ISSN 1346-2601 (Print)
ISSN 2436-5408 (Online) 2024 年 3 月 11 日公開

ART RESEARCH vol.24-3【研究紹介】

Applicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City
Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk:tackling preparedness and post-response
Mohamed Soliman (PhD) Archaeological Architecture (MoTA),

Mikiharu Takeuchi (PhD candidate, DMUCH, Ritsumeikan University)
Naoyo Sekihiro (Archaeological Director, Kyoto City Archaeological Research Institute)
Keiji Yano (Professor, College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University)

要旨
京都市考古学博物館（KCAM）におけるデジタル化は、COVID-19 の発生時に、備えと災害後の対応のための簡素で効果的な方法として写真測量技術を導入が試みられている。中東および北アフリカ（MENA）地域の博物館は、武力紛争や地震などの自然災害および人為的災害によって引き起こされるさまざまな危機にさらされている。
KCAM では、SfM/MVS を生成するために、フォトスキャン技術が採用され、その簡略化されたツールと処理が他の技術（例：UAV や TLS など）と比較された。その結果、本研究では、文化資源のデジタル化における写真測量の利点を説明し、他の技術と比較して、危険にさらされている
MENA の博物館への適用可能性について議論する。

Abstract
Digitizing collections held at the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) highlights thevalue of photogrammetry technique during COVID-19 outbreak as a simplified effective method
for preparedness and post-disaster response, potentially applicable for MENA region museums
exposed to several types of crisis triggered by natural and man-made disaster, e.g. armed conflictand earthquakes.
A PhotoScan technique is adopted to generate SfM/MVS for KCAM, while its simplified tools
and processing are demonstrated compared with other techniques (such as UAVs and TLS).
Consequently, this study discusses the advantages of photogrammetry for digitizing cultural
resources at KCAM and its applicability to museums at risk in MENA, in comparison with othertechnologies.
Keywords: MENA, KCAM, Covid-19, photogrammetry, 3D model, SFM/MVS

Introduction
In a time of natural and man-made disasters,
digital humanities technology came to be indemand globally for preserving and developing
cultural heritage. In recent years, numerous
studies have been conducted in the field ofarchitectural
surveysthankstotheimprovement and optimization of newtechnologies, which have greatly extended therange of applications even towards some more
fully situated in the field of engineering. The
standardized use of infographics technologies
has revolutionized pathways for the restitutionof artifacts.1
A few years ago, the world faced a tragic
cultural disaster that drew attention to thetechnology of 3D recording space and theApplicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk: tackling preparedness and post-response

JSPS Researcher (DMUCH), and Visiting Researcher (ARC), Ritsumeikan University
E-mail msoliman8@yahoo.com

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206

technology of restoring it to a virtual form. The
fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in April
2019 made the world aware of the necessity of
3D laser measurement data and panoramic
images of Notre Dame Cathedral left behind by
the late art historian Andrew Talon.
The Kyoto City Archaeological Museum(KCAM) locked down in response to the state of
emergency
declaredbytheJapanesegovernment due to the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic (Figure 1). KCAM became
inaccessible. Scholars were deprived of theability to access study material, and tourist
mobility and tourism economy were negatively
affected.

Fig. 1 Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM)

In the same perspective, Middle East andNorth Africa (MENA) museums are exposed toseveral types of crises, including armed conflictand seismic hazards. Governmental and global
association reports describe the consequences ofsuch disasters. These exposures brought
massive destruction and looting, including
structural collapse at some museums and thesmashing of valuable objects.
Adopting a photogrammetry technique todigitize the KCAM collection tackled thisproblem in many ways. Simplification is adopted
in the utilized photogrammetry technique to bemerged in preparedness or post-disaster phases
as a quick response in museums at risk.
Technically, photogrammetry is an appropriate
method that facilitates the mission of museum
staff. The utilized tools and processing softwareare obtainable and easily manipulated.
SfM/MVS
photogrammetry has received
increasing attention due to its convenience,broadening the range of its applications into
archaeology and anthropology. Because theaccuracy of SfM/MVS depends on photography,
one important issue is that incorrect or lowdensity point clouds are found in 3D models due

to poor overlapping between images. A
systematic way of taking photographs solves
these problems, though it has not been wellestablished and the accuracy has not been
examined either, with some exceptions.2 Agisoft
was used for the photogrammetric designationof points. This program uses still images ofstationary objects to generate point clouds, 3Dmodels and orthophoto maps. Agisoft is widelyusedin
aviationandengineering
photogrammetry, computer animations, andremote sensing. With the ability to export
processed data to a variety of formats, it istherefore compatible with graphical programs(such as AutoCAD) or GIS analysis software(such as ArcGIS). These programs also have
similarhardwareandfunctionality
requirements.3
However, digitizing the KCAM collections is
a constructive attempt for a foreign scholar todeal with Japanese museums in terms of dealing
with official procedure and investigating
Japanese cultural heritage.
The aim of this study is to discuss how
digital technology can be an effective means ofprotecting museum cultural resources from therisks of various natural and man-made disasters.
As a case study, the results of digitizing exhibits
using simple photogrammetric techniques at the
Kyoto City Archaeological Museum, which wasforced to close down during the COVID-19
disaster, will be presented. It is then suggested
that the attempt could be useful for othermuseums exposed to disaster risks in the Middle
East and North Africa region (MENA), for thepreservation of museum collections, for the useof researchers and tourists, and for theprotection of cultural heritage.

