Archaeology makes use of laser technology

BURDUR – Anadolu Agency

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Digital models of artifacts unearthed during excavations in the ancient city of Kibyra are being created with the use of laser technology, within the scope of a project initiated by the Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKU) in the southern province of Burdur.

MAKU Technical Sciences Vocational School Director Serkan Öktem said the project had been initiated with deputy director Sualp Deniz and the support of the West Mediterranean Development Agency (BAKA). 

He said that as part of the project, they scanned artifacts that had been unearthed from the ancient city of Kibyra and delivered to the Burdur Archaeology Museum using the laser technology. The ancient city is located in the Gölhisar district and is known as the city of gladiators. 

Öktem said the university’s goal was to turn the artifacts into digital models so people would be able to “visit” them on the Internet. 


A virtual museum 

By the end of the project, which will be finished in about two months, Öktrm said they would make a virtual museum. He said, “The unearthed artifacts are being displayed in parallel at the museum but as these [physical] opportunities are limited, thousands of artifacts are being kept in the museum’s storage and cannot be displayed. We scan these artifacts with the laser scanning technology and model them on a computer. Then we transfer them to the Internet so that people can see [them]. Archaeology and history aficionados can see these centuries-old artifacts easily on the Internet.”

Öktem said the project had two stages. First the objects will be scanned one by one. Then the stadium, agora and the assembly building in the ancient city of Kibyra would be scanned.  

He said the laser tools used were imported from abroad and were used in the industrial, automotive, machine, construction and restoration sectors. 

“We use these tools for archaeological purposes. They are brand new technologies. Technology is progressing very fast. Maybe we will have opportunity to make 3-D prints of these artifacts in the future,” he said.