Scantech (Hangzhou) Brings 3D Digitization to Central Asian Silk Road Archaeology

Scantech (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd., a leading provider of 3D digitization technologies, recently took part in the First Digital Archaeology Talent Training Program for Central Asia, supporting the adoption of advanced digital tools in Silk Road archaeology. 

Guided by the UNESCO International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) and organized in collaboration with the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration and Northwest University, China, the program focused on strengthening digital archaeology capabilities across the region, while promoting cross-border cooperation in cultural heritage protection.

Bringing together academic institutions, public authorities, and industry partners, the program enabled archaeology professionals from Central Asia to engage in hands-on training with high-precision 3D digitization technologies. Through close collaboration with Northwest University, Scantech (Hangzhou) contributed technical expertise and practical instruction, helping participants explore how industrial digital solutions can be adapted to meet the stringent accuracy and documentation requirements of archaeological research.

As digital preservation becomes increasingly critical for fragile sites facing environmental, structural, and documentation challenges, the initiative highlights how modern technologies can support the long-term safeguarding of one of the world’s most culturally significant regions.

Digital Technologies Reshaping Archaeological Practice

At the program's opening session, Wang Runlu, Deputy Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, highlighted the transformative role of digital technologies in archaeology. He noted that digitization is reshaping how discoveries are documented, analyzed, protected, and shared, and that the program supports broader regional cooperation frameworks, including the Belt and Road Initiative.

Digital Archaeology as a Shared Responsibility Along the Silk Road

Sun Qingwei, President of Northwest University, emphasized that the Silk Road's cultural heritage reflects centuries of exchange and coexistence among civilizations. He stressed that protecting and responsibly utilizing these cultural resources is a shared mission for countries along the Silk Road and highlighted the importance of cultivating digitally skilled heritage professionals who can bridge traditional archaeological expertise with emerging digital methodologies.

From Strategic Vision to Practical Skills

Within this broader vision, we translated these strategic goals into concrete technical capacity building. Throughout the program, our engineers served as instructors and mentors, delivering structured training on 3D data acquisition, precision modeling, and digital documentation specifically tailored to archaeological and cultural heritage contexts. Participants progressed through the complete digital archaeology workflow—from on-site data capture to high-quality 3D modelling and mapping—combining theory with hands-on practice.

Advanced 3D Scanning for Cultural Relic Documentation

A major focus of our contribution was hands-on training with our advanced 3D scanning systems, including the 3DeVOK professional 3D scanner MT and the NimbleTrack industrial optical 3D scanning system. These technologies, widely used in high-accuracy measurement and complex surface capture, were adapted to meet the stringent requirements of cultural relic documentation. Through real-world case studies and live demonstrations, trainees learned how to apply 3D scanning to artifacts and architectural remains, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and data integrity, —especially for fragile objects and sites that cannot be repeatedly accessed or physically handled.

Learning Through Practice and Exchange

The training followed an integrated learning model combining classroom instruction, practical operation, and immersive experience. Our sessions covered handheld laser scanner principles and their archaeological applications, multi-angle 2D image acquisition, cultural-heritage-grade high-precision 3D texture mapping, and comprehensive scanning-and-texturing workflows. Interactive Q&A sessions enabled trainees to address real technical challenges, strengthening their ability to apply digital methods in diverse archaeological settings.

Voices from Central Asia

Representing the trainees, Kambarov Nasibillo of Fergana State University in Uzbekistan expressed appreciation for the program and noted the strong demand for systematic digital archaeology training in Central Asia. He emphasized the value of long-term cooperation and knowledge exchange among Silk Road institutions.

Digitizing the Past, Connecting the Future

By embedding advanced industrial technology into an international academic training framework, the program demonstrates how university–industry collaboration can accelerate the modernization of archaeology and cultural heritage protection. Our 3D digitization solutions help transform fragile cultural relics into precise, reusable digital assets, supporting long-term preservation, research, and cross-border knowledge sharing.

Through this initiative, Scantech (Hangzhou) reaffirms its commitment to applying advanced 3D digitization technologies in service of cultural heritage protection and international cooperation—helping establish a shared digital foundation for Silk Road archaeology and enabling cultural heritage to be preserved, studied, and shared responsibly in the digital age.