DOCUMENTATION OF OLD TURKIC RUNIC INSCRIPTIONS OF THE ALTAI MOUNTAINS USING PHOTOGRAMMETRIC TECHNOLOGY

Old Turkic runic inscriptions of the Altai Mountains (8th–9th centuries AD) were digitized in the course of this project to be preserved in the current state on the Web and deciphered by linguistic experts. The ways the inscriptions were made as well as their location in hardly accessible areas required finding an inexpensive solution that would provide detailed 3D documentation of rock faces, while at the same time mobility and autonomy. Digital photogrammetry came as a quite affordable and optimal choice for getting high-quality outcomes using inexpensive software and further data processing using free software

Photogrammetry: From Field Recording to Museum Presentation (Timiryazevo burial site, Western Siberia)

A 3D-recording project was introduced into practice in 2014 by Tomsk State University during investigation of Timiryazevo burial site (5th–10th centuries AD). During the excavation, three-dimensional models of the whole archaeological site were made at each stage, as well as individual records of all artifacts. 3D recording was conducted by SFM technology. The data obtained was used for research and in work on the exhibition project ‖Secrets of Timiryazevo Burial Site: The Circle of Life and Death in Siberian Shamanism‖. The exposition centers on unveiling the meaning of the rite of burying lookalike dolls of the deceased, which was practiced by many indigenous peoples of Siberia. The exposition is designed to enable the visitor to pass through the whole cycle of knowledge extraction together with archaeologists, the ―detectives of the past‖: from a bunch of strange miniscule objects found in the sand to reconstruction of the whole sophisticated rite of the ―ultimate funeral‖ including the burial of the deceased’s lookalike doll. The tools used to develop the topic included a stereoscopic video created with Autodesk 3D Studio MAX 2014 and displayed in the exhibition. Stereoscopic videos displayed by specialized museum equipment create a total participation effect, enabling any visitor to watch excavations step by step, in all their detail and from all perspectives

3D RECORDING OF A 19-CENTURY OB RIVER SHIP

A 3D recording of a 19-century wooden ship discovered on the bank of the river Ob (Western Siberia) was performed in autumn 2015. The archaeologized ship was partly under water, partly lying ashore, buried under fluvial deposits. The 3D recording was performed in October, when the water level was at its lowest after clearing the area around the ship. A 3D recording at the place of discovery was required as part of the ship museumification and reconstruction project. The works performed were primarily aimed at preserving as much information about the object as possible. Given the location and peculiar features of the object, a combination of close-range photogrammetry and aerial photography was considered to be the best possible solution for creating a high-quality 3D model. The dismantled ship was delivered to Nizhnevartovsk Museum of Local History in October 2015. The ship is going to be reassembled using the created 3D model to be exhibited in the museum. The resulting models are also going to be used to make a virtual 3D reconstruction of the ship in the future. We shot a stereoscopic video for Nizhnevartovsk Museum of Local History to let visitors see the place of discovery and explore the ship in greater details. Besides, 3D printing allowed for creating a miniature of the ship, which is also going to be included in the exposition devoted to this unique discovery