Application of virtualisation methods in archaeology: the case of stela A from the tomb of Henenu (TT 313, Deir el-Bahari, Egypt)

Abstract

This paper aims to demonstrate how the combination of digital methods for virtual reconstruction is valuable both for knowledge dissemination and for its application in research. Through the case study of the tomb of Henenu (TT 313: Deir el-Bahari, Luxor), this paper shows that the virtual reconstruction techniques constitute a very powerful tool to test hypotheses. Based on this objective, namely the testing of several hypotheses about the dimension and location of various tomb stelae, the authors explain the workflow used during the reconstructing process of these stelae found in the tomb of Henenu and suggest their originally intended setting within the tomb.

Hundreds of stelae fragments were found by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art archaeological expedition between 1922 and 1923. Upon these discoveries, archaeologists decided to reconstruct four stelae, emphasising stela A, whose quality attests for its relevant position in the monument. William Hayes identified four different stelae on the basis of the rock types, the stelae fragments thickness, the edge types (curve-edged vs. flat-edged), as well as the iconographic and inscriptional materials attested through the fragments. In 2015, the Middle Kingdom Theban Project (MKTP) continued with the previous works in the area and initiated the recovery of hundreds of fragments from the tomb of Henenu, some of them previously unattested. Once the archaeological and architectural data were collected, the MKTP specialists proceeded to calculate and reconstruct the four stelae dimensions through digital means. In addition, the researchers tested whether these four stelae fit the rock-cut niches identified for their original location. All of them were located in the tomb main corridor leading to the public cultic area within the rock-cut tomb. The following pages describe the workflow used in this process, expanding from the tomb cleaning and laser scanning to digital documentation and modelling. For this project, the architects of the team used the laser scanner Faro Focus 3D to document Henenu’s tomb, including the corridor leading to its cultic chamber, as well as the tomb restricted (sacred) areas (i.e., burial chambers and shafts). The data obtained was subsequently processed in Leica Cyclone to obtain a mesh. However, the resulting mesh was not sufficiently clean as it presented some noise. Noise consists of anomalies generated during the scanning process, and it is critical to achieve the most accurate result. The cleaning process was carried out in different software. The outcome was then imported into the Blender modelling software. This result enabled the researchers to create a virtual model of Henenu’s stela A, which was then textured using the Substance Painter software. For this procedure, specialists searched for ancient Egyptian limestone stelae examples with similar textures. In the final phase, Photoshop and Substance Painterwere combined, which was key for reproducing the details of the inscription carved in the stela A. The stela major topic is the provision of offerings to the deceased and the guarantee of benefactions for the deceased; this explains why the presumable niche for this object was just at the entrance of the tomb.

 The ancient Egyptian findings reconstruction is an essential part of the archaeological, epigraphic, and conservation initiatives conducted by the MKTP in the cemeteries of Deir el-Bahari and Asasif (Luxor, Egypt). This multidisciplinary international project seeks to continue with the excavation, documentation, and publication of the archaeological, artistic, and material finds dating to the Eleventh and Twelfth dynasties in the Theban necropolis. Thanks to the virtual reconstruction and to the study of the related data, scholars were able to choose one of the initial reconstruction and location hypotheses of these stelae, providing an answer to the initial question of the project, particularly in the case of stela A.