MARQ AND THE COLEGIO OFICIAL DE INGENIEROS TÉCNICOS EN TOPOGRAFÍA HAVE SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE BRITISH MUSEUM TO CREATE, USING A LASER SCANNER AND THE LATEST GENERATION OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY TECHNIQUES, A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THE DISCOBOLUS. 


                               

The exhibition “The Body Beautiful: Art and Thought in Ancient Greece”, which is at MARQ until 13th October, constitutes the largest inter-museum loan of Greek art that the British Museum has ever organised. The highlight of the exhibition is the “Discobolus” by Myron. This is the first time that this artwork has been displayed in Spain and only the second time it has ever left the British Museum since it was acquired by relatives of C. Towley in 1805.

Since the exhibition opened there has been a continuous programme of activities focussed around the Discobolus. The most recent of these is a ground breaking scientific analysis of the statue. MARQ (Alicante Archaeology Museum), and the Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Técnicos en Topografía (the Official College of Topographical Technicians, www.coit-topografia.es – www.geomaticalicante.es ) have signed an agreement with the British Museum to create, using a laser scanner and the latest generation of photogrammetry techniques, a mathematical model of the Discobolus. Also involved in carrying out these experimental techniques, as part of the agreement with the British Museum, include the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros en Topografía, Geodesia y Cartografía de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (the Higher Technical School of Topographical, Geodesical and Cartographical Engineers of the Technical University of Madrid) and the company Valverde SIG, S.A.
The agreement with the British Museum has two objectives: firstly, as mentioned above, to create a mathematic model of the Discobolus, which the British Museum currently lacks, and secondly, to establish a research project to analyse the use of current photogrammetric techniques and their application to study archaeological and architectural objects and features.

The non-invasive nature of these types of techniques (working at a distance of 3 metres from the Discobolus), together with the high degree of accuracy and the enormous volume of information generated, makes laser scanning and photogrammetry ideal for these types of studies.

The work, which was carried out on Monday 20th July, included the establishment of a very accurate micro-topographical network of the Discobolus in relation to its setting in MARQ. This network can be used in the future as a geometrical-dimensional reference to later create 3D images of the statue and to further develop the use of such techniques of three-dimensional scanning through laser technology. The final aim is to create a collection of stereoscope images, ortoimages, mathematical and 3D models which will aid in the management and visualisation of objects and artworks.

All of this important information will provide a more complete, continuous and precise record of the Discobolus. This will provide everything that is required in regard to the study, conservation, restoration and reproduction etc… of the famous statue of the discus thrower.

Future metric cataloguing of objects and sites depend on the success of this research project. MARQ is at the vanguard of technological innovation in the field of archaeology, which has further applications in other research fields, such as the recording and maintenance of historical monuments and sites, buildings and emblematic rural and urban areas…etc….

News of the scan in the press:

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