AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO SURVEY…
Sarah is currently a research consultant on the International El Kurru Project, a collaboration among University of Dongola in Karima, Copenhagen University and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology (University of Michigan). El Kurru is perhaps best known for being the resting place for Nubian royalty, and the remains of an ancient pyramid and temple are still extant. George Reisner first excavated the site around 1919 and until this project, no substantial work has been undertaken at El Kurru. During the 2014 & 2015 field seasons, Sarah has carried out survey which ranged from underground imaging of ancient painted tombs to landscape modelling of the historic remains of the first excavation camp, to documenting the contemporary excavation.
3D MODELLING / VISUALISATION OF QALHATA
In both 2014 and 2015, she surveyed the painted tomb of Qalhata (25th Dynasty Nubian Queen) using a multi-image digital photogrammetric approach, sometimes also referred to as Structure from Motion/SfM. The outputs from this work are being incorporated into the conservation and epigraphic analysis led by Dr Rachael Dann at University of Copenhagen.
Click here to interactively view the model of Qalhata’s tomb…
FOCUSED REFLECTANCE TRANSFORMATION IMAGING
Additionally, Sarah has undertaken focused Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) within Qalhata’s tomb. In the following video, possible intentional damage to the ancient painting is revealed using this innovative visualisation approach.
VIRTUAL RTI AND QALHATA’S TOMB
Dr Duffy has also been working on combining the outputs from SfM with the innovative lighting capabilities of RTI by generating Virtual RTI files. In the following example, the exterior of Qalhata’s tomb (a 3D model generated using SfM) is virtually illuminated to reveal landscape features including the possible remains of the footprint of a mortuary temple.
PLACING YOURSELF IN THE LANDSCAPE
sarahMduffy 