Towards a workflow for documenting, processing and archiving large excavation contexts on-the-fly: challenges and lessons learnt at the Palace of Nestor Project, Pylos

Abstract

Photogrammetry constitutes a key part of the excavation workflow for The Palace of Nestor Excavations (PONEX). Since May 2018, the PONEX project has been engaged in the excavation of two monumental stone-lined tholos tombs: each tomb is documented using high-resolution photogrammetry every few days and the total number of models generated by the project now numbers in the hundreds 100s. This discursive paper discusses the particular challenges faced by the PONEX project with regard to the acquisition of 3Dd documentation. The first challenge is one of scale. To produce a set of usable models of such large and complex contexts on a regular programme presents both technological and practical challenges. The goal of the project is to process all 3Dd models ‘on-the-fly’, such that there is no backlog of processing left at the end of excavation seasons. This second challenge concerns division of labour and the availability of project staff. Particularly during the COVIDcovid-19 pandemic, there was a need to compartmentalise tasks and to train non-specialists to gather data or run basic data processing tasks when specialists were not present. Remote working has always been an important part of the PONEX workflow, specifically with regard to data archiving. The PONEX project is just one of many that now use photogrammetry documentation, but the wider implication of this case study is in demonstrating how and why workflows can be adapted according to the specific needs of a project’s scope and workforce.