Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FacesRevealed (Investigating the faces of Yellow Coffins through Photogrammetry. Comparison between 3D model and Digital twin for a new analysis of the manufacture, painting techniques and re-use.)
Reporting period: 2023-04-12 to 2024-04-11
The Faces Revealed Project has focused on a specific aspect of Ancient Egyptian yellow coffins that has never been analysed before: the geometry of the features which create the anthropoid forms. The approach adopted in this project combines digital technologies and traditional approaches and has opened up new avenues of research by providing important information on the production, style, chronology, and ancient reuse of the yellow coffins. Investigation of a corpus of 107 yellow coffins from the 19th to the early 22nd Dynasty (1290-874 BCE) has demonstrated the potential for identifying specific features through their geometry. It was thereby possible to suggest a contemporary production of coffins belonging to the same or different sets, by connecting specific elements. The way the forms (i.e. mouth, ears, or forearms) were rendered not only indicates a specific production style but also corroborates the theory of a common origin for the material. Similarly, these findings hint at the possibility of identifying the craftspeople operating in contemporary “workshops”. Moreover, comparison of the geometry of the coffins and its relation with the paint used can help to identify a chronological sequence within the coffins (set) themselves and also clarify their reuse.
Among the project’s main results is the evolution of the forms over time, where a change is visible from the precise and detailed to the more schematic. This change is not abrupt but gradual, and in some cases, does not run simultaneously with the paint but occurs more slowly over time. Moreover, the existence and the coexistence of different styles, types, and a kind of autonomy in the rendering of forms and physiognomic features can be observed which make it difficult (but not impossible) to find two objects pertaining to different sets with identical or, at least, very close features. This variability of forms and individualism that characterize the coffins of the 21st Dynasty seems to stop abruptly at the beginning of the 22nd Dynasty when the stola coffins appear. Unlike the coffins of the earlier period, the stola have recognizable and standardized geometric features which affect all the pieces forming the set, from the outer coffin to the mummy boards. The stola coffins, are thus interchangeable objects, with such a specific and fixed style that they might suggest (for the first time) the existence of a possible "serial production" or their production by a unique craftsman/common “workshop”.
Among the project’s main results is the evolution of the forms over time, where a change is visible from the precise and detailed to the more schematic. This change is not abrupt but gradual, and in some cases, does not run simultaneously with the paint but occurs more slowly over time. Moreover, the existence and the coexistence of different styles, types, and a kind of autonomy in the rendering of forms and physiognomic features can be observed which make it difficult (but not impossible) to find two objects pertaining to different sets with identical or, at least, very close features. This variability of forms and individualism that characterize the coffins of the 21st Dynasty seems to stop abruptly at the beginning of the 22nd Dynasty when the stola coffins appear. Unlike the coffins of the earlier period, the stola have recognizable and standardized geometric features which affect all the pieces forming the set, from the outer coffin to the mummy boards. The stola coffins, are thus interchangeable objects, with such a specific and fixed style that they might suggest (for the first time) the existence of a possible "serial production" or their production by a unique craftsman/common “workshop”.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent restrictions on movement social interaction, led to closures in many of the places that were vital for the implementation of the Project. This issue had a huge impact on the original timing and caused many of the planned activities and related outputs to be rescheduled.
From June 2021 the researcher began her research trips to European, American, and Egyptian Museums to undertake photogrammetric surveys of the coffins. The following phases have been accomplished for each coffin: a high-resolution photogrammetric survey; 3D photogrammetric data elaboration; extraction of high-resolution orthophotos with and without texture; autoptic comparison between the two layers; drawing of the pictorial layer and points; overlapping of the various individual layers; measurement. In conjunction with these phases the researcher also created: a Vocabulary of Types for each analyzed part; an ad hoc template to use for the images, drawings, measurements, and descriptions of each part of the facial features and the upper part of the lid. All these elements have proved fundamental for the creation of a Compare Spreadsheet that enables the identification and emphasis of connections and differences between the coffins.
All the training required for the project has been accomplished: courses and specific postgraduate seminars attended in the Departments of NELC, the Cotsen Institute, and the Humtech; training in digital photography, 3D modelling, and post-processing at Politecnico di Milano; training on database design and the developing of Spreadsheets and File Maker Pro Database; non-invasive techniques organized at the UCLA (pXRF) and the Getty Museum (UVF, VIL).
Dissemination of the results to the scientific community has been extensively carried out by participating in the most prestigious International Conferences in the field of Egyptology (ARCE, ICE) and in other conferences (e.g. the Summer School in Ancient Egyptian Coffins; Coffins in Context ; Reading Reuse; Ancient Egypt-New Technology). The wider public audience was reached through organised events (e.g. Researcher’s Night, Futuro Remoto), social media, the project website, and via TV reports and documentaries freely available on the Italian streaming service Rai Play.
