Artec’s 3D Scanning Technology Helps Preserve Ancient Mesopotamian History
Preserving the cultural heritage of our ancestors is a task of significant importance. The lessons provided by history offer us some of the most telling and accurate roadmaps for the future. Additionally, historical sites and artifacts help us understand our cultural similarities and differences. However, many historical settings are struggling against the test of time. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 52 locations on its World Heritage list are in some form of danger.
3D scanning has emerged as a boon in this regard, empowering archaeologists, historians, and other concerned parties to preserve at-risk sites digitally. A recent and notable example of the potential of 3D scanning technology to safeguard heritage sites can be found in the tragic 2019 fire that decimated the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. Ubisoft, a French video game producer, offered assistance to restore the building as it had scanned and virtually recreated the Notre Dame for one of its video games, Assassin’s Creed Unity.
How 3D Scanning is Protecting the Memory of Ancient Mesopotamia
Now, French documentary film producer and director, Ivan Erhel, is using this powerful technology to protect the remains of the once great Mesopotamian civilization. Primarily located in modern-day Iraq, the enduring Mesopotamian buildings and artifacts have been under constant threat due to decades of instability and war. As such, Erhel has followed and filmed the journey of Iraqis using 3D scanning to document their country’s history before it’s too late.
The sites that were scanned and digitally preserved include the Processional Way, a path leading through the Ishtar Gate, which was one of the first inclusions in the Seven Wonders of the World. This work was commissioned by the Babylonian monarch King Nebuchadnezzar, the infamous conqueror of Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar features in the Biblical books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The Processional Way and Ishtar Gate hosted the festivities of the Babylonian new year and were decorated extravagantly with statues of various animals.
The team and film crew also had to persist through the threat of being caught in the crossfire of armed conflict as their journey coincided with Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) incursions in Iraq. These challenges can be seen as somewhat poetic, considering the terrorist group’s active efforts to destroy hallmarks of cultural heritage. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), ISIS has destroyed six UNESCO World Heritage sites in Syria alone. Additionally, in Iraq, ISIS has ravaged historical locations in Hatra, a former Silk Road stop, Mosul (including the tomb of Jonah), Nimrud, a former Assyrian capital, and Nineveh, host to a former royal palace.
In the wake of open warfare and destruction, 3D scanning offers humanity a way to cheaply, effectively, and conveniently preserve our past.
Professional 3D Scanning Services for All
If you’d like to use 3D scanning for your own purposes, get in touch with us here at My Engineering Ltd. We are a team of experienced, passionate, talented, and energetic professionals who provide 3D scanning, 3D scanner sales, and mechanical engineering services. If you require innovation, a solid work ethic, professionalism, and world-class customer service, reach out to us today.
We also stock a wide range of Artec 3D scanners; whether you need metrology-grade equipment or long-ranged phased array scanners, we have you covered.
Please note that the content and inspiration for this article was provided by the following blog:https://www.artec3d.com/cases/preserving-heritage-in-iraq