Resolution and Quality Issues in 3D Analysis of Inscribed Signs: An Example from Cypro-Minoan Inscriptions

A recurrent demand in many archaeological digital documentation systems is the need for an accurate as possible registration of data. Somehow, contrary to this request, are efforts led by various computer science groups dealing with 3D documentation and focusing on developing fast and cheap solutions to record 3D models of archaeological assets. The aim of the article is to highlight the importance of aligning the 3D documentation strategy to the archaeological aims, by detailing all factors to be considered when deciding on one documentation strategy over another. The archaeological question discussed here, part of the PhD thesis of one of the co-authors (MP), relates to the Cypro-Minoan signatory and its diachronic variability. The 3D geometric characterization of signs and subsequent shape analysis is the method chosen to reach this goal. A major effort to be invested in correctly determining the shape and variability of each sign, is in assuring that the 3D captured shape is as close as possible to the archaeological reality, which is a common problem not only in palaeographical analysis but also in other fields, where features of interest are in the sub-millimetre range. The paper will illustrate how different data acquisition approaches and post-processing steps such as alignment methods and error treatment may distort the visualised result and thus have a negative impact on planned analysis. Thus, it will argue for the importance of more detailed paradata to allow an informed assessment of the reliability of 3D models and it proposes a list of values and decision-making steps that help make the 3D digitization process more robust and verifiable.

Crowning, rotating, and emanating hierophanies with elevatio aspect in wayside shrines

My aim in this paper is to investigate the variants of directionality implied in visual hieratic texts as religious markers in the sacrosphere, which are substantially expressed in the form of a wayside shrine/cross. The methodological underpinnings for this project rely on the proposed semiotactics (cf. Haładewicz-Grzelak, Małgorzata. 2012. Dynamic modeling of visual texts: A relational model. Semiotica 190(1/4). 211–251): the investigative perspective modeled after phonotactics – a branch of phonology investigating the restrictions on and the possibilities of phoneme combinations in languages (cf. Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, Katarzyna & Daria Zielińska. 2011. Universal phonotactic and morphonotactic preferences in second language acquisition. In Katarzyna Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, Magdalena Wrembel & Małgorzata Kul (eds.), Achievements and perspectives in SLA of speech: New sounds 2010, 53–64. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang). The study draws on digital documentation of wayside shrines, crosses, and sacrality markers on houses collected by the author in various European countries (2009–2021), focusing in particular on the material collected in the area of present Slovakia, Ukraine, Austria, Slovenia, and the region of the Beskid Mountains in Poland. It shows how bodily hexis is inscribed into the phenomenology of a wayside shrine through particular types of hierophanic dynamics. The study also focuses on the aspect of headedness and markedness in the nano-structure of a sign, surfacing as directionality in the conceptualization of the religious sphere by particular communities.

A Study on Digital Documentation of Precise Monitoring for Microscale Displacements within the Tomb of King Muryeong and the Royal Tombs in Gongju, Korea

The tomb complex of the royal family from the period of the Ungjin Baekje Kingdom (475 to 538 AD) in Gongju, Korea, contains the tomb of King Muryeong and other royal tombs. After the excavation of the tomb of King Muryeong in 1971, these tombs were opened up to the public, without the establishment of systems for their safety, conservation and management. The tombs have consequently experienced rapid environmental changes and suffered various damages. In this study, specific vulnerable parts inside the tombs were selected for deviation analysis using 3D scanning, and 3D image models were constructed on this basis. Progressive displacement was identified in tomb No. 5, and basic data for future investigations was acquired from tomb No. 6 and the tomb of King Muryeong. In the deviation analysis for the southern plastered wall of tomb No. 5, the damage was not found to exceed the ranges of ±18 mm and ±2 mm. However, the lintel stone was found to be sagging by 0.32 mm on average, and the distance between the walls to have increased by 0.36 mm on average. Direct water seepage occurring in tomb No. 5 is considered to be increasing the damage within the tomb, such as the dropping and sagging of the lintel. The 3D image models constructed in this study will play an important role as baseline data for future research, and can be used to discuss a secure conservation scheme for the tombs through cross-validation with precise measurement monitoring.

3D MODELING AND VISUALIZATION OF ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE

The study presents the results of architectural and vegetation survey missions in the UNESCO site of Quinta da Regaleira in the city of Sintra, Portugal. The different types of connecting elements of the epigean and hypogean architectures in the Park are analysed through the disciplinary tools of architectural design. Surveys and models of some of the connecting elements are proposed for an understanding of the site and its subsequent protection and valorisation through digital documentation. Of great interest is the architectural and social relationship that the site establishes with the city of Sintra.The survey of epigean architecture considered the following: the Casa da Renasceça, the Capela, the Cocheiras, the Estufa, the Oficina das Artes, the Loggia dos Pisoes, the Casa dos Ibis, the Torre da Regaleira the Terraço dos Mundos Celestes and the Fonte da Abundância.The survey of underground architecture considered the following architectures: the Gruta do Labirinto, the Gruta da Leda, the Lago da Cascata, the Gruta do Aquario, the Gruta do Oriente, the Portal dos Guardiães, the Poço Imperfeito and the Poço Iniziático.The work constitutes a complete and accurate analysis, represented through technical drawings, in different scales, digital point clouds and 3D modelling for the visualisation of the architecture in the Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra.

