Documenting Archaeological Petroglyph Sites with the Use of 3D Terrestrial Laser Scanners—A Case Study of Petroglyphs in Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

The use of 3D terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) in the documentation of archaeological sites is an effective method of collecting information about the area under study. The wide range of acquired data makes this method a versatile tool, and not limited only to documentation tasks. This article presents the possibilities of 3D TLS and their postprocessing software in the pioneering work related to the digitization of exhibits in The Petroglyphs of Cholpon-Ata Open-air Museum near Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. A 3DScaMITE methodology adapted for that task is highlighted. The data obtained during the scanning were used to build high-accuracy 3D digital petroglyph models, together with their location within the open-air museum area. The acquired models also allowed a detailed analysis of the geometric parameters of the cavities forming the petroglyph figures. The results of the analysis confirmed the thesis about improper preservation of petroglyphs. It has been demonstrated in this way that the used TLS method is completely universal in documenting petroglyphs, including the location and shape of their place of creation, as well as creating a sufficiently accurate analysis of the structure of drawings.