3D model of archaeological layers

50 years ago, I directed an archaeological dig very close to my then-home in Essex, UK, and I am still working on producing a detailed report of our discoveries. A section of a small Iron Age ditch was excavated in 9 layers, 2cm apart. Sadly, I don’t think any useful information was uncovered, but for completeness’ sake, I would like a 3D model of this 1-metre square.
I have tried for some time to make this model with Blender but think it is beyond my capabilities. However, an expert could probably do this in a matter of minutes if I supply my 9 black-and-white PNG images (the white being transparent). I feel guilty asking, but does anyone fancy helping me out? I have a video of the excavation > HERE <

Hi there, this sounds like an interesting project. I’d love to know more.

You can direct message me here on blender artists, or my email is [email protected]

If you have a lot of photographic material (the amount of photo you can reconstruct space), you can reconstruct it using the Photoscan program.

Open Source Photoscan Program

If not, you have to reconstruct it using various data. :thinking:

Thank you - email sent

Thank you Kim,
meshroom is an interesting free program and could be very useful in the day of powerful digital cameras.
40 - 50 years ago the slide camera was rather limiting :wink:

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Hi Paul

Maybe I can help. I am a Blender user, although I wouldn’t go so far as to describe myself as an expert. I did, however, work for Essex County Council’s Archaeology Section form 1986 to 1996 and took part in several digs in and around Maldon and Heybridge so maybe that experience can be of some use to you. If you send me the images, at [email protected], I’ll take a look and let you know if I my Blender skills (such as they are) can be put to good use.

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Hi Sourdust - Thank you for your offer of help. SterlingRoth has provided me with a model which pretty well matches my expectations, Here are three images that came with his model.


I now need to work out how to 'fly over' the section model and collect images to create a slideshow for my HTML presentation.
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Hi Paul

I’m glad that Sterling Roth has been able to meet your expectations, although I am a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to contribute. The ‘fly over’ should be pretty easy to achieve and by rendering the animation as individual frames, rather than compiling straight to an avi or mpeg in Blender, the ‘collection’ of images for the slideshow just falls out of the process. I wish you luck on bringing your plans to full fruition, I know, from experience, that there are masses of unpublished excavation results sitting around in numerous archives around the country and wish that funds were available to get this work done.

Although I don’t remember having any involvement in Loft’s Farm during my time ECC (I had a 30 year career in field archaeology so there were too many sites to recall ‘em all), the name of the site was familiar to me long before your post on Blender Artists. I may well have known some of those that worked alongside you. I’d be interested in viewing your presentation when it’s complete so would be grateful if you could let me know when and where it will be made available.

All the best and- again- good luck.

Sourdust (AKA- Mark Ingram)

Hi Mike - I’m sure you would have known many ECC people who helped and worked on the Loft’s Farm dig. Maybe an avi or MPEG flyover of the model would suit my purposes.
Thanks for your encouraging words and I would love to say more if you could email me - [email protected]