20 of August 2020, Saint-Petersburg - Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHMC RAS) is happy to announce that it has completed a project aimed to create a 3D-model of Palmyra, one of the UNESCO world heritage sites. The 3D-model is the most precise and detailed digital data system that was developed in order to preserve and reconstruct ancient Palmyra for future generations. Today IHMC RAS presented the model to the Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) of the Syrian Arab Republic and the world community.

A group of researchers led by Natalia Solovyeva, Deputy Director of the Institute for the History of Material Culture, has been working on creating the 3D-model since 2016, after Palmyra was attacked and partially destroyed by the ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in Russia). Realising that the ancient city may be lost forever, archaeologists at IHMC RAS were among the first voices of concern claiming that Palmyra must be jointly protected and preserved by the world community for future generations.

Over the recent years, IHMC RAS and its partners have completed a large-scale project: total square of working area estimated at 20 sq km, more than 55,000 high quality air photographs were made in order to produce the model comprising about 700 million polygons. Air photos were also accompanied by several thousands of ground pictures documenting key ancient objects at the site that were severely damaged by the terrorists (the Great Colonnade, the Monumental Arch, the temples of Bel and Baalshamin, the Roman Theatre).

Russian archaeologists at IHMC RAS have managed to produce detailed 3D-models of the landscape and architectural features at Palmyra. They also created orthophotomaps that are more precise than existing satellite images. The digital data outcome will enable archaeologists and architects to reconstruct a plan of Palmyra with the resolution up to 3 cm.

Today, Russian researchers at IHMC RAS own the most detailed and relevant documentation regarding the current state of Palmyra that will help to plan further reconstruction projects at the site.

Based on the 3D-model, IHMC RAS researchers have been developing a geographic information system - PalmyraGIS, a database that comprises all past archaeological and historical research of the city as well as geospatial display of the current state of the site. Each object at the site has its own description of time, level and character of devastation documented over the recent years.

Creation and publication of such a large scale model gives us a valuable universal research tool considerably exceeding all traditional methods of description. The created model becomes the most unique platform for cultural heritage management, a convenient method of monitoring the condition of monuments, a method of generalization and convenient representation of all accumulated information – be it administrative or scientific.

Based on Palmyra 3D, it is possible to develop reconstruction plans, conservation and rescue projects, tourism and research activities at the ancient city, UNESCO's world heritage object.

In September 2016 and September 2019, an expedition of the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHMC RAS) led by its Deputy Director Natalia Solovyeva conducted emergency research at Palmyra in order to create its 3D-model of the modern state of the site after it was attacked and severely damaged by the ISIS (banned in Russia).

In 2016 campaign, the expedition of IHMC RAS was accompanied by military surveyors and a researcher from the State Hermitage Museum. Technological base was provided by Geoscan.

In 2019, IHMC RAS worked at Palmyra in a partnership with a team of Maxim Atayants, a globally renowned architect and artist. His team was responsible for photo documentation of the temple of Bel aimed to adjust its 3D architectural reconstruction. The Unmanned Systems conducted a new stage of the photo survey.

Results:
• a unique detailed digital three-dimensional model of entire territory of the UNESCO world heritage site;
• high resolution orthophotomaps of the entire territory of the ancient city are rendered for the first time;
• high resolution model of the terrain of the entire territory of the ancient city in digitized for the first time;
• high resolution 3D models of destroyed monuments in the city are constructed.

Further Plans:

Currently an archaeological GIS 'Palmyra in Time and Space' combining the main materials received during the analysis of three-dimensional models is under development. We see this as the most logical and systematic way to provide direct access to the data for the scientific community, all organizations responsible for protection of cultural heritage, and restoration architects. It has to become a multipurpose tool for damage assessment and cultural heritage management, for planning and conducting new research on the site and opening new insights in the understanding of the city infrastructure, topography and landscape development.

The GIS consists of a scalable detailed orthophotoplan with a high resolution terrain model and a vector plan of all the main objects studied in Palmyra. Every object is provided with structurally organized information including: short description, research history, description of carried-out restorations and the current condition of every monument in the ancient city. Also here it will be possible to address the existing archaeological and architectural plans of monuments, archival and modern photos and the main bibliography.

Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHMC RAS) is the oldest and one of the leading archaeological and cultural heritage organizations in Russia.
IHMC RAS consists of five Departments, three laboratories, a research archive, and one of the world's largest archaeological libraries.

The Institute annually conducts more than 40 archaeological expeditions in a wide range of regions of Russia and other countries. Archaeologists of the Institute are also involved in preserving world cultural heritage in the Middle Eastern countries.

IHMC RAS is a leading archaeological institute that actively develops and implements digital technologies (3D-modelling and other innovative technologies) to effectively keep and preserve cultural heritage in Russia and worldwide.