1.

Demonstration of crisis typology in museums at
risk
Disasters do not respect national boundaries.
Therefore,
aninternational
standard
communication platform for severity is vital tohave agreement among countries. The impact of
a disaster in a region, if not managed properly,
can produce political and social instability, andaffect international security and relations.4
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,
culture was experiencing an unprecedented

ART RESEARCH vol.24-3

Table 1 Disaster categorization and assessment in MENACountry
Egypt

Date-January 28, 2011
-August 14, 2013
-January 24, 2014
Since March, 2011

Disaster type
Arab Spring
Vandalism

April 27, 2023

Earthquake

Iraq

March, 2003

USA invasion

Yemen

February, 2015
July, 2015

Vandalism
Civil war

TürkiyeApril 27, 2023

Earthquake

Sudan

June 2, 2023

Civil war

MoroccoSeptember 8, 2023

Earthquake

Libya

Since February, 2011

-Civil war-Vandalism
Daniel Cyclone

Syria

September 12, 2023

Exposure-Explosion-Deformation-Looting-Explosion-Demolishing-looting

Civil war

Natural and man-made hazards color
MENA history, causing deep changes in
topography and urbanism. Recent disasters
recall the historical cost in lives and assets, towhich the cultural heritage properties are
exposed. The MENA region has been exposed to
man-made disasters in the form of politicalchanges that destroyed and looted uncountablemuseum’s collections.
The instability and violence that Libya
experienced in recent years have put its cultural
heritage under tremendous stress and high risk
since the Arab Spring in 2011. The threat ofsystematic damage to cultural heritage sites is ofgreat concern. The losses endured are leading to
the historical impoverishment of a country withan exceptionally rich cultural heritage. The slow
but steady disappearance of Libya’s cultural
witnesses of the past has rendered evident the-Explosion-Demolishing-looting-Explosion-looting
Severedestruction-Explosion-looting
Severedestruction-Deformation-Looting
Severedestruction

Vulnerability-Smuggling-Absence of awareness-Absence of official
guarding-Leakage of official
guarding-Smuggling-Demolishing-Demolishing-Accidental damage.
-Official difficulty toguard collections.
-Demolishing-Leakage of official
guarding.
-Flooding-Coastal subsidence

need for immediate action that will help protect
them. Museums, auction houses, art dealers, andcollectors are encouraged not to acquire or sellsuch objects without having carefully andthoroughly researched all the relevant
documentation concerning their provenance.6
The Egyptian Ministry of State for
Antiquities informed UNESCO of the looting of
the Mallawi National Museum on August 14,
2013. The damage caused by the looters iscatastrophic. Most of the artifacts have beenstolen, destroyed, or burned. Around one
thousand cultural objects, dating from the
beginning of Egyptian history to the Islamic
period, have disappeared (coins, jewels, statues,etc.).7
In February 2003, almost exactly three
years later, the Iraq National Museum wasforced to close its doors and look for new places

Applicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk: tackling preparedness and post-response

previous year, an overall decrease of 74%
compared to 2019.5
Asaresult,COVID-19
outbreakconsequences highlighted the necessity to create
a 3D database for KCAM. The reason behind
this was tackling the decline in accessibility to
KCAM during COVID-19 resurgence andmaking the database available to stakeholders
and scholars. Despite disaster patterns being
different, conveying 3D model methodology andmeans is beneficial to MENA museums (Table 1).

crisis and museums were paying a heavy price.
The first impacts of the closure of museums
included the drop in attendance. It was rightly
assumed that all closed museums would
experience such a decrease, but this also affected
institutions that remained open or have sincereopened their doors, due to the drastic drop ininternational tourism. According to the World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO), destinations
worldwide experienced one billion fewer
international arrivals in 2020 than in the207ART RESEARCH vol.24-3

