Virtual restoration and recreation of one of the bronze jugs from the banquet room (S-1) from the Casas del Turuñuelo site (Guareña, Badajoz), digital media as continuity of the physical restoration

Abstract

This pitcher was found in the tartessian site of Casas del Turuñuelo (Guareña, Badajoz, Spain) (5th?4th century BC) in the campaign of 2016 which was focused in the excavation and documentation of the hall and the room S-1 also called banquet room. Among many other materials discovered, it was found a fragmented bronze pitcher that was really deformed and was fulfilled with sands, silts and clays. Once the mechanical cleaning was finished, it was noticeable that the jar had very thin and weak parts that made impossible so support the weight of the fragments. That is the reason why we decided to make a digital replica to evaluate the continuity of the restoration treatments. From that point it was possible to make a virtual restoration that aims to be an extension to the physical restoration process which was limited by the pitcher’s conservation itself.
The 3D model was created from an exhaustive photographical documentation which was processed in different phases and that enabled the creation of a digital replica of high quality. From this point, a suitable support was created for the disposal of the fragments in their adequate position.
The digitalization process aimed to allow the study of this object and its manipulation without risking
the stability and conservation of it. It has also been fundamental for conservation, restoration and exhibition tasks. Even more this can be used for restoration divulgation activities within museums, in virtual archaeological recreations or other didactic activities.