Etruscanning 3D. The Etruscan grave n.5 of Monte Michele in Veii: From the digital documentation to the virtual reconstruction and communication

This work, that has been developed in the framework of the European project Etruscanning 3D, focuses on the reconstruction of the Etruscan grave nr. 5 of Monte Michele (Veii). The tomb had been studied with the purpose of creating a virtual environment that describes the archaeological stratigraphy and the excavation of the site to the general public of the museum. This goal influenced not only the design of the final application, but also the preparation stages. A special role in the project had the digitisation process of the tomb and of the objects, when different techniques had been applied and compared. New applications of digital photogrammetry and computer vision were validated as suitable methods for the digitisation of Cultural Heritage. Fragmentary remains of the grave goods have been studied in their characteristics. The digital restoration process gave us the possibility to formulate and test new hypotheses for their interpretation. Finally a new framework (MAVRA) had been developed for the application. It is based on the use of parallel video tracks with different contents but with an identical camera animation, obtained through "camera tracking" techniques. It allows the user to view the objects and their context, but in different representations. A first track shows the grave as it is today in a steadicam movie, a second one shows its 3D reconstruction where grave goods are relocated in their original position, while the third one allows users to explore the dromos and the cellae as they could have been in the VII century BC.