Digitalizing Collections

Contact person: Prof. Dr. Martin Langner

The Archaeological Institute has started to digitalize parts of its antiquities collection in high-resolution scans.

Precise 3D scans of ancient sculptures allow, for example, a computer-aided shape comparison by using statistics and can reveal workshop processes in antiquity. Using these methods, it is, for example, possible to find out if terracotta figurines were made from the same mould. Furthermore, we checked how accurately our plaster casts reproduce originals or, for example, to what degree sculptured architectural ornaments resemble each other isometrically. Producing copies of Greek originals was common practice in workshops for Roman ideal sculpture. Imperial portraits were also created as replicas. A precise comparison of 3D scans gives us the opportunity to reveal these processes in even greater detail and to analyze them with regard to relevant factors of antique perception.