Offered for free within the framework of the ARCHiVe Online Academy (AOA), this intensive programme was designed for students passionate about cultural preservation in the fields of Archaeology, Heritage Conservation, Heritage Studies, and Museum Studies. The course was open to students from Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and South Asian countries.
Participants learned about image capture and post-processing to create high-resolution 3D models, and visualise them using Sketchfab. They also learned how to produce CAD drawings derived from these models, along with tips on sharing results online for collaboration and archiving purposes.
In regions where the preservation of cultural heritage often stumbles due to scarce funding and specialised skills, online and free courses are a game-changer. While digital technologies like photogrammetry have become standard for heritage documentation in the Western world, access to such tools and training remains limited in the Global South. By equipping young professionals already active in the field with cutting-edge skills, the course lays the foundation for sustainable, long-term preservation efforts in low-income countries. — Imran Khan
Buddhist Figure Head, Museum of Art & Photography (MAP), Karnataka, India
Inscription Pillar, Nandikandi, Telangana, India
Replica of a Type 3 Egyptian Amphora, Egypt
Heritage Door, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Chandhiran M (Bharathiyar University) recording the Kaliamman Stone Sculpture in Palanagarai Village
Kaliamman Stone Sculpture, Palanagarai Village, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India
“Holy Grail” Chalice, Ecclesiastical Museum “National Martyr Kyprianos”, Strovolos, Nicosia, Cyprus. Recorded by Charalampos Louka (University of Cyprus)
Devaki Vadakepat Menon (University of Oxford) recording the Kulasekaranallur Nandi Sculpture at Kulasekaranallur Temple
Kulasekaranallur Nandi Sculpture, Kulasekaranallur Temple, Nedumpura, Thrissur District of Kerala, India
Geetanjali (Panjab Digital Library) recording the Brass Samovar
Brass Samovar, Panjab, India. Recorded by Geetanjali (Panjab Digital Library)
Tombstone of Annie Cannon (1865–1892), St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery in Manayunk, Philadelphia, US. Recorded by Mozhgan Pakcheshm (University of Notre Dame)
Pooja Amatya (Kathmandu University) recording the Wooden Strut of Goddess in Tripureshwor Mahadev Temple
Wooden Strut of Goddess, Tripureshwor Mahadev Temple, Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal
The Iddi(n)-Sin Stela, Sulaiman Museum, Kurdistan, Iraq
Sphinx Statue, Avenue of Sphinxes, Karnak, Egypt
Wajeeha Laiq (Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”) recording the Philosophers’ Plaque
Philosophers’ Plaque, Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Italy
Lipi Bharadwaj (Aga Khan Trust for Culture) recording the Qutb Shahi Idgah
Qutb Shahi Idgah, Qutb Shahi Heritage Park, Hyderabad, India
Prof. Sara Kitat (Alexandria University) recording the Bust of the Roman Emperor Caracalla
