OPTICAL MICROPROFILOMETRY OPTIMIZED FOR SURFACE ANALYSIS AND 3D PRINTING OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL OBJECTS

In this paper we investigated the application of the optical scanning micro-profilometry based on conoscopic holography sensors for the acquisition and the surface analysis of archaeological objects with a micrometric resolution. The portability of the setup developed and its modularity allow to work in situ with a multi-scale and multi-material approach. In addition, we have developed our own tools to create a mesh from the 2D-arrays of distances collected with the resulting possibility to obtain a replica of the artwork using 3D printing technologies. We test the microprofilometer on two case studies: a fragment of an archaeological amphora, also presenting the workflow to obtain the 3D printed object, and an Etruscan bronze mirror, analyzing its surface.