3D Cultural Heritage Documentation

Cultural heritage documentation spans an extraordinary range of scales and purposes — from a barely legible carved inscription on a 2,400-year-old marble block, to a tactile model of the Acropolis made for blind visitors, to a full aerial and terrestrial survey of an active excavation or an entire archaeological site. No single technology covers all of it well.

Astrolabe Engineering has been engaged in archaeological documentation work since the company was founded in 2002 — and the principals behind the firm were involved in such projects even earlier. Over more than two decades we have built a track record across archaeological sites, historic monuments, museum collections, and accessibility applications, combining static, portable SLAM, and mobile laser scanning, structured-light scanning, aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, immersive virtual tours, and selecting the right mix for each project and purpose. The work is underpinned by our in-house land surveying practice, which keeps every dataset properly controlled and georeferenced.

What we offer

• 3D documentation of archaeological sites and excavations — Orthophotos, georeferenced point clouds and models that record the full spatial context of a dig or site, from trench profiles and stratigraphic sections to entire site topography.
• Monument and architectural survey — Detailed 3D capture of standing structures: temples, theatres, towers, fortifications and historic buildings, with outputs suited to conservation, restoration and heritage management.
• Physical scale models — From scan data to hand-finished maquette: accurate physical scale models in durable materials for display at the site, in museums, or for educational and accessibility purposes — including tactile models for visually impaired visitors.
• Museum object and artefact digitisation — Sub-millimetre structured-light scanning of sculptures, architectural members and portable artefacts for archive, research, and digital or physical exhibition.
• Epigraphic and surface documentation — High-resolution 3D scanning of inscriptions and carved surfaces that are difficult to read with the naked eye, enabling detailed digital examination, archiving and publication.

Technologies and methods

• 3D laser scanning — static, portable SLAM and mobile. Three deployment modes serve different scales and field conditions. Static (terrestrial) laser scanning — tripod-mounted, medium- to long-range — delivers the highest geometric accuracy and produces a georeferenced RGB point cloud from which plans, sections, elevations, orthophotos and 3D models are derived. It is the workhorse for monuments, theatres, fortifications and standing architecture. Portable SLAM scanning suits interiors, excavation areas and any situation where setting up individual scan stations is impractical: the scanner maps space continuously as the operator moves through it, trading some accuracy for speed and spatial coverage. For larger accessible sites, mobile mapping from a vehicle or platform extends coverage efficiently while preserving georeferencing. For the equipment behind each mode, see our 3D Laser Scanning service page.

• Structured-light scanning. For sub-millimetre resolution — inscriptions, relief carvings, architectural members, sculpture and artefacts, as well as existing physical models that need to be digitised for reproduction — Astrolabe uses handheld structured-light scanners. Data is processed in dedicated 3D modelling software into dense, textured mesh models at accuracies down to 0.1 mm. Structured-light scanning equipment is listed alongside the laser-scanning hardware on the 3D Laser Scanning service page.

• Photogrammetry — aerial and terrestrial. Aerial photogrammetry via UAV provides site-wide coverage — accurate orthophotos, digital surface models and dense photogrammetric point clouds — and is particularly valuable where a site’s extent or topography makes ground-only survey impractical, or where an accurate aerial plan view is needed alongside terrestrial data. Terrestrial photogrammetry from ground-level camera positions complements laser scanning for texture and colour capture on façades or surfaces where active sensors are less effective. Both approaches are routinely merged with laser scan data for complete site documentation. For sensors, platforms and processing software, see our Photogrammetry service page.

• 3D virtual tours: Archaeological sites, museums, and permanent or temporary exhibitions can be documented as immersive, browser-accessible 3D virtual tours. The capture technology combines LiDAR spatial scanning with high-resolution panoramic photography, producing spatial walkthroughs that allow remote audiences to explore a site or gallery in full three-dimensional context. This sits at the intersection of documentation and public engagement — archiving the space as it exists at a point in time while making it accessible to audiences well beyond the physical site. See our True 3D Virtual Tours page for the equipment and workflow.

• Underpinning: land surveying. All capture methods above are supported by Astrolabe’s in-house land surveying capability: establishing control networks, placing and measuring ground control points, georeferencing datasets to national or project coordinate systems, and integrating 3D capture data with existing topographic and cadastral records. This is not a subcontracted step — it is part of our core competence as a licensed surveying practice, and is what allows multiple datasets from different sensors, captured weeks or years apart, to align cleanly. See our Land Surveying service page for the underlying methodology.

Highlighted projects

Acropolis of Athens — an ongoing relationship

• Parthenon and scattered architectural members (2023–2025) — Topographic and photogrammetric surveys of the Parthenon and 3D modelling of architectural members and scattered fragments, for the Acropolis Restoration Service (YSMA). The work feeds directly into anastylosis planning, a continuation of the Acropolis programme that has run for decades.

