Modeling of archaeological uncertainty by combining modern 3D surveying methods for scientific documentation and promotion of cultural heritage.. Application at the archaeological site of Delphi.

The objective of the proposed project is the development of new innovative methods of documentation, analysis and promotion of cultural heritage monuments combining, for the first time, modern techniques of 3D surveying and the mathematical modeling of archaeological uncertainty, by incorporating it in the three-dimensional reconstruction of archaeological monuments. In archaeological representation, it is commonplace to create diverse scenarios of the original state of the monument and to and revise such plans based on the most recent information.

In the area of Delphi, there are important monuments which inherently communicate elements of uncertainty regarding the reconstruction of their past form. For these monuments, diverse non-invasive capture techniques and 3D imaging techniques will be applied through terrestrial and aerial (via drone or UAV) imagery, laser scanners or optical scanners of varied principles of operation, ranging and precision, the results of which will be integrated, in order to make the best possible use of them for the scientific documentation of cultural heritage.

Then, for the first time, based upon 3D captured data, the development of mathematical models of archaeological uncertainty will be conducted in relation to how an archeological structure was formed in the past. This will provide multiple variants of three-dimensional reconstructions based on historical data and excavation findings, which will offer a whole new set of uses for archaeological 3D models that will broaden the horizons of archaeological research, such as investigating archaeological hypotheses, comparing uncertainties between different models, and identifying areas where further archaeological research may be required. The results and new three-dimensional documentation and reconstruction methods that will emerge from this project will be presented in a pilot interactive demonstration setup, that will be designed and installed at the Museum of Delphi. Furthermore, the new 3D documentation methods will provide the basis for the development of Augmented Reality (AR) applications, implemented with modern software development tools. Visitors will have the opportunity to browse the archaeological site while receiving, on a mobile phone or on a specialized AR display, 3D information in relation to the archaeological monuments as they may have existed in the past, including elements of archaeological uncertainty, combined with real-world exhibits, so that they can acquire the sense of “cultural experience” and broaden their knowledge.