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208

for its collections. The impact this time was moredevastating. The shattered public order in theaftermath of the war brought waves of theft andpillaging. In an unchecked frenzy of culturaltheft, looters who pillaged government buildings
and businesses after the fall of Baghdad also
targeted the museum, stealing and destroying
artifacts, some going back 7,000 years. Much of
the looting occurred on Thursday, 10 April. The
museum guards stood by as hordes broke into themuseum with wheelbarrows and carts and stole
priceless statues, bowls, and clay tablets, etc.,
leaving its galleries empty except for shatteredglass display cases and cracked pottery bowls
that littered the floors.8
In June 2014, just as the Mosul Cultural
Museum in Iraq prepared to reopen after years ofrenovation, ISIS captured the city; in February
2015, the group published video of the museum's
destruction. In addition to missing artifacts,some 25,000 volumes from the museum library
had been burned and the buildings themselves
had suffered considerable damage, most notably
an 18-foot-long hole in the floor of the Assyrian
Hall, caused by a bomb. In minutes, ISIS had
wrought destruction that would take years to
repair.9
A violent conflict erupted in Yemen causing
terrible human suffering and loss of life. Yemeni
cultural heritage sites are heavily affected,
mostly through collateral damage. However, theintentional destruction of ancient tombs wasreported to have occurred, for the first time, in
Hadramout, in July 2015.10
Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war
in March 2011, museums have been subjected tovandalism, looting, bombing, and destruction.
With the deteriorating security in many cities
and towns, many museums have been robbed orlooted, while others have been bombed.
A joint report by German and Syrianorganizations has documented severe damage to
Syria’s historical heritage and antiquities. The
long-term damage inflicted on Syrian museums
is worse than that of Iraqi museums, whose
cultural and historical riches were severely
damaged during the 2003 US invasion, and later,
during the rule of ISIL, also known as ISIS.11
However, most of the damage to museums
has occurred in the north-western region of thecountry, where there have been incidences oflooting of valuable cultural property, and many
works of art are currently unaccounted for. Many
museums, including the Raqqa Museum andCitadel of Jaabar, the Museum of Folklore in
Aleppo, and the Maarrat Museum have also had
their infrastructure damaged as a result of beingcaught in the middle of armed conflict.12
Sudan’s rich cultural heritage is at risk of
irreparable damage from the conflict raging for
more than a month since June 2023 as museums
lack adequate protection from looters andvandalism.
The Arab Spring protests broke out in 2011
and caused political instability. In the latest
troubling development, the Rapid Support Forces(RSF) fighters seized control of the Sudan
National Museum in the capital, Khartoum, on
June 2, 2023. The location of the museum — inclose proximity to the Sudanese Armed Forces(SAF)’s Khartoum headquarters — made it atonce vulnerable to accidental damage anddifficult for officials to guard its collections.
The entry of SAF fighters into the Sudan
National Museum happened just days after abuilding in Omdurman, northwest of Khartoum,
housing archives that included pricelessdocuments chronicling Sudan’s colonial past, wasravaged by fire and looters. Experts fear artifacts
spanning Sudan’s 6,000-year history could face asimilar fate to Syria’s antiquities.13
Several ancient heritage sites in Türkiye
and Syria are believed to be at risk following thedevastating earthquakes in the region on
February 6, 2023, according to an initial survey
by UNESCO.14
In Türkiye, the majority of state museums
seem to have suffered no relevant damage, whilesites as Gaziantep Castle have been heavily
impacted.15 Artifacts inside the Syrian National
Museum in Aleppo are also believed to have beendamaged.16
The earthquake that struck Morocco late on
September 8, 2023 dealt serious damage not only
to residential houses and infrastructure, but also
to the country’s iconic museums and mosques.
The earthquake also destroyed objects ofmaterial heritage. For example, the collection of
the Dar Si Said Museum of pottery and carpets,
located in a palace built in the second half of the
19th century, lost some of its valuable objects. A
large portion of the museum’s pottery collection

ART RESEARCH vol.24-3

was damaged, including many showpieces.17
2.

Applicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk: tackling preparedness and post-response

Suitability of photogrammetry (SFM-MVS)
technique compared to other 3D scanning
methods to digitize museums at risk
The standardized use of infographics
technologies has revolutionized pathways for the
restitution of artifacts; however, new andimportant issues continue to be encounteredrelated to the standards to be followed and thereliability and compatibility of the implemented
procedures and methodologies. One speaks inthis sense, therefore, of a virtual replica and of athree-dimensional modelling, overcoming thephysicalandspatio-temporal
limits,decontextualizing it from the environment thatsurrounds it: the object is studied from eachsegment that composes it to its historical functional peculiarities.18
Structure-from-motion
(SfM)
is
a
photogrammetric technique used to generate a
3D point cloud from a collection of overlapping
2D images. The SfM process starts with featuredetection, which involves identifying uniquefeatures on an image and matching homologous
features (e.g., key points) across overlapping
images to generate image correspondences.
Given a set of corresponding features, 3D
coordinates of matched features (e.g., a sparse
point cloud) can be generated using an iterative
bundle adjustment (BA). The BA is a leastsquares optimization that simultaneously
estimates the 3D positions of a scene and camera
poses. The camera's intrinsic parameters can be
included as an unknown in the BA (e.g., a selfcalibrating BA). Following the BA, a multi-view
stereo (MVS) algorithm is then used to generate
additional points to create a dense point cloud;the entire workflow is referred to as SfM-MVS.19
Overall, archaeologists have found SfM toproduce more accurate and precise models thantime-consuming traditional methods such asplan drawing. As SfM is a relatively new method
to the archaeological sciences, the accuracy anderror of SfM models will likely remain casespecific until a better understanding of theseissues in archaeological applications can be
developed.20
A point cloud, as raw data to generate 3Dmodels, is acquired using several technicalmethods. Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) is

