3D visualization of historic earthen structures for the documentation of deterioration processes and conservation work: the case of the ancient Buddhist monastery of Ajina Tepa, Tajikistan.

The holistic approach to documentation, scientific research and practical work is indispensable for proper conservation of historic sites. Usually, every expertise is performed by a different specialist, so that the amalgamation among those different knowledges tends to be lost. In the project “Preservation of the Buddhist Monastery Ajina Tepa, Tajikistan”, the authors tightly linked different expertises for achieving proper conservation. For the documentation, photogrammetry was selected for the 3D visualization of the site, but also for the monitoring of deterioration and the recording of conservation work. Furthermore, this method was used to clarify the deterioration mechanism and update the conservation plan. As for scientific research, the properties of historic construction material were studied through laboratory analysis. As salt weathering is the major agent of deterioration of the site, evaporation from walls was measured. By combining all results, a proper conservation plan was assembled and executed.