Unveiling the tomb of an ancient Egyptian priest

The digital documentation of heritage sites is a fundamental step to record the actual condition of an archaeological monument and facilitate the decision-making of experts for a comprehensive conservation plan.

Since 2005 The Mexican Archaeological Mission of TT39 agreed to an unusual, yet astonishing proposal to investigate, excavate and restore the pharaonic tomb of Puimra dating back to 1500 B.C. in Luxor, Egypt. The goal of the Mexican team in Luxor was to refurbish and document one of Egypt’s most important unrestored burial chambers and open its doors to the public.

With the help of theLeica BLK360imaging laser scanner andLeica Cyclone三维点云处理软件,是一个团队ble to carry out a precise survey of all underground chambers, exterior surroundings and detailed carvings and paintings on the walls. The digitalisation and restoration of the extensive tomb not only helped preserve the site for future generations but shed light on the reign of one of Egypt's few female pharaohs, Queen Hatshepsut.

Unfolding an ambitious restoration project

Puimra墓的历史可以追溯到女王Hatshepsut和Thutmosis III的统治时代（大约1478 - 1500年）。Puimra是受人尊敬的地方法官之一，因为作为Amun神的第二任牧师 - 他是一位古老的埃及神灵 - 他参加了Hatshepsut女王的寺庙的建设。

Puimra’s important role in the kingdom was not only manifested in the size and complexity of his burial tomb but his life was also depicted on the walls, located in Khokha, in the Theban Necropolis. The tomb was built as a series of underground chambers and tunnels, calledhypogeumconnected to the facade with a porch and decorated with stelae, false doors niches and low-relief baseboard in the exterior.

The main objective of the Mexican Archaeological Mission was to restore this architecturally-complex tomb in danger of collapsing and being lost forever. The joint effort of several Mexican archaeology, architecture, paintings restoration, hieroglyphic epigraphy and photography specialists from different Mexican institutions like Sociedad Mexicana de Egiptología, Universidad del Valle de México,Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia(INAH), Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores and SYSTOP, is led by Gabriela Arrache Vértiz, director of the Mexican Archaeological Mission. The project is supported by Manuel Villarruel Vázquez and Ángel Mora Flores, restorers and Leica Geosystems equipment experts at INAH.

“Leica Geosystems’ 3D scanning technology facilitated the conservation of pharaonic heritage and helped to leave its legacy for future generations”highlighted Arrache Vértiz.

考古任务始于2005年，一直持续到今天。一年一年，团队更接近实现以下目标：

• Conduct a full survey of the tomb.
• Analyse and diagnose the damages.
• 设计保护计划并制定恢复工作的不同阶段。
• Epigraphic analysis.
• Consolidation and restoration of decorated walls, ceilings and vaults.
• Restoration of bas relief carvings.
• Integrate modern methods into architectural and epigraphic surveys, using 3D laser scanning technology to shed light on the deterioration process and serve as the base for future research.
• Facilitate the creation of a cultural and educational program, including printed and digital documents based on the 3D survey.

Collecting the tiniest details with the BLK360

In 2018, before the team could begin the reconstruction and consolidation of the original walls, vaults and ceilings, INAH’s experts had to survey and document all chambers and the exterior of the tomb to the finest detail.

“As some members of the team had more than 12 years of experience using Leica Geosystems equipment, we had no doubt we needed the BLK360, a laser scanning solution to achieve the highest quality and precision,”来自伊纳（Inah）建筑修复团队的协调员VillarruelVázquez说。

With the help of the BLK360 imaging laser scanner and Cyclone 3D point cloud processing software, the team was able to capture every little detail of the walls and vaults. The comprehensive point clouds made it possible to analyse the paintings, the engraved epigraphy and the subtle synthesis of the architectural features of the funerary chambers. The wall carvings and paintings depicting the life of the priest, is helping researchers to reconstruct ancient life, craftsmanship and customs, digitalising cultural manifestations.

将点云和球形图像收集到数字数据库中，包括平面图，3D模型和建筑计划。此外，墙壁，拱顶和结构裂缝的损失还记录并进行了数字记录，以进行进一步的重建和研究。

Leaving a legacy for future generations with the help of laser scanning

The use of advanced 3D reality capture technology, just like the BLK360 and Cyclone software, in a heritage preservation project is a milestone for Mexican archaeologists. The data collected with the 3D reality capture solution will help INAH’s team of researchers, architects and archaeologists assess the level of damage and plan the restoration process of Puimra’s tomb in Egypt for the next work seasons.

得益于获得的结果的高可靠性以及BLK360的长期低成本，Leica Geosystems的激光扫描技术将被使用，直到完成修复项目完成为止。