• Propylaia, North Wing (2022) — Production of elevation orthophotos and a 3D model of the North Wing of the Propylaia for the Acropolis Restoration Service (YSMA).

• Acropolis tactile model and the three classical column orders (2022) — In collaboration with the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece (Faros Tyflon Ellados), the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens (EFAPA), and with the Onassis Foundation as sponsor, Astrolabe digitised an existing bronze model of the Acropolis with handheld structured-light scanners and — together with model-maker Sotirios Kyriazis / Imaginary Reality Scale Models (Péfki, Athens) — produced a tactile scale model (1.30 × 1.00 m) plus seven copies each of the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian column orders. The workflow ran from structured-light scan to 3D modeling and editing to 3D-printed prototype. Inaugurated 24 November 2022 by the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni. Read the official press release.

• Old Acropolis Museum, as-built documentation (2024) — 3D survey of the as-built state of the Old Acropolis Museum, within Sub-project of “Reopening with New Uses of the Old Acropolis Museum” for the Ministry of Culture.

UNESCO World Heritage support

• Minoan Palace Centres — UNESCO World Heritage nomination dossier (2021) — Documentation services for the architectural remains of the Minoan Palace Centres of Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Zakros, Kydonia and Zominthos, supporting the preparation of the nomination dossier for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Sports / Directorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities (DIPKA).

International — Qatar Museums, Museum of Islamic Art (Doha)

• True 3D Virtual Tour of the Museum of Islamic Art (2021) — Immersive 3D virtual tour of the Museum of Islamic Art, for Qatar Museums, delivered on the Matterport platform. See our True 3D Virtual Tours solution for similar work.

• 3D scanning and modelling of selected Museum of Islamic Art exhibits (2021) — Sub-millimetre structured-light scanning and modelling of selected objects from the Museum of Islamic Art collection, for Qatar Museums. See out two Sketchfab collections:

Major archaeological sites

• Akrotiri, Thera — physical scale model of the prehistoric settlement (2012) — Laser-scanner survey of monuments, shelter and surrounding area by Astrolabe, processed into a 3D digital model at 2 cm resolution and a 1:100 physical scale model for the project Restoration, Landscaping and Shelter Replacement at the Archaeological Site of Akrotiri, Thera. Commissioned by Akro Meletitiki, in collaboration with model-maker Sotirios Kyriazis / Imaginary Reality Scale Models (Péfki, Athens), who produced the 3D-printed scale model and its finishing. The scale model is installed at the entrance of the archaeological site for visitors.

• Ancient Theatre of Demetrias, Volos (2013) — Geometric documentation of the Ancient Theatre of Demetrias, within the project Restoration of Sections of the Ancient Theatre of Demetrias and Overall Improvement of the Monument and Surrounding Area, for the 13th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities. 3D polygonal model produced to inform restoration design.

Excavation documentation

• Mycenaean Tholos Tomb, Acharnes (2012) — 3D laser scanning survey of the archaeological site of the Mycenaean tholos (beehive) tomb at Acharnes, for the Ministry of Culture / 2nd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities.

• Funerary Monument at Kolones, Salamis (2013–2014) — 3D scanning survey of the funerary monument at Kolones, Salamis, within the project Restoration and Promotion of the Funerary Monument at Kolones, Salamis. Commissioned by the 26th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities.

• Thessaloniki Metro — Agia Sofia Station archaeological excavations (2017) — Detailed 3D survey of the archaeological excavations at the north and south entrances of Agia Sofia Metro Station, Thessaloniki, for Aktor S.A. A complex urban-archaeology assignment where in-situ remains had to be fully recorded before the metro works could proceed.

• Tripodon Street, Plaka, Athens — courtyard antiquities (2024) — Topographic survey and 3D documentation of antiquities in the courtyard of the property at 32 Tripodon Street, for the Ministry of Culture / Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens (EFAPA). Another urban-archaeology brief: documenting in-situ remains uncovered in a private-property setting in the historic Plaka district. Read the case study →

Maritime heritage

• Aegean Museum of Shipbuilding and Nautical Traditions — protected wooden vessels (2014–2021) — Over a seven-year programme, Astrolabe 3D-laser-scanned eight protected traditional wooden vessels and contributed to the survey drawings of their hull remains, for the Samos Cultural Foundation “Nikolaos Dimitriou”. Part of the Foundation’s long-running effort to document and exhibit Aegean shipbuilding traditions.

Twin it! 3D for Europe’s Culture

Astrolabe Engineering has contributed to Greece’s participation in both instalments of the European Twin it! 3D for Europe’s Culture campaign — the initiative coordinated by Europeana and the European Commission to preserve, document and promote Europe’s cultural heritage through high-quality digital twins.

