Bench of Hochdorf

The aim of the project was a three-dimensional documentation of the Bench of Hochdorf using high resolution structured light scanning in combination with high resolution digital photography for texturing. Besides the capturing of the complete geometry with an average resolution of 0.3 mm, selected objects such as load-bearing figures were digitised using a higher resolution of approximately 0.1 mm.

Hochdorf Bench - 3D object scanning of museums object
During the 3D high resulution documentation process
Hochdorf Bench, section of 3D model vertically exaggerated
Section of 3D model vertically exaggerated

About 300 different positions of the Structured Light Scanner and the resultant scans were necessary to capture the whole bench. To guarantee an all-over documentation, every single scan was converted into a point cloud using a program-internal algorithm calculation followed by the registration process. In other words the scans were aligned within a common reference system to avoid gaps in between the scans.

Kline Hochdorf 3D model vertically superelevated
Detail of the bench - 3D model 2,5 vertically superelevated
Bench of Hochdorf, 3D modell of an element
3D model of a detail in the shape of a figure

The actual triangular transformation was done in post-processing. The complete geometry reached a resolution of 0.50 mm and the triangular transformation of the details achieved a resolution of approx. 0.25 mm.
The final step was to photo-realistically texture the digital 3D model. It can be used to create scaled ortho-views of the bench.

Hochdorf Bench, textured 3D model
Textured 3D model of a single element
Hochdorf Bench, section of textured 3D model of museum object
Detail of textured 3D model

The 3D data of this survey could extensively be used in a project of the DFG (German Research Alliance) lead by Dr. Erwin Keefer and Dr. Jörg Biel. In the course of these comprehensive studies, this outstanding seating furniture from the Hallstatt period is elaborately re-analyzed from a technical, stylistic and archaeological point of view. Publications will follow.

Article from the publication “Forschungen und Berichte zur Archäologie in Baden-Württemberg 20”

Hochdorf X
The bronze seat from the princely tomb of Eberdingen-Hochdorf (Kr. Ludwigsburg)

Here is the article in German: -> ZUR HOCHAUFLÖSENDEN DREIDIMENSIONALEN DIGITALISIERUNG UND DOKUMENTATION DER “KLINE“ VON HOCHDORF