THE USE OF PANORAMIC IMAGES FOR 3-D ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Panoramic images are efficiently used for documenting archaeological sites and objects. In our paper we present a new approach in developing the use of panoramic images for archaeological survey. The work is part of the Finnish Jabal Haroun Project, in Petra, Jordan. The primary motivation has been in developing a procedure for field invention, in which photogrammetric documentation could be used for 3-D measuring of structural remains of barrage systems and terrace walls. Panoramic stereo photography has been applied for wide area documentation, and detailed structures are documented with close up stereo images. Natural features are selected from photographic prints in order to be used as control points. They are identified in field and measured with tacheometer. In addition, archaeologists use prints as photogrammetric notebook when identifying and documenting barrage systems and terrace walls during their field invention. Photogrammetric post processing consists of orientation by bundle block adjustment, and of point wise 3-D measuring of identified structures. The procedure is experimented and the results indicate that the accuracy of applying panoramic imagery for archaeological survey is satisfactory. However, point wise interpretation of detailed structures leads to scattered shapes. We consider that the scattering is mainly caused by stereoscopic imaging geometry. Therefore we propose the use of corresponding features instead of corresponding points when applying photogrammetric documentation for 3-D structural measuring