attracting increasing interest as a revolutionary
technology. The ranging system is the corecomponent of a TLS, and uses a laser ranger tomeasure the distance from the scanner to an
object. The working principle is that the scanneremits a laser beam to the preset scanned area bychanging the deflection angle in vertical andhorizontal directions. As the laser beam hits areflective surface in its path, it returns to thereceiver. By using different methods of range
measurement, the distance (S) between thescanner and the object can be calculated. Finally,
according to the azimuthal (horizontal) andelevation (vertical) angles (a, b) of the light, thereflecting point position (Xp, Yp, Zp) can be
determined based on the instrument coordinate
system.21
UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) are widelyused in photogrammetric surveying for the
representation of cultural heritage. The UAV cancontrol the mission area via its sensors and cantransfer data by using wireless communication.
Based on various working environments of theUAVs, each route should be generated
dynamically. Hence, the path smoothing method
can produce a feasible path in real-time.22
Despite such simplifications, there arecountless safety issues; in fact, regulations andlaws have been drawn up and passed worldwide
that restrict the areas of use. In some countries,
such as Syria, Morocco, and Iraq, the use of UAVs
is even banned. This issue raises importantquestions for the protection and preservation of
the cultural heritage contained in thesecountries.23
Regardless of the efficiency of these methods,
they are inappropriate to acquire data frommuseums’ collections, whether for preparedness
or post-disaster response. This is because of thediminutive scale of the artifacts that require
flexible techniques to rotate inside closed/narrow
spaces in museums rather than large-scale
methods usable in open spaces. Special handlingsensitivity is required to acquire data fromfractioned objects during post-disaster response.
Subsequently, the seamless processing of theacquired data of objects that should be isolated
from the surrounding environment decreases
distortion, scattered data, and saves time
consumption. On the other hand, adopting aphotogrammetry technique simplifies these very

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Applicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk: tackling preparedness and post-response

210

specialized techniques for museum staff (e.g.,
curators and conservators). Taking into
consideration the potential for a post-disasterloss of power, the required photogrammetric tools
are a camera or smartphone for capturing photos,
a turntable to carry the objects, and an
adjustable light source. In comparison to highcost/large-scale methods (e.g., UAV and TLS), theavailability of such uncomplicated low-cost tools
and simple installation strengthens the objectiveof a museum staff to digitize and safeguard theobjects and interact with the post-disastersituation.

Fig. 2 Interpretation of the required application form
that should be submitted to KCAM

3.

Values and exposures of the designated objects
in KCAMThe Kyoto City Archaeological ResearchInstitute was established in 1976, and has
accumulated many achievements in excavation,
investigation, and research. Based on the results,
the purpose is to display and publicize the results
to spread awareness. The KCAM was opened in
November 1979. Through the exhibits, visitors
experience the lifestyle and culture of the past,and use this space as a place to think about ourimportant mission in passing on buried cultural
heritage to the future.24
On the 1st floor, two themed special
exhibitions are held every year, and a planned
exhibition in collaboration with a university in
Kyoto once a year, while “newsflash” displays andplanned exhibitions are staged as well. The 2nd
floor houses the permanent collection, with panel
explanations of the transition in ceramics usedduring the Heian period, some 1,000 pieces ofarchaeological material Paleolithic and Edo era,
as well as merchandise from trade with China
and Korea, and artifacts excavated from the
Heian Imperial Palace and dwellings of the
Jomon period. In addition, the museum also has
a “hands on” corner where visitors can actuallyhandle large pieces of pottery and roof tiles.25

3-1. Artistic attributes, historical values and criteria
suitability
A glazed water pitcher and vessel stand withthe miniature are two unique objects from KCAM
selectedto
implementaprototypephotogrammetry technique. The two objects wereselected based on specific criteria, which arecompatible with the characteristics of MENA
museums’ collections, namely; 1) the utilized
technical process, 2) vulnerability of objects ofpottery to breaking, 3) simplicity and complexityof the decorative patterns, 4) the regulardimensions are suitable to modelling, 5)
similarity of the simple classic design of KCAM
building to many MENA museums. The two
objects inside a wall showcase were inaccessible
to visitors; during COVID-19, not even 2D
images and on-site information were sufficient.
Japan, as a country exposed to natural disasterand a pioneer in disaster management, caninspire the MENA region with the required
processes to deal with similar cases. Moreover,
implementing photogrammetry technique at
KCAM facilitates merging it to disaster risk
reduction (DRR) plans.
The fragments of an ash glazed water
pitcher were found in the ancient pit ofKitashirakawahaiji temple, in Daido-cho, Sakyo
Ward, Kyoto City (Figure 3). The water pitcher
was found in one of the pits with haji-dishes, deep
Sue ware bowls, and green glazed wares. The
water pitcher is dated between the second half of
the 8th century and the beginning of the 9th
century. This pitcher is made in ash glazed
pottery and is roughly 30.7 cm in height. The
manufacturing technique of ash glazed pottery
was developed in the 9th century (Heian era),

ART RESEARCH vol.24-3

Fig. 3 Ash glazed water pitcher from
Kitashirakawahaiji-temple

Fig. 4 Vessel stand with miniatures (Sue ware) from
Tatsumi round tomb No.1

4.

