From Documentary Analysis of Historical Texts to 3D Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Reconstructing Archaeological Sites

The reconstruction of realistic 3D models using historical documents involves leveraging archival sources (including architectural drawings, photographs, written records, and cartographic materials) to digitally recreate past structures, sites, or artifacts with high fidelity. This process plays a crucial role in cultural heritage preservation and conservation. Frequently, the primary data exist in raster format, necessitating their conversion into a vector-based environment while integrating both historical narratives and descriptive attributes associated with the site or structure. By employing a multidisciplinary approach and using state-of-the-art 3D modeling technologies, it is possible to achieve highly accurate reconstructions. This paper presents a methodological framework applied to the historical reconstruction of the Palace of Columns in Libya and explores its broader applicability, including the reconstruction of the theater at the archaeological site of Iuvanum (Italy) and the development of interoperable, semantically enriched 3D models for enhanced accessibility and knowledge dissemination.