Geospatially Measuring & Modeling an Israeli Archeology Site

Close-up of point cloud in the Columbarium

Darin Taylor, UVU Project Director

Nearly 2,500 Years Old

The non-profit Beit Lehi Foundation (www.beitlehifounda- tion.com) was setup in 2005 to “advance the understanding and awareness of the general public of ancient religious history associated with this site through scientific research and education.” Because of this mission and recent excavations completed on the site in 2010, the foundation president, Alan Rudd, asked the Engineering Graphics and Design Technology department at Utah Valley University (UVU) (www.uvu.edu) located in Orem, Utah (www.orem.org), to get involved with designing and constructing a visitor’s center, parking facility, pedestrian pathways, and other on-site public and preservation facilities, as well as obtaining some archeological survey information. UVU’s efforts are now directed by Darin Taylor, a Drafting Technology professor who has made the project into an official UVU study abroad program which offers Drafting, Geomatics, Digital Media, and Construction management students and faculty an opportunity to get engaged in an international or thousands of years this site has been called by project where they can apply skills and knowledge they have Bedouin’s “Beit Lehi,” translated from Hebrew learned in school. meaning “House” or “Ruins of Lehi” and Lehi meaning “jaw bone.” Located approximately Background 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem on an Israeli Utah Valley University (UVU) first got involved with military base, soldiers discovered this ancient the Beit Lehi, Israel project when Alan Rudd, President subterranean site while constructing a road near the West Bank of the Beit Lehi Foundation contacted Darin Taylor, then in 1969. The site is now thought to be an ancient village or city of Department Chair for Engineering Graphics and Design some significance with reference made to it by the famed ancient Technology (EGDT). Alan learned of the unique skill sets historian Josephus Flavius. The site is also the traditional site of the EGDT students and faculty possess. These students Samson’s Well where a thousand Philistines were killed by Samson are capable of doing the initial site surveying, mapping, with the jawbone of a donkey as recorded in Judges 15:19. So far, and facilities and infrastructure design to accommodate a excavations have shown that the site dates back nearly to the Iron visitor center with gift shop, theater, site walkways, park- Age (500 BCE), with the exception of Samson’s Well, which dates ing lots, and roadways for tour buses and vehicles. The to approximately the 12th century BCE. Digital Media department faculty and students were also

>> Danial L. Perry, PLS, MBA

Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • Vol. 10 No. 1 • Copyright 2013 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com included to help film a site documentary be done with archeological sites. Oren focusing on the EGDT students and became enthusiastic about the possibilities Surveying and Scanning faculty as they worked on the project, of introducing 3D laser scanning technol- the Archeological Dig Site as well as produce a movie that would ogy to archeology. Oren mentioned this The most important task in starting a eventually tell the story and at least part technology, the conversation with Dan site survey is to establish a good survey of the known history of the site. The Perry, and the possibilities scanning could control network that all additional site Construction Management department provide to Dean Carey, who came home surveys, including scanning, could students and faculty may be involved in from Israel not only excited about all the be tied to this same network. During the future. UVU administration consist- wonderful learning and teaching prospects the first year (2010), the UVU team ing of Ernie Carey, Dean of the College the project could provide but also consisted of faculty Darin Taylor, Dan of Technology and Computing, Larry determined to purchase a 3D scanner for Perry, and Paul Cheney from Digital Marsing (retired), Associate Dean of the the school and the Beit Lehi project. After Media (DGM) along with two DGM School of Technology and Construction, approval from UVU was obtained and an students and four drafting/surveying and Darin Taylor, Department Chair agreement made between the university students. While surface control was of the EGDT department visited Israel and the Beit Lehi Foundation, Darin being established based on assumed and the Beit Lehi site at the invitation of Taylor became the project leader who coordinates (in feet) by Darin, a few the Beit Lehi Foundation to analyze the currently sits on the Beit Lehi Foundation students, and a total station, Dan and practicality, cost, and safety of the project board, and Dan Perry became lead two other students began scanning the for their students and faculty. surveyor and scanner for the project. Olive Press and Ritual Bath. These two During this analysis period Danial The scope of the project expanded to facilities had recently (previous 3 years) Perry, Associate Professor and Licensed include not only conventional surface been fully excavated revealing three Surveyor from the EGDT department, surveying using GPS, Total Stations, olive presses, one pressing/grinding engaged in a conversation with Oren and Automatic levels, but also 3D laser stone, and a limestone quarry at the Gutfeld, Chief Archeologist for the Beit scanning using a Leica Geosystems™ bottom of the press area. Lehi site regarding the possibility of 3D C10®. The C10 is used to scan the entire All the subterranean facilities on this site laser scanning in addition to the surface ancient and recently excavated subterra- and in this area of Israel were carved out surveying required for the site infrastruc- nean facilities including the Olive Press, of a soft limestone material lying below a ture and facilities. Dan has been scanning Ritual Bath (Jewish Mikveh), Byzantine hard limestone 6–9 feet (2–3 meters) thick since 2001 using a Leica Geosystems™, Chapel, and Columbarium’s (anciently above which is a 0.5–1 meter thick layer of Cyrax 2500® laser scanner and was used on this site as a place for the raising topsoil. This hard crust serves as an excel- familiar with what could potentially of doves and/or pigeons). lent and reliable ceiling for these manmade underground installations some of which were carved as early as 400 BCE. These facilities had various purposes depending on the need of the occupants, but all were carved from soft limestone material, which made for relatively easy digging. These

