3-D scanning for museums

Technologically, this is nothing new, but the application to museum artifacts is. Hence this note on work in progress at the British Museum:

The museum is making digital copies of fragile clay tablets from ancient Iraq using a new laser scanning method. "It's a bit like a photocopier but a million times more powerful," explained Dr Irving Finkel, Assistant Keeper in the Department of the Ancient Near East. . .

The idea started last year, when museum curators from Iraq requested copies of 1,000 clay tablets to furnish a new exhibition in Mosel. It will be dedicated to King Ashurbanipal, who reigned over the region in seven BC. The British Museum currently houses thousands of tablets from the king's personal library. . .

"Many of the [cuneiform] tablets are very delicate. But when you use a laser it doesn't harm the surface at all. So from the museum's point of view this is a wonderful possibility."

The museum is expecting to have the results of the experiment soon. If it proves successful, Dr Finkel said large parts of the museum's collection could be made available online.

Posted by David on June 4, 2003 4:20 PM