3D virtual facial reconstruction and visualization of ancient Egyptian mummies using spiral CT data

Abstract

The problem of rebuilding a face from human remains has been, until now, especially relevant in the ambit of forensic sciences, where it is obviously oriented toward the identification of otherwise unrecognizable corpses; but its potential interest to archaeologists and anthropologists is not negligible. We present here the preliminary results of a joint research among the University of Pisa, the Visualisation Laboratory of CINECA and the CNR-ITABC (Institute of Technologies Applied to Cultural Heritage, National Research Council, Rome) whose aim is reconstructing, through Spiral Computed Tomography data and virtual modelling techniques (in our case with VTK software), 3-D models of the possible physiognomy of ancient egyptian mummies. This work is carried out through a multidisciplinary approach, involving different competences: image processing, anthropology, egyptology, computing archaeology. Main project tasks are: 1. anthropological and egyptological analysis of the head; 2. spiral CT of the head; 3. reconstruction of a 3-D model of the skull generated from CT data processing; 4. reconstruction of soft tissues; 5. application of textures fitting the somatic features.