Investigation and Analysis of the Technical Methodologies Employed in Creating Stone Reliefs at the Persepolis World Heritage Site Through 3D Modeling and Image Processing
Persepolis, as one of Iran's most prominent archaeological sites, symbolizes the grandeur of the Achaemenid Empire's culture and art. The stone carving art and architectural ornaments of this era, drawing from the experiences and knowledge of various cultures, created a novel and artistic style that is evident in the stone reliefs of Persepolis. Due to the delicacy and precision of these reliefs, they have attracted the attention of many researchers, raising questions about their artistic values and execution methods. This study aims to analyze the execution techniques of Persepolis' reliefs by documenting examples of these reliefs on the eastern staircase of Apadana Palace and the northern staircase of the Treasury Palace. To document and create 3D models of the reliefs, advanced photogrammetry methods, with a particular emphasis on photo-scanning technology, were employed. Images were processed using specialized software such as Agisoft, 3D Zephyr, and Reality Capture. The results of this study reveal a part of the creation process of these artworks that has been less explored until now. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the photogrammetry-based documentation method in extracting precise technical and artistic data is confirmed. This method not only enables a more detailed analysis of the reliefs' intricacies and geometric proportions but also contributes to a deeper understanding of their artistic values and their place in the history of art. This approach can serve as a valuable model for future research in the field of documenting and extracting technical and artistic data from historical stone reliefs.