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Recent photogrammetry work on Welwyn Roman Baths, Hertfordshire, hopes to aid conservation and enhance public engagement on the site.
In March, experts Dr Kris Lockyear and Antonio Reis from UCL Institute of Archaeology conducted the project on the baths, which formed part of the Dicket Mead Roman Villa and have been preserved under the A1(M) motorway. Built in the 3rd century AD, the baths were excavated under the late Tony Rook in the 1960s and ’70s (see CA 60).
The 3D model of the Welwyn Baths was created using photogrammetry, a process which involves taking large numbers of photographs and layering them to create a 3D image. Around 2,500 photos were taken by Reis, Technician in Photographic and Digital Heritage Imaging at UCL (below), which he then processed into a high-res model using multiple programs to optimise the digital structure.
Kris Lockyear, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at UCL and director of Welwyn Archaeological Society, hopes that the 3D model will allow the Welwyn Hatfield Museum Service to monitor the condition of the baths: ‘Although largely protected by being in a vault under the A1(M), there are challenges related to moisture and so on, and this provides a snapshot of the condition at the moment,’ he said.
The 3D model will also open up new ways for the public to engage with the baths. A lower resolution model on a tablet at the museum’s Mill Green site would allow visitors to see the baths complex from otherwise impossible viewpoints, such as in a plan view or even as a fly-through. To ensure smooth online interaction on Sketchfab, a smaller version of the model was created. This process took around five hours to complete. ‘It was tricky getting good resolution after downscaling the original model by 5,000%!’, Reis commented.
Photogrammetry has become increasingly popular as a method for public engagement, with many museums and heritage institutions creating 3D digital reconstructions of objects and archaeological sites in order to enhance the visitor experience. UCL’s Institute of Archaeology have started to develop a collection on the Sketchfab website to allow the public to view and interact remotely with the work they have been doing. The model of Welwyn Roman Baths is part of this online library, and is now available to be viewed by the public: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/welwyn-roman-baths-a43c6689d877442aa2e554404a3d7811.
Text: Rebecca Preedy / Image: Kris Lockyear