Compatibility of the operated tools for dataacquisition
Digitizing museums at risk requires a quicksystematic
response.
Consideringasimplification of concept, photogrammetry
technique meets the demands of museum staff
and scholars, in terms of availability andsimplifying installation of the utilized tools.
Moreover, the need for 3D Scanning instruments
is inseparable from the needs that are so fast andeffective in costs and the increasing need formeasuring the accuracy of a small-sized
manufacturing component. As a result of themany needs of these small-sized components, acareful and accurate method is needed.26
Accordingly, the utilized tools werecombined to incorporate a system, which consistsof control unit (e.g., PC, tablet, smartphone:android/ IOS), photographic camera, light source,
and turntable table (Figure 5).
Stabilizing the camera on the appropriate
parameters by a tripod is essential to takeaccurate shots on three levels, regularly. Setting
up a software on the control unit compatible withthe camera is required to capture photos remotely.
In the case of KCAM, NIKON WIRELESSMOBILE UTILITY software was compatible witha NIKON D5500 (60mm) camera, which isavailable on Windows Store, IOS, and Android
systems. NIKON software was installed on Oppo
2020 A5 smart phone as a control unit via Google
Play.

Applicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk: tackling preparedness and post-response

which is characterized by burning in hightemperature using plant ash.
The vessel stand with miniatures was
discovered in Tatsumi round tomb mound No.1,
located in Yamagoe Tatsumi-cho in Ukyo Ward,
Kyoto City (Figure 4). The vessel is of a typeusually used to offer water for Buddhist statues
or confession ceremonies (Fusatsue). Styles ofpitchers are divided into four types. This object
belongs to the Senzan style and is consideredolder. The vessel is attributed to Sue ware burnedin high-decreasing temperature with the reduced
state. The manufacturing technique wastransferred from the Korean peninsula in theearly 5th century. It is characterized by thin andhard fabric, smooth and unglazed texture, and isroughly 45 cm in height. Such vessel stands weremainly used for funeral rituals and decorating
burial chambers. The miniatures on the rim of
the bowl are called "children" because the standis identified as the "parent" object.

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based on the span of each parameter, and theshape and dimensions of the object. For instance,
twelve images were sufficient to cover the water
pitcher’s tapered top, while the Sue ware object
needed four, due to its multi-curvature andornamentation.
5.
Applicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk: tackling preparedness and post-response

212

Fig. 5 Installation of utilized tools forphotogrammetry data acquisition

The lighting environment should beappropriate to the material texture andparameters of the object. A multi-spectral lightring was installed on a tripod to isolate thetargeted object from the lighting environment
inside KCAM. The light ring helped to eliminate
shading and reflections in order to scan the realtexture of the object only. In addition, a photostudio box was used to enhance isolation of thewater pitcher, which possesses a glazingreflection effect in the color tones.
The vulnerability of objects made of fragile
materials such as glass, pottery, and stonerequires a steady stand to put the object upon. A
turntable divided into twenty-four segments isdedicated to carrying the object. One controls thecapturing position by turning the turntablecounterclockwise.
In light of the above, photo-scanning theobject’s
featuresrequirestakingacounterclockwise orbital parameter. Accordingly,
data acquisition was run as follows: 1) calibrate
the camera and light unit at the appropriate
angle to meet the required parameters. The
camera was installed at an oblique angle on eachparameter, which was 45° in the upper, 85° in the
middle, and 45° in the lower, 2) capturing photos
by a control unit, which was a smartphone in the
KCAM case, connected with the camera via
offline Wi-Fi, 3) a turntable divided into twentyfour segments was utilized to rotate the object
360 degrees counterclockwise, remotely. Eachcapture was taken simultaneously while aligningwiththetwenty-foursegments,
which
guarantees a high density of tie points and avoids
gaping.
Nevertheless, segmental processing is aconcept to guide regular positioning of the object
and to identify the start and end points. Moreover,the capturing count and parameters are variable,

Agisoft-Metashape processing and analysis
workflowWith consistency to simplifying thedigitization of museums at risk, the acquired
data processed and analyzed.
5-1. Fundamental processing workflow guidance
Two well-known commercial software
options for SfM are PhotoScan (v.1.4) by AgiSoft
and AutoDesk ReCap Photo (v.2018). At this time,
PhotoScan has been replaced with MetaShape(v.1.5) through a free upgrade for professionaland standard licensed users. The maindifferences between the programs are how GPU
and processing power are allocated and theability of MetaShape to classify identified points
into object-classes.
The fundamental algorithm and userpreference settings remain consistent between
the two software versions. Due to different design
parameters between programs, an individual’s
experience could, and does, change depending on
which software they select. It is important toconsider the cost of the license, the intuition of
the graphic user interface (GUI), accessibility torendering parameters, and the overall user
experience for a non-specialist.27
PhotoScan (now MetaShape) creates
excellent models; is easily available to users andcan be extremely cost-effective when users areaffiliated with an institution to allow for
educational licensing. The pros of PhotoScan
include an intuitive GUI, which allows novice
users more than adequate control in creating
models, given their system has sufficient memory.
There is a significant amount of advanced user
control also present for increasing camera
optimization (if using a reference system),
editing masks, and the points clouds themselves,as well as working with multiple “chunks” of asingle project.28
In this regard, six regular phases of AgisoftMetashape process the PhotoScanned data. The
processing workflow phases are activatedART RESEARCH vol.24-3

Despite of the simplicity of Agisoftmetashape workflow, occasionally leakage photos
aren’t aligned, because of insufficiency of tie
points. Therefore, creating masks is an effective
solution to realign the photos. Subsequently, theIntelligent Scissors tool is used to crop the object
shape in each scattered photo (Figure 12).
Afterwards, selecting the cropped photos andexporting it as masks leads to alignment of all
the photos. However, Intelligence Scissors is also
effective for disposing of the scattered point cloud,which has been collected during data acquisition.

