Application of virtualisation methods in archaeology: the case of stela A from the tomb of Henenu (TT 313, Deir el-Bahari, Egypt)

Abstract

[EN] This paper aims to demonstrate how the combination of digital methods for virtual reconstruction is valuable both for knowledge dissemination and for its application in research. Through the case study of the tomb of Henenu (TT 313: Deir el-Bahari, Luxor), this paper shows that the virtual reconstruction techniques constitute a very powerful tool to test hypotheses. Based on this objective, namely the testing of several hypotheses about the dimension and location of various tomb stelae, the authors explain the workflow used during the reconstructing process of these stelae found in the tomb of Henenu and suggest their originally intended setting within the tomb. Hundreds of stelae fragments were found by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art archaeological expedition between 1922 and 1923. Upon these discoveries, archaeologists decided to reconstruct four stelae, emphasising stela A, whose quality attests for its relevant position in the monument. William Hayes identified four different stelae on the basis of the rock types, the stelae fragments thickness, the edge types (curve-edged vs. flat-edged), as well as the iconographic and inscriptional materials attested through the fragments. In 2015, the Middle Kingdom Theban Project (MKTP) continued with the previous works in the area and initiated the recovery of hundreds of fragments from the tomb of Henenu, some of them previously unattested. Once the archaeological and architectural data were collected, the MKTP specialists proceeded to calculate and reconstruct the four stelae dimensions through digital means. In addition, the researchers tested whether these four stelae fit the rock-cut niches identified for their original location. All of them were located in the tomb main corridor leading to the public cultic area within the rock-cut tomb. The following pages describe the workflow used in this process, expanding from the tomb cleaning and laser scanning to digital documentation and modelling. For this project, the architects of the team used the laser scanner Faro Focus 3D to document Henenu s tomb, including the corridor leading to its cultic chamber, as well as the tomb restricted (sacred) areas (i.e., burial chambers and shafts). The data obtained was subsequently processed in Leica Cyclone to obtain a mesh. However, the resulting mesh was not sufficiently clean as it presented some noise. Noise consists of anomalies generated during the scanning process, and it is critical to achieve the most accurate result. The cleaning process was carried out in different software. The outcome was then imported into the Blender modelling software. This result enabled the researchers to create a virtual model of Henenu s stela A, which was then textured using the Substance Painter software. For this procedure, specialists searched for ancient Egyptian limestone stelae examples with similar textures. In the final phase, Photoshop and Substance Painterwere combined, which was key for reproducing the de

[ES] Este trabajo pretende demostrar cómo la combinación de métodos digitales para la reconstrucción virtual en arqueología es mucho más que una simple herramienta para la difusión del patrimonio. A través del estudio de la tumba de Henenu (TT 313: Deir el-Bahari, Luxor), este artículo demuestra que los métodos de reconstrucción virtual constituyen una herramienta eficaz para examinar diversas hipótesis. Cientos de fragmentos de estelas fueron encontrados por la expedición del Museo Metropolitano (Nueva York) en 1922-1923. Tras este descubrimiento, los arqueólogos reconstruyeron cuatro estelas, destacando la estela A. Una vez recuperados los datos arqueológicos y arquitectónicos, los especialistas del MKTP procedieron a reconstruir las posibles dimensiones de estas estelas mediante técnicas digitales. Además, se examinó si las estelas encajaban en los nichos originales construidos para este propósito. En este artículo se plantea el flujo de trabajo empleado desde el escaneado láser hasta el modelado de las estelas, usando un escáner láser para documentar la tumba. Los datos fueron procesados con Leica Cyclone para obtener una malla, aunque la malla presentaba algo de ruido , anomalía que debió ser corregida con otro software. El resultado fue entonces exportado a Blender. De este modo se consiguió la reconstrucción virtual de la estela A de Henenu, que recibió texturas y otros rasgos con Substance Painter y Photoshop. El tema principal de la estela es la provisión de ofrendas y la garantía de beneficios para el difunto, lo que explicaría que el nicho de erección de la estela estuviera a la entrada de la tumba. Como se describe en las conclusiones, gracias a la aplicación de las técnicas de reconstrucción virtual y a los cálculos derivados de la misma, se ha podido elegir una de las hipótesis de reconstrucción y localización de las estelas, ofreciendo una respuesta a la pregunta inicial que se planteaba sobre el caso de la estela A.