Archaeologists have the delicate mission of preserving cultural heritage and strengthening their knowledge of history. They should get information about the use and construction methods in the past.
In the summer of 2019, the city of Gothenburg in Sweden organized excavation work for a large infrastructure project. During construction, three wrecks wooden boat dating back to the 16th century have been found. As wood preservation is expensive and complicated, when it is exposed to the open air, it was decided to keep everything in digital format. The team of archaeologists decided to use 3D scanning to digitize all the wooden elements found in the excavation site.
When objects from the past meet new technologies
Using non-contact 3D scanners, rare objects and items can be efficiently digitized to create digital 3D models. Scans provide optimal quality and accuracy to enable objects to be studied, restored, or duplicated, as well as classified in catalogs, repositories, and databases. This facilitates the sharing of discoveries between research communities.
The team of archaeologists in charge of the wreck contacted MLT Maskin - Laserteknik AB, the distributor of Creaform in Sweden, to determine which 3D scanning system will be most suitable. The team decided to use the portable 3D scanner Go! SCAN SPARK recommended. The team was impressed by the quality of the data in this scanner, as well as its speed and versatility, an advantage that proved to be very important.
The archeology team decided to document each piece of wood (around 500) using the Go! SCAN 3D. The project is still ongoing. The end result will be a fully assembled 3D model of the wreckage, which will provide answers such as where the boat was built, for what reasons, as well as the trips it has taken in the past. .
