Digitising the past, preserving the future: creating a digital collection of pre-Columbian crania excavated one hundred-twenty-one years ago by Alfredo Jahn in Lake Valencia, Venezuela

In 1903, the Berlin Museum of Ethnology commissioned Alfredo Jahn Hartman to conduct archaeological excavations in the Lake Valencia basin in Venezuela. Jahn explored two sites, Camburito and El Zamuro, where he unearthed pre-Columbian artefacts and human burials and subsequently sent them to Berlin. More than a century later, we digitised this collection following a detailed protocol to obtain scans with submillimetre accuracy reproducing the geometry and textures of the physical crania. The significance of this work extends beyond the technical digitisation of bioarchaeological samples. These three-dimensional models offer a rare opportunity to revisit and recontextualise this collection. It enables in-depth studies of intentional cranial modification in pre-Columbian societies, enhancing our understanding of the prehistory of the region. Furthermore, it helps preserve these fragile physical samples for future generations. To continue fostering open access and collaboration among specialists, a selection of the digitised collection is available in an online repository.