3D scanning of Gotland picture stones with supplementary material Digital catalogue of 3D data

Abstract

The Gotland picture stones (dated to c. 400–1100 AD) are among the most spectacular and informative artefacts from the Iron Age and Viking Age to have been discovered in Sweden. The main aim of this paper is to make digital 3D documentation of the Gotland picture stones publicly available for analysis of their motifs, runic inscriptions and weathering processes. The data were collected within the project 3D scanning of the Gotland Picture Stones: Workshops, Iconography and Dating (2006–2008), which includes analyses of these stones by means of a high resolution optical 3D scanner. The aim of the project is to clarify certain basic facts concerning the cutting technique, work organization and surrounding circumstances, iconography and dating. Four main issues are identified: workshops, iconographical interpretations, dating, and finally, documentation and enhanced interpretation of weathered and in places vandalised picture stones. The following report provides a short summary of the main results. The 3D data are provided in STL files that serve as supplementary material to this paper. They are available on the website of the Swedish National Heritage Board: http://3ddata.raa.se