METHODOLOGY AND MEANING OF THE 3D MODELLING OF THE LOST BAALSHAMIN TEMPLE IN PALMYRA

Abstract. The Baalshamin temple in Palmyra was completely destroyed by ISIL in 2015. To address this issue, the “Collart-Palmyre Project” at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) digitally published the scientific archive of Paul Collart who was in charge of the excavation of the temple in the 1950’. Since 2017, the Project makes the archives accessible on an online open access database (tiresias.unil.ch). A 3D reconstruction of the temple has been realized by the UNIL team in collaboration with ICONEM. The 3D models (including handily drawn elements) are now being integrated onto a PoTree platform ( https://github.com/potree/potree) that allows archival items to be geolocated, associating them with the architectural or archaeological objects they document.

The challenge here was to access metadata on the 3D model and to ease access to the archives through online tools.

We also published a diachronic 3D model showing the different periods of occupation of the site (from the second century BC to the ninth century AD). Partnership with NGO’s also permit the presentation of 3D models to displaced Syrian refugees in the Spirit of the Faro Convention. Last but not least, the Project follows the guidelines of the London Charter and the Sevilla principles for Virtual Archaeology and questions the broader facets of neo-colonialist, economic and nationalist agendas that emerges from the 'migration of digital heritage' as assets to be exploited. This project wants to explore how these digital assets provide a scaffold for the memories of migrants.