Emerging technologies for Archaeological Heritage: knowledge, digital documentation, communication

Today, knowledge of archaeological artefacts at various representation scales is required of any 3D model. The significance of constructing digital models in the domain of archaeology reinforces the theoretical bases of survey and representation, as structured systems for organising and communicating information, and for critical analysis which optimises the results obtained from the concerted work of archaeologists, architects, and informatics experts. Presented here is a study of the Etruscan Sanctuary of Pyrgi that illustrates a complete methodology for the virtual assembling and communicating dismounted archaeological elements. It includes a classification of elements which compose tangible and intangible heritage within a digital platform used to consult heterogeneous data. The core of the work is the definition of 3D/2D/1D models based on several surveying and representation techniques. Attention has been focused on the scientific advantages, costs, and precision levels guaranteed by various techniques, as well as on digital visualization as the fundamental element of the communication strategy.