Scientist at the University of Aberdeen are using 3D imaging software to create interactive models of mummies and other ancient artifacts.
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00:00We have a number of cat mummies in the collection and this was a nice one.
00:04Basically what we're doing is looking at some items in the University collection
00:08to make more use of them for teaching.
00:11So using photogrammetry and other techniques we're able to create virtual versions of objects
00:16which otherwise you can't handle other than a specialist coming in and looking at them.
00:20We're really looking at things that would be relevant to students of medicine and maybe archaeology as well
00:25but also thinking some of the objects in the museum that are rather intriguing and attractive
00:29that would get people's attention.
00:31You are able to get that ability to look very closely so it's not just a representation of the object
00:35it's being able to look at the detail and really understand it. That's been really important.
00:39The question of course always is what's inside it? Is it actually a cat mummy or not?
00:43There are cases where what's inside is not what you'd expect.
00:47We did actually have a crocodile mummy and all that was in it was the crocodile's head.
00:51There was no body. So we wanted to know so we were able to create this representation of it
00:56so we got a real sense of the outside and then also we cat scanned it.
01:00I know it's a bad pun but never mind.
01:02And we discovered inside that the real cat is a tiny wee kitten much much smaller than the bandages.
01:08So presumably what went on was that actually at a temple they were selling mummified cats
01:13for people to give as a gift to the temple and you'd make more money out of selling a large cat than a little one.
01:20So they've bulked it out. I think it does give a bit of an insight into what was going on in a temple of daily life
01:26and how they were making offerings to the gods in Egypt.
01:29Photogrammetry is a technique for building 3D models from photographs.
01:34So basically it consists in taking a lot of photographs around an object and then using a clever piece of software
01:41to stitch them all together and build a 3D model.
01:44And the result is very good. The textures are very realistic.
01:49So anyone can rotate the model, zoom into the object and explore the texture and the shape of the 3D model at any device.
02:01On the one hand we're thinking of the students in University of Aberdeen and their chance to really make use of the collections.
02:07I mean it's a wonderful privilege being a student in Aberdeen when you've got the collection and we need to make more use of it.
02:12The other thing of course is we're able to web mount them so they're going to be available to anybody who wants to see these things.
02:18And there are a number of international projects looking at things like cat mummies who are contributing to international scholarship as well as our own teaching.
02:26This is both of us.
02:33I believe in springing on the right.