Total station control survey setup at the Curtis Sorensen, UVU student seting up the scanner in a very entrance to the Columbarium. small underground storage area.

Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • Vol. 10 No. 1 • Copyright 2013 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com facilities were much cooler than working was used as a sample, showing of the type students traded off between the scanning on the surface, which can sometimes get of 3D modeling that the UVU team could team and the survey control team, thereby as hot as 110º F (44ºC). The Leica C10 provide to the Beit Lehi Foundation. From allowing each student a chance to get some had no problem obtaining good reflective this model, a scaled 3D print of the Mikveh exposure to conventional survey instru- surface data from this material, but great was produced using a Dimension® Elite™ ments on the surface and the new C10 care was taken in obtaining accurate 3D printer for visualization purposes. This laser scanner underground. registration targets to improve the overall printed model was well received by Oren accuracy of the registered point clouds. Gutfeld, the Chief Archeologists and the Over 10 million data points were obtained creation of a scaled model of the entire Second Excursion, for the Olive Press and Ritual Bath village showing the relationship of the May 2011 together. A medium scan resolution setting subterranean facilities to each other and to The 2011 excursion carried a similar was selected as a trade-off between speed the surface of the site is anticipated. purpose as in 2010, but this time, the team and resolution and considered the point A small area known as the Christian consisted of only 3 faculty and 3 students. loss in migrating to Leica Geosystems™ Chapel chiseled out of the soft limestone in This worked well because almost the Cloudworx® software for subsequent approximately 300–400 CE was scanned entire workload was centered on 3D laser drafting performed by UVU students and next, along with a nearby ancient donkey scanning using the C10™. With the large also required by the archeologists. stable. All scans were again registered to columbarium fully excavated the previous The Olive Press consists of a large main each other using the Leica Geosystems® 2010 dig season, several days were spent room approximately 6.4 meters tall, 9.3 3" and 6" rotating flat targets and subse- scanning its sprawling underground meters at its widest point and 10 meters at quently registered to the surface survey area. At approximately 16 meters wide, its longest point. The temperature work- control set by Darin Taylor and his team. 17 meters long, and 5 meters tall, this ing conditions in this underground Olive While the UVU scanning and surveying columbarium once held approximately Press are a comfortable 75º F (24º C) teams were busy doing their work, the 2000 pigeons/doves, making it the largest compared to 95º (35º C) on the surface. Digital Media team shot several hours of and oldest facility of its kind in the world. The Olive Press was completed in about video footage of our students working as The post-processed models and 3D prints 10 hours with 11 different scanner setups, well as documenting other aspects of the are still in production. some of which were not ideal given the site, including a panoramic view of all the After completing this facility, a tower difficulty of the areas to be scanned, but excavated subterranean facilities to-date. foundation was scanned. Located on the still, good data was still obtained. (See “Site Panorama” located under the surface of the site, the foundation clearly The Ritual Bath (Jewish Mikveh) was “Links” navigation bar at www.beitlehi- belonged to a watch tower which oversaw scanned next, which is approximately 5.0 foundation.org). Throughout the 3½ days the region to the west and south of the meters tall, and 4.8 meters square with on the site, the Drafting and Surveying village. In fact, this particular facility is 7 stairs across the width of the room, beginning at the entrance and descending to the bathing area. The Ritual Bath area only took 2 hours to scan using 3 scanner setups. During post processing, the Mikveh

Donkey Stable and the difficult targeting setup.

