Rebuilding the lost past : a virtual reconstruction of destroyed archaeological sites documented in the 18th and 19th century

Abstract

The reconstruction of the past is arguably the main raison d'être of archaeology from its conception to the present day. In the past few decades, this task has been facilitated by the introduction of 3D technologies which are capable of conveying archaeological data and interpretations through the use of interactive graphics and imaging. Therefore, when describing what an artefact, a monument or a site looked like in the past, 3D technologies are recognized as an intuitive, efficient and interactive visualization tool. This study makes use of these technologies with the intention of establishing whether a virtual reconstruction of destroyed archaeological sites can be achieved using only available legacy data. The documentation collected for this purpose include textual and drawn sources recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries following the discovery of local archaeological sites. These are: an Early Christian hypogeum (Site A); a Roman warehouse complex (Site B), both located in Marsa; and a Punic building situated in Żurrieq (Site C). While the first two were completely destroyed by the heavy industrial development that characterized the Marsa harbour in the past two centuries, the latter is still partially surviving in situ. This research attempted a 3D and VR reconstruction of these sites, in which outcomes where subsequently analysed by assessing their strengths and limitations. This study will rely on Site C as the only partially surviving case study to carry out a comparative analysis between the interpretative 3D model built through the legacy data and the photogrammetry reality-based 3D model of the ruins in situ.