Page 131 - AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report

Nacional de Antropología e Historia - INAH (Mexico) gave rise to a project designed to carry out a structural diagnosis and preserve the site at Ekab (Mexico) using digital data acquisition techniques (Hess et al., 2014).35Ekab was an ancient Mayan settlement located in the Yucatan peninsula (Mexico). It preserves archaeological remains of the indigenous popu- lation and other ruins from the colonial era, such as a church dating from the sixteenth century, on which the work performed was focused.The aim was to use non-destructive digital methodologies to document in detail the ruins of this church – which is located in a place di cult to access – in order to obtain su cient datato perform visual and structural diagnoses that cannot be made in situ.The techniques used to document the ruinsof the site were chie y 3D laser scanning and others such as high-resolution photography, panoramic 360-degree imaging, aerial photogra- phy and thermal imaging to diagnose the current state of preservation.The information gleaned is of great importance, as it can be used to draw up future plans for protecting and preserving the site. This diagnos- tic study has other potential uses, as the infor- mation could also be employed in other types of studies related to historical, archaeological and anthropological analyses.Fresco mural Pan American Unity by Diego Rivera (San Francisco, California)The moving of a fresco by Diego Rivera (1886–1957), commonly known as Pan American Unity, was an opportunity to put into practice the versatility of photogrammetric techniques as means of diagnosing and preserving cultural property.This fresco, painted by the artist in 1940, has signi cant historic and social value, as it is heldto be an emblem of the expression of a uni ed culture of the Americas, presented through an inspiring view of the unity of the art, religion, history, politics and technology of all the peo- ples.After initially being shown in an exhibition, the mural was intended for the new library of the City College of San Francisco. However, the library was never built, and it was therefore installed in the Diego Rivera theatre on the college campus.After several years, the Friends of the Diego Rivera Murals association and the City College of San Francisco started up the Diego Rivera Mural Project,36 which aimed to move the mural to a new building on the campus for enhanced public viewing.The task of moving such a large, complex and admirable work to a new location needed to be carried out with utmost care to prevent any dam- age. It was therefore essential to gather su cient information in order to draw up an assessment and prevention plan before moving it.For this purpose Cultural Heritage Imaging37 (CHI), specialists in the culture sector, were contacted and entrusted with producing a set of 3D images using photogrammetric techniques. The complete 3D representation of the mural, together with 2D images, was the basis for an in-depth analysis and accurate record of the current condition of the mural. What is more, the information gleaned could be used to es- tablish a database that will be important in the long term for managing the conservation of the mural vis-à-vis possible changes in its conditions and structural characteristics [online resource - video].38Main chapel of Valencia cathedralIn Spain photogrammetric and laser scanning techniques have been used in important inter- ventions on cultural property, especially thoseAC/E DIGITAL CULTURE ANNUAL REPORT 2017131The use of digital technologies in the conservation, analysis and dissemination of cultural heritage