3D Measurement and Virtual Reconstruction of Ancient Lost Worlds of Europe

Start date:2000-11-01

End date:2003-10-31

Project Acronym:3D-MURALE

Project status:Completed

Coordinator

Description

Objective: Archaeological excavation sites expose over a million artefacts a year, and are constantly confronted with problems of recording, conserving, restoring and presenting this archaeological evidence. The 3D MURALE project has been a major European initiative to tackle the issues related to the conservation and presentation of its rich cultural heritage, be it artefacts or complete sites. The project has aimed at providing both fieldworkers and museum staff with a set of consumer friendly tools and techniques to tackle problems popping up in the day-today handling of ancient remains. Presenting the results of an excavation accurately is a duty of each excavation team in order to make larger audiences of non-specialists Europeans feel affiliated with their cultural heritage through a better understanding of the functions of ruins and archaeological objects. Archaeological excavation sites expose over a million artefacts a year, and are constantly confronted with problems of recording, conserving, restoring and presenting this archaeological evidence. The 3D MURALE project has been a major European initiative to tackle the issues related to the conservation and presentation of its rich cultural heritage, be it artefacts or complete sites. The project has aimed at providing both fieldworkers and museum staff with a set of consumer friendly tools and techniques to tackle problems popping up in the day-today handling of ancient remains. Presenting the results of an excavation accurately is a duty of each excavation team in order to make larger audiences of non-specialists Europeans feel affiliated with their cultural heritage through a better understanding of the functions of ruins and archaeological objects.

OBJECTIVES
A currently excavated archaeological site will be reconstructed for the different periods throughout the complete time of its occupation.The development of 3D acquisition systems that can measure a range of objects of different dimensions to produce accurate and convincing results will be made.Precise and realistic looking 3D models of the natural environment and the urban development of the site will be made.Documentation and classification of pottery shards will be made.The project will provide archaeologist with the tools to support the analysis and restoration of their finds.The virtual artefacts and building and information will be stored in a database extended with MPEG=7 compatible features. Searching on the basis of 3D shape will be one of its innovative features.High levels of realism and precision will be reached by the integrated visualisation of landscape, buildings, and artefacts - all true to the era that they represent.To provide Europe with an archaeological lead.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK
Murale project is divided into five main activitiesWP2: Use Requirements. This will be responsible for defining the goals to be achieved, defining the requirements and specification of the new measurement technology, specifying service scenarios, defining user technical specification and demonstrating and evaluating the MURALE system.WP3: Multimedia database. This will be responsible for the storage and retrieval of conventional text information as well and images and 3D content.WP4: Recording. This will be responsible for obtaining 3D records of archaeological layers from simple photos (stratigraphy) and measuring pottery, statues, friezes, buildings and landscape.WP5: Visualisation. This will be responsible for virtually sequencing through the stratigraphic layers, adding representative samples of objects at each layer and annotating the objects with links to the database. It will also be responsible for constructing a complete scene visualisation from landscape and reconstructed buildings and artefacts found on the site. Temporal structuring of the content will enable visitors to view buildings and artefacts for a particular era. A walk through will incorporate landscape, buildings and artefacts of any particular era.

Achievements:

General information:

Project Details

Start date:2000-11-01

End date:2003-10-31

Duration:36 months

Project Reference:IST-1999-20273

Project cost:2027925 EURO

Project Funding:1494474 EURO

Programme Acronym: IST

Programme type:Fifth Framework Programme

Subprogramme Area:Digital preservation of cultural heritage

Contract type:Cost-sharing contracts

URL:http://dea.brunel.ac.uk/project/murale/

Subject index:Electronics, Microelectronics, Information Processing, Information Systems, Information, Media, Legislation, Regulations, Policies, Social Aspects

Other Indexes:

Other participants

Record control number:52648