Digital reconstruction of fragmented artefacts: Improved methods for data capture

Abstract

This article is concerned with recording the shape and size of fragments of artefacts so that the records can be used to determine the original mutual locations of the fragments, and thereby aid in the reconstruction of the original object. Starting with a statement of the deficiencies of traditional methods, several attempts that have used computers as a means of developing improved techniques are reviewed. These attempts were unsuccessful, and it is shown that the principal reasons for this lack of success were reliance on characteristic dimensions and insufficient data. Modern analytical techniques are then reviewed that are based on the use of three‐dimensional computer models, and statistical analyses of fractured surfaces allow the necessary data recording requirements to be established. On this basis, a number of candidate recording techniques are considered and it is shown that laser scanning and digital close‐range photogrammetry are currently optimal. The main advantages of these recording methods are, firstly, the large number of accurate measurements captured with laser scanning and, secondly, the fast recording of large objects made possible with photogrammetry. A case study from the Propylaia of the Acropolis, Athens, Greece, is presented, which highlights the advantages and disadvantages associated with the two methods, and conclusions relating to how these techniques should be used in conservation are drawn.

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