Documenting facades of Etruscan rock─cut tombs: From 3D recording to archaeological analysis
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2016-08-19

Etruscan rock-cut tombs with decorated facades are located only in area of inland southern Etruria, now region Tuscany and Lazio in Italy. These tombs were constructed from second quarter of the 6th century BC to the end of 3rd / beginning of the 2nd century BC in natural vertical tuff cliffs. Decoration of the facades is carved into the rock and reproduces architectural elements and in the Hellenistic period also floral and figural motifs. Due to the character of tuff stone, facades suffer from heavy erosion caused mainly by water and vegetation. Carved decoration as well as inscriptions are slowly vanishing. Paper examines multi-image photogrammetry as a tool for documentation, digital preservation and archaeological analysis, which is based on increased readability of worked surface, typological comparisons and other actions which allows virtual environment. Advantages, disadvantages, possibilities and limitations of multi-image photogrammetry technique used for documenting this kind of rock art will be discussed, as well as ways of further use of acquired data in virtual reconstruction and virtual anastylosis.

Tatiana Votroubeková