Fig. 6 Agisot-metashape processing workflow

Fig. 9 Build Mesh

Fig. 7 Align Photo

Fig. 10 Build Texture

Fig. 8 Build Dense Cloud

11 Build Tiled ModelFig.

The subsequent three phases (Build Mesh,
Build Texture, and Build Tied Model) finalize thepoint cloud data and generate a real 3D model.
The Build Mesh order converts the point cloud to
a network (Figure 9), which is a skeleton
compatible with the Build Texture of the object(Figure 10). Eventually, the last phase of Build
Tied Model process leads to building the 3Dmodel using the Dense Cloud order as source
data with an accuracy of 0.0006 metric pixels sizeand 250 tile size (Figure 11).

Fig. 12 Cropping using Intelligent Scissors

Applicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk: tackling preparedness and post-response

gradually, one-by-one (Figure 6).
The phases begin with adding the acquired
photos, whether separated or as a folder to a new
project. Once the photos are added by Align Photoorder, they are then processed: ordering andcombining the photos according to the assigned
360° levels based on a 40,000 key point limit anda 10,000 tie point limit (Figure 7). Afterwards,
the Build Dense Cloud phase is activated, which
extracts point clouds from the aligned photos(Figure 8).

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Table 2 Comparison between processing parameters of water pitcher and Sue ware objects

Applicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk: tackling preparedness and post-response

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Water Pitcher sub-parameter
Processing phase
Main parameter
Common sub-parameter
Processing
Detailed datawater pitcher
Sue warePhasesCameras73
97
Aligned cameras
73
97
GeneralCoordinate system
Local Coordinates (m)Rotation angles
Yaw, Pitch, Roll
Points10,991 of 14,477
93,380 of 105,472
RMS reprojection error
0.206881 (0.864395pix) 0.169097 (0.357774 pix)
Max reprojection error
0.627883 (20.6651pix) 0.508934 (14.0519 pix)
Mean key point size
4.10527 pix
1.92759 pix
Point colors
3 bands, uint8
3 bands, uint8
Key points
No
No
Average tie point multiplicity
2.846933.0715
Accuracy
HighestHighestGeneric preselection
No
Yes
Reference preselection
No
No
Key point limit
40,00040,000Key point limit per Mpx
40,000Tie point limit
10,0004,000
Point Cloud
Filter points by mask
Yes
Mask tie points
No
Alignment
Excludestationary
tie NoNoparameters
pointsGuided image matchingNo
No
Adaptive camera model NoNofitting
Matching time
1 minutes 18 seconds 37 seconds
Matching memory usage30.97 MB314.25 MB
Alignment time
25 seconds
58 seconds
Alignment memory usage
17.93 MB51.18 MB
Date created2022:07:18 08:55:34
2022:07:13 07:02:17
Software version
1.7.4.13028
1.7.4.13028
File size
953.71 KB
7.39 MBCount
73
97
Quality
Ultra-High
Medium
Depth
Filtering mode
Mild
Mild
maps
Max neighbors
40
generation
Processing time
2 minutes 46 seconds 21 seconds
parameters
Depth Maps
Memory usage502.24 MB
Date created2022:07:18 03:17:51
Software version
1.7.4.13028
File size
52.57 MB13.82 MB
Points3,780,721
1,153,126
Point colors
3 bands, uint8
3 bands, uint8
Quality
Ultra-High
MediumDepth maps
Filtering mode
Mild
Mild
generation
Processing time
21 seconds
parameters
Dense Point
Memory usage
2.08 GB
Cloud
Dense cloud
Processing time
3 minutes 15 seconds 16 seconds
generation
Memory usage
2.08 GBparameters
Date created2022:07:18 03:21:07
2022:07:13 07:04:54
Software version
1.7.4.13028
1.7.4.13028
File size
54.34 MB14.78 MBFaces
665,786
194,658
Model
Vertices334,143
97,607

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Vertex colors
TextureSystemSurvey Data expressed the camera location
overlap and relevant data that are varied,depending on the sufficiency of photos toadequately capture an object's shape. Therefore,
relevant details were mentioned, including thecount of the taken photos, camera positions, andextracted tie points that are used to align thephotos, as well as projection and reprojection
errors. The camera setting is outlined: namely,
the model (NIKON D5500), resolution of thecamera, focal length, and pixel size in micrometer(14.814.8 µm) or {14.8 µm = (14.8/10,000mm)}(0.00148×0.00148 cm), which generates the highresolution model (Table 3).
Based on the survey data, Camera Calibration
data describe the coefficient and correlation
matrix, and image residual for the camera.
Despite coordination being less necessary for
KCAM objects than for architectural heritage,
the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was

Applicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk: tackling preparedness and post-response

Tiled Model

3 bands, uint8
3 bands, uint8
4,096 x 4,096, 4 4,096 x 4,096, 4 bands,
bands, uint8
uint8
Quality
Ultra-High
MediumFiltering mode
Mild
Mild
Depth maps
generation
Max neighbors
40parameters
Processing time
2 minutes 46 seconds 21 seconds
Memory usage502.24 MB
Surface type
Arbitrary
Arbitrary
Source data
Dense cloud
Dense cloud
Reconstruction
Interpolation
EnabledEnabledparameters
Strict volumetric masks No
No
Processing time
2 minutes 37 seconds 40 seconds
Memory usage
2.12 GB854.21 MB
Mapping mode
Generic
Generic
Blending mode
MosaicMosaicTexture size
4,096
4,096
Enable hole filling
Yes
No
Enable ghosting filter
Yes
Yes
Texturing
UV mapping time
1 minutes 16 seconds 58 seconds
parameters
UV mapping memory 1.65 GB
273.73 MB
usage
Blending time
21 second
11 seconds
Blending memory usage 600.43 MB
629.33 MB
Blending GPU memory 497.60 MB
usage
Date created2022:07:18 03:24:23
2022:07:13 07:17:55
Software version
1.7.4.13028
1.7.4.13028
File size
43.22 MB28.49 MB
Texture3 bands, uint8
QualityMediumDepth maps
generation
Filtering mode
Mildparameters
Processing time
21 seconds
Source data
Dense cloudTile size
256
Face countLow
Reconstruction
parameters
Enable ghosting filter
No
Processing time
1 minutes 8 seconds
Memory usage1.38 GB
Date created2022:07:18 08:55:34
2022:07:13 07:37:33
Software version
1.7.4.13028
File size
43.22 MB10.49 MB
Software name
Agisoft Metashape Professional
Software version
1.7.4 build 13028
OS
Windows 64 bit
RAM
15.71 GBCPUIntel(R) Core (TM) i7-8750H CPU @ 2.20GHz
GPU(s)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design

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generated by default and referenced to metriccoordinates, which is convertible to the WGS84
datum.

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216

Table 3 Calibration coefficients and correlation matrix
in processing Sue ware

5-2. Interpretational analysis
Agisoft-Metashape's
exportedreportconcludes the processing and analysis workflow.
The report comprises specific details on theattributes of the photos taken on the exact date
and time the report was generated. (Table 2).
The report summarized the Processing
Parameters that delineates all phases in specificdetail. Consequently, the information began withproperties and calibration of the utilized camera
followed by the six processing phases. The PC
operating system and the software are describedas well.
The generated 3D model is exported toseveral domains, according to the outlined
objectives, where PDF format is appropriate forreports and simple use, while other formats suchas LAS and LAZ are much more suitable for
producing virtual reality, for instance. However,
Agisoft supports point cloud export in thefollowing formats: Wavefront OBJ, Stanford PLY,XYZ text file format, ASPRS, LAS, LAZ, ASTM
E57, U3D, potree, Agisoft OC3, Topcon CL3, andPDF.
In this regard, the provided informationreflects the diversity in processing of the two
objects in the KCAM collection (water pitcher
and Sue ware). Camera positions and capturing
count for the water pitcher are fewer than for theSue ware item, due to dimensional diversity.
Processing synchronization is proportionate,based on the artistic and manufacturing
characteristics of the objects and the dataacquisition parameter. Processing the water
pitcher (1 min 18 s) took longer than the Sueware object (37 s), due to leakage of tie points inthe scattered photos of the water pitcher, which
required more editing. The alignment timenecessary for the Sue ware object (58 s) was
proportional to the count of camera positions (97),which was higher than for the water pitcher (25s), which needed73 camera positions (Table 2).
Measurement is essential in documenting
museums’ collections. PhotoScan doesn’t provide
such relevant automated parameters. So,
measuring the object requires an absolutereference scale. A measurement scale should be
set beside the object during the data acquisition
phase, to serve as a reference to measure desired
distances.
Alternatively,anautomatedmeasuring scale could be generated by
identifying the distance between two visible
points on the object.
6.

Discussion: Significance of digitizing
KCAM and applicability to MENA museums at
risk
Outcomes of digitizing objects in the KCAM
collections emphasized the benefits of PhotoScan
techniques during the COVID-19 outbreak andsuggest its applicability to other museums at risk.
The essential message of KCAM is to createa place to think about the heritage ofarchaeological properties for the future.
Therefore, 3D modelling is an effective method toachieve the fulfilment of this duty.
Interviews with KCAM staff concluded that
COVID-19 revealed the privilege of digitizing thecollection in the current storage environment for
creating digital databases at the time of disasterand publicizing them on the KCAM website.
Digitizing the designated objects of KCAM,
namely an ash glazed water pitcher from
Kitashirakawahaiji-temple, and vessel stands
with miniatures (Sue ware) from Tatsumi roundtomb No. 1, allows traditional and valuable
artifacts of the Kofun era and the Heian era in
Kyoto City to survive. Inaccessibility to thecollections during the COVID-19 state of
emergency disabled KCAM staff and scholars tocheck the objects. The asymmetrical andelaborate design of the water pitcher and the Sueware object were not easily recognizable and not
appropriate for hands-on display. Therefore,
photogrammetry technique generates 360
degrees visibility for both objects, which provides

