GigaPan Imagery and Archaeology at the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, Samothrace

Vicki Hertzberg of Emory University talks at the first Fine International Conference on Gigapixel Imaging for Science, November 11-13 2010 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. In this paper we describe the use of gigapixel imagery at the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, an archaeological site on the island of Samothrace, Greece. The Sanctuary was the home of a secret cult that was a particular favorite of Macedonian royalty during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Despite the lack of any current structures remaining erect, the dozen buildings are remarkably well preserved and are spectacular examples of classical Greek architecture. We are employing a number of sophisticated advanced visualization tools, including a 3D reconstruction of the site, computer-animated fly-throughs, and an interactive map. We have undertaken a topographic survey and are integrating georeferenced GigaPans into a geographic information system (GIS). This system will allow us to return to the site in future years, capturing the same scene, thus better informing the upcoming site management plan and allowing us to observe change over time. Contact: http://gigapixelscience.org or Mary Jo Daines at [email protected]