Photogrammetry, additive manufacturing, and sensorization for archaeological ceramic loss compensation

Archaeological materials from underwater contexts present unique challenges for study, conservation, and analysis – among them mechanical, chemical, and biological deterioration factors. These issues can be especially apparent in the context of loss compensation, a process in which the ceramic is stabilized, with the supplementation of a non-original fill material. The diverse applicability of 3D technologies through their responsive materials, adaptability, and ability to pair with existing analyses have the potential to solve some of these difficulties while at the same time streamlining the documentation process. The goal of this study, from virtual model creation to model manipulation and reverse engineering to sensorization, is to provide a fill for an artifact’s missing pieces through near-lossless reverse engineering. While the straightforward use of 3D printing for archaeological conservation is a burgeoning technique with even fewer studies additively manufacturing ceramic, the pairing of this mode of 3D printing with sensorization offers unique benefits. Using sensors fabricated into the printed fill, these cutting-edge materials can respond to – and signal – changes in temperature, humidity, pH, or stress. These are all environmental factors important to the curation and stability of objects in a museum environment. Yet, this specific application of additive manufacturing for a collection has almost never been tested or applied at any scale. This leaves a distinct gap in the research that this methodology can begin to fill. The underlying aim is to create a systematic approach to reconstruct missing pieces of archaeological ceramic, specifically maritime context amphorae, with their range of sizes, curvature, and other variable qualities, and address and solve the challenges faced during this reconstruction process. Through a partnership between the Koç University Mustafa V. Koç Maritime Archaeology Research Center (KUDAR) and the Manufacturing and Automation Research Center (MARC) lab at Koç University, this project aims not only to produce loss compensation through 3D printed prototyping of fills for the missing amphora pieces but to do so with sensor integration to monitor the application’s stability. This method has numerous advantages, the greatest of which being the nature of the 3D printed responsive fill – as a curatorial process that is both proactive and reactive – expands the discourse around this conservation technique.