3D Archaeology: New Perspectives and Challenges—The Example of Çatalhöyük

The project “3D Digging at Çatalhöyük” started in 2009 as an on-site digital experiment to record every phase of an archaeological excavation in 3D, using different technologies such as laser scanning, computer vision, and photogrammetry. The end goal was to make the excavation process virtually reversible in a simulated environment from laptop computers to virtual immersive systems. In addition, the project has introduced 3D stereo visualization systems on-site for real-time analysis and with the advent of tablet PCs, all documentation switched to a completely digital format. The use of 3D technologies for teaching and research as well as the post-processing and implementation of data generate a new digital workflow for archaeological interpretation.