Tropes

www.dailymail.co.uk_sciencetech 2015 01773.txt.txt

#Artefacts destroyed by ISIS restored in 3d models by'cyber archaeology'Picturesque towers and artefacts covered in engravings are among the ancient treasures that have recently been destroyed by ISIS militants, and earthquakes. Now experts and volunteers are recreating history to digitally rebuild lost artefacts using photos taken in museums and historical sites. yber archaeologistsare busy making digital 3d models of items thought to have been destroyed, to preserve engravings and important details for posterity. Phd students Chance Coughenour and Matthew Vincent, from the Initial Training Network for Digital Cultural heritage (ITN-DCH) came up with the idea of reconstructing objects digitally from crowd sourced images days after ISIS militants reportedly smashed artworks in the Mosul Museum in Iraq. They use photogrammetry a technique that uses software to transform 2d photos into 3d images as well as photos from the public, the BBC reported. The focus of their research is Project Mosul, which is an attempt to salvage the items destroyed by ISIS in cyberspace. The website invites people to submit photographs they have taken, which are sorted then and rebuilt in 3d by volunteers and experts alike. So far more than 700 photos have been sent in and 15 3d reconstructions made, including a metal gate, lion sculpture and intricate painted tablet. The lion sculpture, which once stood in the museum, was clearly once popular with visitors, as the volunteers had 16 images to work from. he more photographs you have, the more potential you have to create more 3d points and have a denser cloud, Mr Vincent explained. He said that while the models don have the same scientific value as professional scans created from the original objects, but the 3d models till have the value of the visualisation-being able to see what the artefact was like For example, the crowdsourced model allows people to see that the lion had five legs so it looked like it was walking when viewed from the side, and standing still from the front-a feature of Assyrian art. Cuneiform script can also be seen in the model. In 2003, the National Museum of Iraq was looted during the invasion, and widespread looting of sites such as the Palace of Ashurnasipal II at Nimrud occurred, with fears that ISIS may destroy the ancient city of Palmyra. Mr Vincent is keen for more archaeologists to record artefacts digitally in case originals are destroyed, so that they could be 3d printed one day. As well as making replicas, this technology allows people to get a feel for artefacts too. t's a way to bring them back to life and have a tactile experience with them, even if we can't guarantee that they're exactly as the original would have been continued, he a

< Back - Next >