Image-based low-cost systems for automatic 3D recording and modelling of archaeological finds and objects

In most cases archaeological finds and objects remain in the country of origin. Thus, for potential users away from that location, 3D models of archaeological finds and objects form an increasingly important resource since they can be analysed and visualised in efficient databases using web-based tools over the Internet. Since typical 3D recording technologies for archaeological objects, such as terrestrial laser scanning or fringe projection systems, are still expensive, cumbersome, inconvenient, and often require expert knowledge, camera-based systems offer a cost-effective, simple and flexible alternative that can be immediately implemented. This paper will demonstrate how the geometry and texture of archaeological finds and objects can be automatically constructed, modelled and visualized from digital imagery using freely-available open-source software or web services. The results of several objects derived from different tested software packages and/or services are compared with reference data in order to analyse the accuracy and reliability of such objects.