Byzantine Chapel mosaic floor.

Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • Vol. 10 No. 1 • Copyright 2013 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com Byzantine Era (300-500 CE) chapel with its beautiful mosaic floor, columns, and other important features still present.

Detailed Mosaic ship with some mentioned in the ancient historical writings the horizontal control network. During defacing present. of Josephus Flavius and Christian Priests, post-processing of data back at UVU, which is how Oren Gutfeld identified this the data was adjusted slightly for best fit archeological work has been collaborated city as the City of Zedek built during the horizontally and vertically, thus providing with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem early Byzantine era. the site with acceptable survey accuracy where Oren Gutfeld is a professor. The for future survey work and construction. Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA), the Third Excursion, May 2012 The 3D scanning crew spent time scan- Israeli Tourism Department, and the Beit This excursion consisted of the largest ning the ruins of the Byzantine Chapel built Lehi Foundation are very interested in the UVU group yet to work on the site. on this site in approximately 300–400 BCE progress made by the UVU Engineering This time the team carried not only and located on the western edge of the old Graphics and Design Technology depart- the C10 scanner and the Spectra Total village. This facility was built above ground ment faculty and students on this site, and Station, but also an automatic level, and and consists of several rooms, cylindrical they anticipate it will soon become one of because of Perkins Grant funding, a columns in the basilica, apse, olive press, the premier tourist sites in southwest Israel. Topcon GR3 (Base) and Topcon HiPer wine press, baptistery, and a beautiful, The future of this project, like many II (Rover) GPS system. This equipment intricate mosaic floor throughout every others of its kind, are heavily dependent is also used for course instruction at the room, depicting various animals, plants, on charitable contributions needed for university and had proven to work well fruits, and people. The scan data from excavating and documenting the remain- on the Beit Lehi dig site. this facility could possibly be used to do ing 90% of the site. UVU students and With GPS, the team checked control some site reconstruction and create a fully faculty in cooperation with the Beit Lehi monuments, acquired data on trails reconstructed virtual model as well as a 3D Foundation officers and staff expect to be and roads, and general terrain. Prior to print of the structure. A minimal amount of working for many years into the future on departure, Dan Perry transformed the scanning was done on others areas of the this geospatially challenging, exciting and previous control data to actual Israel village because excavation had not been interesting ancient village of Beit Lehi/City coordinates and made least squares completed at the time of the excursion. of Zedek located in the beautiful, serene adjustments comparing previous survey Judean hills of Israel. control work set by Darin Taylor and the Summary archeological survey employed by the About a third of the site has now been Danial L. Perry, PLS, MBA, has more Foundation prior to UVU’s involvement surveyed using a conventional Total Station than 15 years of field experience as on the project. This data along with and GPS, resulting in an accurate control a surveyor in Oregon, Idaho, and the previously set control monuments network and a site and topographic map Utah and is currently employed as an matched very well. Another total station from which to generate the future design Associate Professor and Geomatics survey control crew worked to expand the of a visitors center, parking lot, entry Program Coordinator at Utah Valley survey control network to include the area road and other important site facilities. University located in Orem, Utah. For to be encompassed by a visitor’s center, All of the currently excavated facilities more information about UVU, the parking lot, and entry road. The auto- have been scanned with the intention of UVU Geomatics Program, and/or the matic level was used to run several level producing archeological grade site plans Beit Lehi project please email Dan at loops between control points to ensure and sections of each facility along with [email protected] or visit their website appropriate vertical control accuracy of 3D models and prints of the same. The at www.uvu.edu/geomatics.