3D reconstructions of the Düwelsteene, Germany
The Düwelsteene near Heiden, Westphalia, is one of the most southern megalithic tombs of the Funnel Beaker culture. In 1932 the Düwelsteene were restored and the appearance of the grave was changed. Through image-based modelling a digital twin was created of the megalithic tomb (https://www.altertumskommission.lwl.org/de/forschung/megalithik/die-duwelsteene-bei-heiden/ ).
With this 3D model, it was possible to turn back time and reconstruct how the Düwelsteene could have looked before the restoration in 1932. This was done through a Citizen Science project, in which the citizens of Heiden and the surrounding areas were asked to look for and send in photographs of the megalithic tomb before the restoration in 1932. With these images the digital reconstruction could be created (https://www.altertumskommission.lwl.org/de/forschung/megalithik/citizen-science-projekt-duewelsteene/).
For a master’s thesis in Digital Archaeology at the University of Cologne the Düwelsteene can now be viewed as three different 3D models. The “Devil’s Stones” are displayed as a digital model of how the grave looks today, they are also depicted as a 3D reconstruction before their restoration in 1932 and as a reconstruction model of how the megalithic tomb could have looked like around 3000 BC.
As part of the master’s thesis, there is a feedback form integrated into the website. The results of the feedback will be added to the thesis, so participation in the feedback is much appreciated!
The website:
