3D laser scanner in integrated analyses of archaeological sites

In the archaeological field it is possible to observe an increasing use of survey techniques based on the 3D laser scanner technology, in addition to other instrumental survey techniques, such as topography, stereophotogrammetry, photographic survey and GIS. 3D laser scanning represents one of the ultimate advances of the technological progress in the field of morphological survey: it makes it possible to acquire and to process a large amount of data and it offers new, important research opportunities, particularly when integrated with other authomatic techniques used in the analyses of materials, structural behaviours and surface degradation. The tests carried out in Pompei and Benevento and presented in the report made it possible to obtain 3D models from laser scans which can be used as basic supports for specific techniques like topography, photogrammetry, reflectography, spectrophotometry, Finite Element analyses,; in this way the 3D models become digital data bases which can be directly consulted for uses related to conservation, restoration and maintenance work on archaeological sites. Some meaningful applications in different archaeological contexts show the potential of the 3D laser scanner and its versatility for integration with other information techniques.