 |
 |
| Back to Home |
Scanning a 'sweet water' ulla. |
||
|
Overview Changing weather conditions and a rising water table across Egypt have made the tools of nautical archeology crucial to researchers throughout Egypt. With the cooperation of Dr. Douglas Haldane, Director of the Institute for Nautical Archeology, an INSIGHT team visited the INA lab in Alexandria to document objects from the Institute's large holdings. For this scan session, Dr. Haldane selected an ulla, or "sweet" water container, for 3D scanning. Ullas have been used from antiquity to the present day; the INA collection currently holds more than 25 individual types. Dr. Haldane was specifically interested in testing the ability of the 3D recording to resolve details in the surface of smaller artifacts. |
|
||
| At left, acting head conservator Jane Haldane shows our team some of the cargo from the Sadana, a Red Sea shipwreck, including the ualla to be scanned. After the qulla was raised in 1997 as part of an INA excavation, the object underwent cleaning and a lengthy desalination process. Its specific Mid-East origin is a point of speculation, while at least one expert is convinced that the ulla is made from Egyptian clay, Syria is another possibility. | |||
| Here, Dr. Douglas Haldane looks on as the ulla is scanned. The scanner is set up and a series of viewpoints are taken of the ulla. | |||
| Once scanned, 3D models were made from the resulting data and the data presented to Dr. Haldane. At left, he discusses the images at the computer. Below are images of the 3D models created based on the scan data. | |||
 |
At left are front, top, and side views of the ulla. Starting with the scan data from the original object, these 'traditional' 3D models are meant as a prototype that will allow researchers to quickly type objects based on their distinguishing features. The 3D views below are textured and lighted for easy interpretation of the inscribed surface.
|
||
|
The
object movie at left is a prototype for a visual database of an entire
collection; based on Douglas Haldane's suggestions, it is intended to
indicate how researchers could be aided in the classification and archiving of objects. While the effort required to complete 3D scans may not be justified for every object, there are some objects that are simply too fragile or precious to risk contact. For Jane, the Turkish wreck of the Serce Liman is a case in point. Jane's work on the wreck included conservation of thousands of very fragile glass fragments; 3D scanning could potentially allow researchers to reconstruct these kinds of specimens without damaging them. |
|||
 |
|||
|
this page to a
friend. Post your comments on the message board. |
|||
|
|
|||
