Reconstruction of 3,000-year-old Ceramic Lion

Reconstruction of 3,000-year-old Ceramic Lion

The Semitic Museum at Harvard University used 3D printers and 3D scanning technology to reconstruct a ceramic lion that was shattered around 3,000 years ago when Assyrians destroyed Nuzi, an ancient Mesopotamian city situated in modern Iraq. The Harvard team shot sculpture fragments from hundreds of angles to create 3D reproductions of each artefact, then combined them to shape a partially complete 3D image of the original artefact. The process is known as "photogrammetry" which is a photo modelling technique commonly used to create 3D reproductions of buildings, artefacts and objects. This technique is particularly useful to the digital preservation of cultural heritage as historical sites and artefacts are often damaged. The digital version was assessed and compared to scanned versions of complete artefacts found in the same environment. Any holes were identified, and absent fragments and support systems were meticulously fabricated from 3D prints and CNC carved foam. The images show the complete lion and fragments of the Nuzi lion during the photo modelling process.

worldheritagelayer

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19/05/2021

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current,36.67557848857605,43.010787963867195;

Reconstruction of 3,000-year-old Ceramic Lion

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pk59@st-andrews.ac.uk