• Twin it! Part I — Astrolabe contributed the 3D digital documentation of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, developed within the framework of the 3D4Delphi research project (see Research projects below). The resulting 3D model is published on Europeana.

• Twin it! Part II (2026) — Astrolabe carried out the 3D surveying and reality-capture works for the digital twin of the archaeological site of Delos — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades, within the ARCHAEORAMA research project. The 3D digital model covers the Sanctuary of Apollo, the Sacred Lake Quarter, the Agora of the Italians, the Granite Palaestra, the Stoa of Philip and the early Christian Basilica of Saint Kyrykos. The datasets are publicly accessible through interactive Potree and Eureka3D viewers hosted by the Ephorate: cyclades.culture.gov.gr/3d-delos_twin-it-ii. For the full story, see our post Astrolabe Engineering contributes to Greece’s participation in Twin it! Part II.

Together, the Delphi and Delos contributions reflect the growing role of 3D reality-capture in the preservation, accessibility and international dissemination of Greece’s cultural heritage.

Deliverables

From a cultural heritage survey, Astrolabe typically produces:

• Georeferenced RGB point clouds
• Textured 3D mesh models — for research, archive and exhibition
• Orthophotos — plan views, elevations, façade representations
• Scaled cross-sections and contour plans at client-specified locations and intervals
• CAD-ready extracted drawings
• 3D Virtual Tours, for online display
• Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) applications
• 3D-printed physical scale models
• Metadata-rich digital archives

Deliverable formats are agreed at project start so they integrate with the client’s existing workflow — whether that means CAD files for a restoration architect, AutoCAD/Revit for a BIM team, or a custom interactive viewer for a museum installation.

Research projects

Astrolabe has coordinated or partnered in three nationally and EU-funded research programmes that have specifically advanced 3D documentation methods for cultural heritage.

3D-SYSTEK (2011–2014)

Role: Coordinator.
Partners: ICS-FORTH (Information Systems Laboratory), TEI Crete.
Funding: NSRF 2007–2013, General Secretariat of Research and Technology (Cooperation 2009 action).

Developed an integrated system for the 3D documentation, promotion and exploitation of cultural heritage monuments, combining complete 3D data acquisition, 3D modelling and metadata recording. A key output was a web-based point cloud viewer enabling remote scientific collaboration.

3D4Delphi (2020–2023)

Role: Coordinator.
Partners: Ephorate of Antiquities of Fokis / Archaeological Museum of Delphi, Hellenic Mediterranean University (DMA Lab), Technical University of Crete, Creative Development Thinking, JGC Geoinformations Systems SA.
Funding: GSRT / “Open Innovation for Culture” action.

Applied combined 3D survey methods to the archaeological site of Delphi to model archaeological uncertainty — creating multiple reconstruction variants drawn from excavation data rather than a single definitive model. An interactive installation was deployed at the Museum of Delphi, and an AR application was produced for visitor use. Project website: 3d4delphi.gr.

LiP3D (2024 – 2026)

Role: Partner — Work Packages 3 and 4, with primary involvement in WP3 (3D data acquisition and survey).
Funding: European Union Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL)
Consortium: 10 partners across 6 countries — lead: Università “G. d’Annunzio” di Chieti-Pescara (Italy); other partners include Politecnico di Bari, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence (Cyprus), Polytechnic University of Tirana, Universitatea Politehnica Timișoara, Uniwersytet Warszawski, People in Focus (Albania), and Ud’anet Srl.

A multi-country project that combined advanced 3D survey, immersive XR reconstruction and open-data publishing across six European archaeological sites — making cultural heritage accessible through interactive virtual environments and contributing to the European Data Space for Cultural Heritage. Astrolabe’s case study was the Rivellino del Porto, Chania, Crete — a Venetian fortress documented by terrestrial laser scanning and UAV photogrammetry. The resulting 3D point cloud is published on the LiP3D platform and on Sketchfab. Project website: lip3dproject.eu.

How we work for cultural heritage

With archaeological bodies and ministries — Astrolabe works directly with Ephorates of Antiquities and museum institutions on commission, delivering the documentation to the client’s specification and integrating with their existing heritage management records.

In research consortia — As both coordinator and partner in multi-institution research programmes, Astrolabe is experienced in the project management, deliverable and reporting requirements of EU and nationally funded research.

With architects and conservators — Our 3D survey data feeds directly into conservation plans, restoration drawings and structural assessments. We align deliverables with the workflow of the conservation or architectural team leading the project, so the survey is genuinely useful at the desk where the design work happens.

Work With Us

Working with an archaeological body, museum, conservation architect or research consortium? We would be glad to discuss what 3D documentation can do for your site, monument or collection — from a single carved inscription to a UNESCO-scale dossier. Get in touch →