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PROJECT PROPOSAL: REIMAGINING ANCIENT SCULPTURES WITH 3D SCANNING AND 3D PRINTING
IDea Collage for Personal Project
3. Precedents and Literature Review
3. Precedents and Literature Review
b. Significance of Project for your discipline, field of expertise, etc.:
This project demonstrates how modern digital tools can help us better understand and visualize historical artifacts. It also explores the creative and ethical question of “What did these sculptures really look like?” and how we might reconstruct them responsibly. I have always been fascinated by ancient Greek and Roman sculptures, but a lot of them exist today in damaged or incomplete forms. This project joins visual prototyping with historical reconstruction, which connects directly to the future career path I’m interested in.
c. Criteria / Exemplars by Which the Project Will Be Judged or Compared:
I would like this project to be compared to existing museum digital reconstructions. I also think it would be used to compare digital prototypes vs. traditional restoration methods.
1. Brainstorm
1. Brainstorm
a. My favorite hobbies or pastimes are the following:
I love to draw/color, build/design things (like LEGO), and to learn about ancient history; especially Ancient Greece and Rome.
b. I am involved in the following studio processes:
3D modeling in Blender and Tinkercad, 3D printing, basic scanning/photogrammetry (Polycam), and design ideation.
c. I am attracted to the following items and studio processes:
Ancient sculptures and ruins, architecture, transformation and restoration projects,, working with 3D models and 3D printing.
d. Some of the issues that have captured my attention are not limited to the following:
The loss and damage of historical artifacts over time, how museums decide what “restoration” should look like, accessibility of ancient art to the public, preservation of cultural heritage, the role of technology and digital tools in archaeology.
2. General Question:
2. General Question:
How can 3D scanning and digital modeling be used to reconstruct ancient sculptures?
Refined Question:
How can 3D scanning and 3D printing be used to digitally reconstruct and physically prototype the missing sections of damaged Greek or Roman sculptures?
Research Proposal:
I will digitally reconstruct missing or damaged parts of an ancient sculpture fragment using 3D scanning (either scanning a replica or downloading a scan from Sketchfab) and modeling software such as Blender. I will then 3D print both the original sculpture fragment and my reconstruction to create a physical “before and after” display. This project will explore how modern visualization and prototyping tools can help us better understand and reimagine historical artifacts.
4. Action Plan
4. Action Plan
a. Timeline to Finish Project:
October 18 – 25:
Research examples of sculpture reconstructions and select a specific Greek or Roman sculpture or fragment of a sculpture. Obtain or scan 3D model (Polycam or Sketchfab).
October 25 – November 1:
Clean the 3D scan and make it a watertight model in Blender.
November 1 – November 10:
Design and model the missing or damaged sections (using reference images and/or historical sources). Begin working on the “before and after” digital comparison.
November 10 – November 20:
Prepare both models (original fragment & reconstructed) for 3D printing. Test print a small prototype first.
November 20 – December 1:
3D print final versions. Refine the final display concept (mounts, labeling, comparison).
December 1 - December 4:
Assemble “before and after” installation and write excerpts explaining the process and significance of the project.
b. Required Preliminary Research Necessary to Complete the Project:
b. Required Preliminary Research Necessary to Complete the Project:
How to clean up and prepare 3D scans in Blender
How to digitally sculpt missing parts using references
How museums and archaeologists approach reconstruction
Basic 3D printing refreshers (supports, scale, export settings)
Historical references for accuracy and inspiration
c. Organized Process:
c. Organized Process:
1. Concept: Reconstructing damaged historical sculptures using modern digital tools.
2. Exploration of Solutions: Experiment with different reconstruction approaches (accurate vs. imaginative) and test scan quality and modeling techniques.
3. Final Product: The physical “before and after” display of the sculpture fragment and its reconstructed version along with explanatory text excerpts and/or visuals.
d. Necessary Materials and Processes:
d. Necessary Materials and Processes:
3D scanning (Polycam or existing 3D scans via Sketchfab)
Mesh cleanup and modeling in Blender
Digital sculpting/reconstruction
Preparing files for 3D printing/slicing
Printing and assembling display
e. Necessary Equipment:
e. Necessary Equipment:
Access to scanner, Polycam app, or Sketchfab
Computer with Blender and maybe Tinkercad
ASU Makerspace 3D printers
Reference images/historical sources
f. Project Feasibility, “Deal Breakers,” and Alternatives:
f. Project Feasibility, “Deal Breakers,” and Alternatives:
The project is achievable for me, but I think that the quality of the scans and the time it takes to 3D print both models could be challenges. If I can’t get access to ancient sculptures and/or the scanning app fails, I can use high-quality scanned models from Sketchfab or museums. If the printing becomes too time-consuming, I can present the digital “before and after” with photos of the renders in Blender instead of having physical prints of them. If it all becomes a little too complex or above my current capabilities, I could instead focus on only reconstructing a single broken element (like a missing arm or nose) instead of reconstructing the entire sculpture.
Digital Modeling – Venus de Milo Reconstruction
Digital Modeling – Venus de Milo Reconstruction
For this project, since I wanted to practice reconstructing ancient sculptures, I worked with a 3D scan of the Venus de Milo sourced from the SMK – National Gallery of Denmark on Sketchfab. I imported the scan into Blender and experimented with several tools to refine the original model. Most of the early work involved trial and error, switching between different modeling methods and testing what would give me the cleanest results. I used a combination of sculpting, smoothing, and mesh cleanup to correct rough areas in the scan and bring the surface closer to the appearance of carved marble.
Then I modeled a new set of arms for the statue in a pose where Venus is holding a distaff and spindle. This pose is historically supported by other ancient artworks, where women are commonly shown spinning thread. I chose to have her spinning thread because, not only was it common for women to be depicted in this gesture, but also because of its symbolic meaning: as the goddess of love, fertility, and generative power, Venus spinning thread connects her to themes of creation and reproduction. The pose also echoes the mythological role of thread in fate and continuity.
After shaping and scaling the new arms and tools to match the statue, I blended them into the original scan through sculpting and smoothing, creating a unified reconstruction ready for printing.
Sketchfab Scan: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/venus-de-milo-aphrodite-of-milos-53082b5d6cef4c34a9701a2a24f58075
Original Scan of Venus de Milo from Sketchfab
Reconstructed Model of Venus de Milo
Material and Fabrication Test
Material and Fabrication Test
Once the model was complete, I prepared both the original scan and my reconstructed version for printing. I placed them in a single STL file so they could print side-by-side at the same scale. Both prints were sized to be approximately five inches tall.
The two sculptures were printed together in about 4.5 hours. After printing, I removed supports and lightly sanded the surfaces using sandpaper and an electric nail file to clean up layer lines. This helped bring out the contrast between the raw scan and the smooth re-imagined version with added arms and objects.
Final Results - Venus de Milo
Final Results - Venus de Milo
The finished piece shows the original Venus de Milo alongside a reconstruction that imagines a possible ancient context for her missing arms. In my version, she holds a distaff and spindle, tools used for spinning thread in the ancient world. This gesture appears in other Greek artworks and reflects everyday labor associated with women while also symbolizing reproduction, making it a plausible interpretation of her original pose.
Displaying both prints together highlights the transformation from damaged fragment to functional reconstruction. The project combines digital restoration, sculptural problem-solving, and 3D printing to explore how classical sculptures may have originally appeared and how modern tools can help re-create lost forms.
Original Scan Print
Reconstructed Model Print
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