More Than Just a Sum of the Points: Re-Thinking the Value of Laser Scanning Data

High-definition laser scanning is becoming increasingly popular within the field of heritage, with applications ranging from the digital recording and analysis of landscapes to buildings and objects. In some ways the uptake of this technology reflects new ways of addressing old questions, but with the potential for greater accuracy and density of spatial information. Through the exploration of three case studies, this chapter highlights the additional value that laser scanning can bring to heritage applications, with each example showing how the re-tasking of the captured data can result in additional benefits that extend considerably beyond the initial intentions. It is argued that, unlike the results from more conventional survey methods, high-definition laser scan data can exist independently from the original intentions of the survey and that it holds considerable value for addressing previously unimagined possibilities.