3D culture database Carnuntum

The new 3d Database of Carnuntum/Austria is presenting a large variety of finds from the region of Carnuntum /Bad Deutsch- Altenburg/ Austria via internet, allowing the user to view the selected objects in different 2d and 3d formats. One of the tasks was to prepare the laser-scanned objects for the internet and therefore reduce their file size to approximately 1% of its original size while maintaining the visual information. To evaluate these techniques on other sites and objects, this procedure will be used to prepare a database at the site of Ammaia in Portugal. More than two million archaeological finds – most of them not yet scientifically examined – are stored in Lower Austria’s archaeological collection. New discoveries are being added all the time through the annual excavations that take place within the archaeological park. The artifacts are kept in the storage of the Kulturfabrik Hainburg and is closed to the public. Only a small fraction of the excavated objects can be presented to a wider public in exhibitions. In order to enable interested lay-persons and specialists uncomplicated access to the archaeological finds, various approaches were discussed. Finally the decision was reached that apart from attribute data the geometrical properties and a model of the find as realistic as a photo would also be provided for the user. At first about 1,500 of the most important objects were processed, showing a broad cross-section of the archaeological park’s inventory. Subsequently it is planned to process 2,000 objects annually. There are no plans to create a complete record of the whole inventory