Page 136 - AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report

136Bilanero archaeological project61 (Alhambra, Ciudad Real) and at the Roman site of Santa María62 de Villarejo de Salvan s (Madrid), where lming, photography and photogrammetry were performed using drones to obtain 3D models generated from photogrammetric techniques that are available online on the company’s website. In other cases the results consisted in creating high-resolution orthophotos to docu- ment the site of the Roman villa at La Majona (Don Benito, Badajoz) and the medieval castleof San Juan in Peñalver (Guadalajara). Virtua Nostrum has also carried out a photogrammetric survey of the upper section of the nave and lantern tower of the tenth-century Mozarabic church of San Cipriano (San Cebrián de Mazote, Valladolid). This survey illustrates the possibilities of using drones in interior spaces where it is di cult to capture photogrammetric data using other techniques such as 3D laser scanning.Drone by DroneDrone By Drone63 is a Basque company special- ised in capturing high-quality images and video footage, as well as in performing technical work and holding courses related to drones, some of which involve heritage.One of these projects was carried out in col- laboration with Arqueocean, a comprehensive archaeological management company that salvages maritime and naval heritage. Part ofthe work consisted in making a video recording64 with drones in the area of the breakwater that connects the island of Garraitz or San Nicolás with Isuntza beach (Lekeitio) to use as documen- tation for cataloguing wreckage in the Lea inlet.Also in collaboration with the Universidad del País Vasco and the Grupo de Investigación en Patrimonio y Paisajes Culturales, the site ofthe ninth-century castle of Santa Marta de Pancorbo, also known as the castle of Pancorbo (Burgos), was architecturally documented. The castle’s special location – it is perched on rocks at the entrance to the Pancorbo pass – made itdi cult to reach to document the site. The use of drones facilitated this task and the oblique and overhead shots taken allowed information to be gleaned about the surviving remains and establish possible alterations. Other kinds of drones generated orthophotos and a digital 3D model65 of the surviving remains to analyse the inaccessible areas of the site in the laboratory.1.7 3D Digital ModelsAs we have seen, 3D data acquisition techniques are one of the most widely used resources for documenting and digitising cultural heritage,as the possibility of recreating a detailed virtual model of an area or object helps study and analyse it.Following the data acquisition process, the end result is the 3D digital model, an ideal replica for the study phase prior to possible restoration/ intervention. 3D digital models allow various alternatives or hypotheses to be considered and studied without having to make any physical changes to the original elements. Therefore,the various pathologies of the heritage property can be studied in this phase and the appropriate procedures for a future intervention can be subsequently outlined.Another reason for creating 3D digital models is to gather the data needed to carry out an analy- sis and diagnosis with a view to designing a plan for the preventive conservation of the heritage property.But these are not the only conservation possibil- ities of 3D digital models, as the severe deterio- ration of some heritage assets is due to various speci c and environmental causes, such as adverse climate conditions, prolonged functional use of the building (usually for tourist purposes) or fortuitous exposure to war – a factor thathas recently gained prominence. In such cases the experiments were also focused on digitising heritage.1. DOCUMENTATION, DIAGNOSIS AND CONSERVATIONThe use of digital technologies in the conservation, analysis and dissemination of cultural heritage