Outstanding Discoveries of Mongolian Historians and Archaeologists: Excavations of the Sar’dag Monastery

Mongolia is rich in a unique cultural heritage presented by a variety of discovered artifacts that continue to amaze now. Among them, it is quite deservedly possible to include the findings discovered by a complex group of researchers on the ruins of the Sar’dag monastery, which was one of the earliest and largest Mongolian monastic complexes, the de factor center of the religious and political life of the Mongols. The review provides an overview of the works included in the collective monograph “The Sar’dag monastery of Undur-gegen Zanabazar: the Centre of artistic creativity”, published under the editorship of Sampildondovyn Chuluun, the Academician of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences. This work is the result of six years of archaeological excavations conducted by a large scientific team in 2013–2018. The results obtained made it possible to restore the structure of the monastery complex, opened new, previously unknown pages of the activity of Undur-gegen Zanabazar. The artifacts found indicate the existence of wide external relations of the Mongols of that period with foreign countries. Articles on the preservation, restoration and digital documentation of found artifacts are of great scientific interest and relevance. In general, the results of the conducted works provide a new rich source material for a more in-depth study of the history of Mongolia of the period under consideration.

VISUAL EXPERIENTIAL IN DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION FOR RURAL TOURISM PROMOTION OF BA’KELALAN, SARAWAK

This paper aims to share some research information based on the visual experiences during the field trip to Ba’Kelalan, Sarawak. Ba’Kelalan is a traditional village of the Lun Bawang community and is well-known as an eco-tourism area in Sarawak. All the experiences were documented using the digital documentation tools and have been recorded with reference to the formalistic artistic methods; in ensuring the visual effects have the best quality and high artistic value. The results will be discussed based on the implemented process and the impact of digital document preparation through experiential learning theory. Next, this article will provide new ideas and visual insights that can help data enhancement, especially in the promotion of the rural tourism sector.

Digital Documentation of Museum Collections for Sustainable Development

Digitalization enhances the impact of museum collections, and it is a global trend for sustainable development. Documentation of museum collections is an essential part of museum development because there is no meaningful museum setting without proper documentation. It is through documentation that museum collections would be understood and appreciated by the audience. Initially, documentation of museum collections can be done through manual procedures. Today, with the advent of digital technology, museums are taking another dimension, paradigm shift from analogue to digital. Different cultural organizations have called upon digital documentation of museum collections to sustain the vital information, accessibility and preservation of collections. People can easily access museums online, secure objects, and go in line with sustainable development. The most crucial part of digital documentation is to manage, administer, record keeping and maintenance. Digital museums are drivers of research, education, creativity, employment, entertainment, economic growth and development. Many museums institutions in Africa and other parts of the world are not digitalized. The paper's objectives are to explore digital documentation, its significance, and what digital tools can be used to digitalize museums. The article adopted content analysis, using a secondary source of data. The sources include textbooks, articles in journals, newspapers, pamphlets etc. All these volumes form the data. The paper finds that digital documentation is important in every human endeavour to ascertain sustainable development, easy connectivity with other social development sectors, and protection against illicit trafficking and other crime against museum objects. The paper recommends that museums in Africa should key into digitalization and employ experts to facilitate museum activities professionally.

PHOTOGRAMMETRY, HBIM, AND DAMAGE ANALYSIS OF COSMIC RAYS PAVILION FOR RAISING AWARENESS TO ITS CULTURAL HERITAGE

This paper presents a comparative approach between a digital documentation workflow using contemporary tools versus a traditional documentation technique for Felix Candela's hyperbolic paraboloid (hypar) modern heritage building: Cosmic Rays Pavilion. This documentation was undertaken to better understand the building’s structure, its evolution, and to assess the performance of this concrete structure for future seismic and damage analysis. Furthermore, the paper discusses the challenges related to producing a Heritage Building Information Model (HBIM) of this building using point cloud data in Autodesk’s Revit BIM-authoring software. This project states the importance of a parallel study between the traditional and the contemporary documentation methods; which led to discoveries about the current state of the extrados in the hypar after several earthquakes. Upon analyzing the HBIM and comparing it to the historical drawings, a gap was discovered between the moisture barrier membrane and the concrete shell. Visualizing the building in 3D provides a deeper and more accurate understanding of the current state of this pavilion and is one of many advantages of using digital technologies. The insights provided by digital documentation techniques and analyzing the historical images of the pavilion showed that the curvature of the pavilion has been modified over time. The results imply two hypotheses. First, the curvature profile has been altered due to earthquakes. Second, the modification is due to improper maintenance of the pavilion, namely, multiple additions of the membrane layers. This could not have been detected by solely relying on traditional documentation techniques.