LMU IDCHS and SMÄK Advance Digital Documentation of Ancient Egyptian Coffins

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On 15 June 2026, Prof. Dr. Nicola Lercari and Ph.D. candidate Mina Yacoub from IDCHS carried out a high-precision recording campaign in collaboration with Dr. Mélanie Flossmann-Schütze, Curator and Deputy Director of the Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst (SMÄK). The project focused on creating highly detailed digital records that support future research, conservation, and public accessibility of these remarkable funerary objects.

The documentation campaign employed the Artec Leo 3D scanner, a professional wireless structured-light scanner capable of capturing geometry with sub-millimeter accuracy and high-resolution texture information. In addition to laser scanning, the team conducted extensive photogrammetric recording, producing high-resolution photographs of the coffins.

By integrating data obtained from both techniques, the project aims to combine the strengths of each method: the geometric precision and efficiency of structured-light scanning with the photorealistic texture quality and color fidelity offered by photogrammetry. The resulting hybrid models will provide exceptionally accurate and visually rich digital replicas suitable for scholarly analysis, conservation monitoring, virtual exhibition, and long-term preservation.

This initiative further strengthens the ongoing partnership between IDCHS and SMÄK and reflects a shared commitment to advancing digital heritage methodologies for the study and preservation of ancient Egyptian collections.