an urgent need to document them. Traditionally these were documented with photography and 2D techniques, but a full 3d photogrammetric approach records more of the condition, and records the 3d shape of the rock surface and the varying depth of the carvings.

This article describes the work of archaeological artifact data recording using close range photogrammetry method. A calibrated stereo camera was used to take the stereo images of the artifacts. PhotoModeler Scanner software was used to produce a three-dimensional model of the artifact. For verification purposes, VIVID 910 laser scanner was used to generate three-dimensional model of the same artifact. The study found that close range photogrammetry method is easy to use, with fast data recording, fast data processing and it is a method which is cheaper than the laser scanning method.

The authors combine data from survey, UAS-based photogrammetry, and satellite to document a remote Buddhist fortress in Bhutan.

“To what extent can terrestrial photogrammetry be used for displays andor engineering purposes? What is the state-of-the-art of the technology? What were the difficulties encountered, and how were they circumvented? These are the questions we asked as we set out to determine how best to photograph and preserve the dinosaur tracks on Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison, Colorado…”

The main goal of our activity has been the testing of a system for quick and non invasive images acquisition and their suitable processings aimed to obtain 2D & 3D models for archaeological diggings documentation. This purpose has implied the analysis and the selection of a simple and efficient data processing system for the generation of metric products such as digital elevation models and orthophotos, featured by an high level of detail regarding the excavated areas.

The authors compare digitization results and procedures for one of the most famous stecci (gravestone) – The Stecak from Donja Zgosca. The object was first digitized using a Minolta 910 laser scanner, and then created the 3D model from photos using photogrammetry and improved in 3ds max. They present advantages and drawbacks of these two procedures and characteristics of the obtained models.

The study of archaeological artifacts requires a great care for the object. Current technologies allow the study of the object scanned in three dimensions. Hence, the digitization of objects has almost become compulsory for simplicity of study and analysis. Hence a low cost solution susceptible of being operated with reasonable effort could contribute to popularize 3D acquisition tools. In our study, we focus particularly on two solutions: David Laserscanner and PhotoModeler Scanner. Both systems come from two different techniques: laser scanning and photogrammetry.

Since a couple of years, several commercial solutions of dense stereo matching have been developed. This process offers a really cheap, flexible and accurate solution to get 3D point clouds and textured models. The calibration of the camera allows a subpixellar correlation for correctly textured objects. In order to define the limits of such a process for cultural heritage applications, the Photomodeler Scanner software has been tested on an archaeological site.

This paper presents the contribution of photogrammetry within the framework of the documentation of the Beaufort castle (South Lebanon), also called Qalaat el-Chaqif (12-17th century). The Lebanese government asked for a consulting firm (J. Yasmine, DGA consultant) to establish general tender documents for the restoration of the Beaufort castle. Many parts of the site were destroyed or buried because of the war. PhotoModeler was used to restitute both modern photography and photographs from archives.