ART RESEARCH vol.24-3

Conclusion
Outcomes of this contribution will beaggregated to create a digital database andvirtual museum for KCAM at the time of crisis,
which introduces and publicizes Kyoto's cultural
heritage. In addition, dissemination of the
adopted methodology and means is fruitful toother museums vulnerable to the same orresemblance risk, especially in the Middle Eastand North Africa (MENA) region. Accordingly,
the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemicemphasized the importance of generating aninteractive database using photogrammetry inmuseums that allow stakeholders, scholars, aswell as tourists to engage with KCAM's collection,
considering the exceptional global restrictions
that impacted human communications, behavior,and mobility. Furthermore, the benefits of thistechnique extend to preserve the cultural
heritage of countries at risk, wheather those
exposed to armed conflicts or vandalism such as
Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan or those exposed
to natural disasters such as earthquakes thatstruck Türkiye, Syria and Morocco. Creating a
3D digital database for museums supports theefforts of anti-smuggling and the illegal tradingof antiquities for example that took place in
Egypt as a consequence of the January 2011
revolution. Regrettably, Egyptian museums were
exposed to several attacks, including an attempt
to loot the Egyptian Museum in Cairo on January
28, 2011, the looting of the Mallawi Museum inAugust, 2013, and the severe damage in theMuseum of Islamic Art that was affected by the
Cairo Security Directorate explosion in January,
2014.
Consequently, discussion around adopting

photogrammetry technique for selected objects of
KCAM demonstrates the applicability ofgenerating 3D models for MENA museum
collections exposed to natural disaster and armed
conflict. In addition, the workflow is outlined asa guidance to explain the technical background ofphotogrammetry/photo-scanning (SfM-MVS) and
its advantages compared to other 3D scanning
methods, such as TLS and UAV. Moreover,clarification of setting the equipment andparameters up according to different targets forscholars and professional, who wish to adopt asimilarapproachforothermuseums.
Subsequently, simplification of the tools thatwere once expensive became now available at alow price, and systems that require specialized
knowledge are becoming easier to use in the formof applications.
In
view
of
the
above;
applying
photogrammetry
techniqueat
KCAMemphasizes the importance of digitizing themuseum’s collections in the time of crisis, as afruitful prototype for the museum itself andabroad.
Acknowledgment
The authors greatly acknowledge theInternational Joint Digital Achieving Center forJapanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC) and theJapan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS) for supporting this contribution, whichcomes out within the first author as JSPS
international researcher, Visiting Researcher at
Ritsumeikan
University
andprinciple
investigator of research project “Qait’bay Citadel(1477-1479): Visualizing the Main Coastal
Fortification of Medieval Alexandria, Egypt” ,and International Research Fellow of Japan
Society for the Promotion of Science ofPostdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan.
Gratitude is extended to Prof. Masakazu
Yamamoto, Director of the Kyoto City
Archaeological Museum to facilitates andsupport the mission of the teamwork.
［Notes］
1)
2)
3)
4)

Barbato [2015], p. 361
Kaneda et.al. [2015], p. 1
Barbasiewicz et.al. [2018], p. 2
Jithamala H et.al. [2022], p. 1534
5) UNESCO. [2021], p. 16
6) ICOM. [2015], p. 3

Applicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk: tackling preparedness and post-response

detailed texture, especially the multidimensional
shape and previous restoration diagnosis.
Moreover, generating 3D model documentation
will allow displaying the valuable objects outside
KCAM, safely. Eventually, formation of theobjects by 3D printers will also be essential to
KCAM future and its social commitments. For
instance, the Kansai University Museum
adopted 3D printing as a method to showcase theoutcome of combining real object and replica in
one museum scenario.29

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Applicability of digitization experience of the Kyoto City Archaeological Museum (KCAM) to MENA museums at risk: tackling preparedness and post-response

2187) UNESCO. [2013]
8) Ghaidan et.al. [2003], p. 99
9) Aetnet. [2021]
10) UNESCO. [2021]
11) Aljazeera. [2020]
12) UNESCO. [2023]
13) Arab News-Japan. [2023]
14) Adams. [2023]
15) ICOM. [2023]
16) Adams. [2023]
17) Russian News Agency. [2023]
18) Barbato et.al. [2015], p. 361
19) Benjamin U et.al. [2020], p. 220) Christine A et.al. [2020], p. 421) Chao Wu et.al. [2020], p. 222) Goudarzi et.al. [2015], p. 623) Pepe et.al. [2022], p. 1424) KCAM. [2011]25) Kyoto Museums. [2011]26) Mahfudz et. al. [2020], p. 1
27) Christine A et. al. [2020], p. 228) Christine A et. al. [2020], p. 929) Sakaguchi et.al. [2022], p. 42［References］
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