Unfortunately the deferrals in the data acquisition and processing, as well as in the completion of the work packages, also affected the finalization and publication of the main scientific products that had originally been scheduled. Despite such issues, 2 articles have been already published in conference proceedings; 2 articles have been submitted and are waiting for review or acceptance (MDP Journal, ORE platform); other articles for conference proceedings or journals are in progress, as well as the final monograph and the video of the temporary digital exhibition which will bring together all the tasks, the workflow and the results of the Project.
From June 2021 the researcher began her research trips to European, American, and Egyptian Museums to undertake photogrammetric surveys of the coffins. The following phases have been accomplished for each coffin: a high-resolution photogrammetric survey; 3D photogrammetric data elaboration; extraction of high-resolution orthophotos with and without texture; autoptic comparison between the two layers; drawing of the pictorial layer and points; overlapping of the various individual layers; measurement. In conjunction with these phases the researcher also created: a Vocabulary of Types for each analyzed part; an ad hoc template to use for the images, drawings, measurements, and descriptions of each part of the facial features and the upper part of the lid. All these elements have proved fundamental for the creation of a Compare Spreadsheet that enables the identification and emphasis of connections and differences between the coffins.
All the training required for the project has been accomplished: courses and specific postgraduate seminars attended in the Departments of NELC, the Cotsen Institute, and the Humtech; training in digital photography, 3D modelling, and post-processing at Politecnico di Milano; training on database design and the developing of Spreadsheets and File Maker Pro Database; non-invasive techniques organized at the UCLA (pXRF) and the Getty Museum (UVF, VIL).
Dissemination of the results to the scientific community has been extensively carried out by participating in the most prestigious International Conferences in the field of Egyptology (ARCE, ICE) and in other conferences (e.g. the Summer School in Ancient Egyptian Coffins; Coffins in Context ; Reading Reuse; Ancient Egypt-New Technology). The wider public audience was reached through organised events (e.g. Researcher’s Night, Futuro Remoto), social media, the project website, and via TV reports and documentaries freely available on the Italian streaming service Rai Play.
Unfortunately the deferrals in the data acquisition and processing, as well as in the completion of the work packages, also affected the finalization and publication of the main scientific products that had originally been scheduled. Despite such issues, 2 articles have been already published in conference proceedings; 2 articles have been submitted and are waiting for review or acceptance (MDP Journal, ORE platform); other articles for conference proceedings or journals are in progress, as well as the final monograph and the video of the temporary digital exhibition which will bring together all the tasks, the workflow and the results of the Project.
Faces Revealed has produced significant results and deepened our knowledge of yellow coffins, especially their production, chronology, and reuse thereby going well beyond the state-of-the-art. The project has demonstrated that the masks and their facial features were created through a close attention to detail and were subjected to specific "styles", as was also the case for Egyptian statues. Through the variations in geometry it is possible to follow a chronological line and isolate specific markers that link different objects to each other, thereby suggesting specific styles and speculating upon as to whether they have the same provenance in terms of production. Moreover, it is possible to identify contemporary production within the coffin set and establish whether each object forming the set was built at the same time; simultaneously, the presence of specific markers in the geometry makes it possible to establish a relative dating. The project has also highlighted the importance of using 3D models as a research tool for their ability to make visible the invisible, an undervalued ability at least until the submission of the project in 2019.
The instruments and the methodology can also be easily reused, further developed, and applied to other classes of material or to coffins from other periods and places. Expanding the application of the methodology to anthropoid coffins from the previous and later periods, for example, might allow us to analyse in greater depth the development, evolution, and the changing of forms over time and to understand better the production of anthropoid wooden coffins from the first to the last one to appear.
Finally, the implementation of the instruments and the methods used in the Project, and the use of Artificial Intelligence in the future could help in the automatic recognition of facial features on 3D models or in the connection of all the information that we have, which is sometimes difficult to manage with a traditional database.
The instruments and the methodology can also be easily reused, further developed, and applied to other classes of material or to coffins from other periods and places. Expanding the application of the methodology to anthropoid coffins from the previous and later periods, for example, might allow us to analyse in greater depth the development, evolution, and the changing of forms over time and to understand better the production of anthropoid wooden coffins from the first to the last one to appear.
Finally, the implementation of the instruments and the methods used in the Project, and the use of Artificial Intelligence in the future could help in the automatic recognition of facial features on 3D models or in the connection of all the information that we have, which is sometimes difficult to manage with a traditional database.