3,000 Images to map the Capitol building in Kulen

July 13, 2021 at 8:37 AM

Archaeologist Nico Josso, in partnership with local communities and the Archaeological Development Foundation, has mapped the ancient temple areas on Kulen mountain in 3D using photogrammetry, as the EFEO (Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient ) in Cambodia, established more than a century ago, seeks to restore and preserve Angkor monuments on the site. The archaeologist states, that the picture for the model work, is a huge task from a technical point of view, as you need around 2 to 3 thousand pictures to get excellent results. It is mentioned that the building, which dates back to the 9th century, was in the past a safe haven to escape the influence of the “royal city”, to meditate and pray.

“The technique of photogrammetry consists of gathering numerous photographs and assemble them in a computer program which allows us to have an image in 3 dimensions while keeping the exact dimensions intact. We need to gather some 2 to 3 thousand images to make a model. It is a huge job technically speaking but which gives excellent results. At the site of Poeng Tbal, there is a lot of vegetation which makes the piloting of the drone a very delicate operation, which is why I bring in a colleague who is specialized in drone flying (Fred Lau). The site you are looking at dates from the end of the Angkorian Period. Phnom Kulen was inhabited, being the first Pre-Angkorian capitol before Angkor Wat. What remains are ruins, temples from the 9th century. However, all those sites with large rough sculptures are not “royal”. On the contrary, it was for people who wanted to remove themselves from the circles of royal power; who wanted to distance themselves from the city and its agitation to meditate, find peace and be closer to the Sacred.”

Interview with (Fred Lau – Drone pilot):

“For me, it has been an incredible experience and difficult, very technical because flying in such an area, in the middle of a forest, near a temple with many people around…you must fly very precisely all the while attentive to the light, cover the entire site, the stones, the remains from all angles such that Nico can integrate it all into a proper 3D model.”

Source- A24 News