Photogrammetry for Archaeological Documentation and Cultural Heritage Conservation

Photogrammetry is the art and science of deriving accurate 3-D metric and descriptive object information from multiple analogue and digital images. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in utilizing imagery in different fields such as archaeology, architecture, mechanical inspection, and surgery. Photogrammetry is concerned with deriving measurements of the size, shape, position and texture of objects from measurements made on photographs. In its simplest form, a pair of overlapping photographs is used to create a three-dimensional model, with the use of appropriate instrumentation can yield quantifiable dimensions of the object. Traditionally, these dimensions were represented on maps and plans, either as elevations, facades and/or contours. The use of photogrammetry as a tool to aid in the documentation of cultural heritage has a long history, and is well established as a measurement science. Recent advances in the science make the techniques much more flexible in their application and present new opportunities in the representation of monuments as diverse as aboriginal rock painting shelters, historically significant buildings and structures, and culturally significant precincts or districts.