Archaeological Documentation at Scale: Atlihan Surveying's Digital Heritage Preservation With XGRIDS L2 Pro

Case Studies2025.11.204 min read

Atlihan Surveying Engineering transformed a 1,000 m² excavation site in Turkey into a fully explorable 3D digital archive in under 2 hours.

Project Overview

Operating team: Atlıhan Surveying Engineering Construction Co., XGRIDS Turkey Dealer & Service Partner

Project: Archaeological excavation documentation for cultural heritage preservation

Archaeological excavation site on a Turkish hillside with stone walls and a hilltop fortress, documented in 3D

Location: Turkey

Site Area: 1,000 m²

Timeline: 12-minute scan, 40-minute point cloud processing, 90-minute LCC generation

The Challenge

Archaeological documentation in Turkey traditionally relies on GPS, total stations, or terrestrial laser scanners. Each method presents distinct limitations:

GPS/Total Station: Requires 2+ personnel, minimum 1 day fieldwork plus half-day office processing. Captures only specific geometries without section views or detailed profiles.
Terrestrial Scanners: While producing high-resolution data, requires a minimum of 1 full day on-site plus additional full day for processing. Single-operator capable but time-intensive.
Common Issues: Limited remote collaboration, inability to generate cross-sections from traditional data, restricted detail preservation for stratification analysis.

For this excavation site spanning 1,000 m², the team needed a method that would capture complete spatial data including topographic features and structural conditions while enabling remote researcher access.

The Solution

The Atlihan team deployed the XGRIDS L2 Pro handheld scanner using LiDAR + vision fusion 3D Gaussian Splatting technology.

Scanning Approach:

Survey route planned to capture both topographic features and structural conditions
Single operator conducted complete site scan in 12 minutes
Scanning conditions: Partly cloudy/overcast, 2 hours before sunset
Zero manual cleanup or alignment required post-processing

Data Processing:

Point cloud generation: 40 minutes
LCC (3D Gaussian Splatting) model: 90 minutes
Fully automated workflow using Lixel Studio software

Results

Efficiency Gains

Metric	Traditional Methods	XGRIDS L2 Pro
Scanning Time	1+ days	12 minutes
Personnel Required	2 people (GPS/TS)	1 person
Processing Time	4-8+ hours	40-90 min
Field Validation Accuracy	Varies	<1 cm
Cost Efficiency	Baseline	5x savings

Data Deliverables

Point Cloud: .las format for engineering and architectural analysis
3D Gaussian Splatting: .lcc, .ply, .obj formats for virtual tours and visualization
LCC Studio Viewer: Provided to research teams for remote measurement and analysis

Technical Implementation

Workflow Comparison:

Traditional terrestrial scanners produce higher resolution data than SLAM technology, but the XGRIDS approach delivers a different value proposition: speed and accessibility without sacrificing archaeological utility.

Photorealistic 3D model of the entire excavation mound reconstructed with 3D Gaussian Splatting

What the L2 Pro captures that traditional methods miss:

Complete site sections and profile views from any angle
Detailed stratification data extractable post-scan
Cross-section generation capabilities
Plan views and orthophotos derived from single dataset

Top-down orthophoto views of the excavation walls and rooms extracted from the 3D scan

Section view of the site model revealing a row of post-holes for stratification analysis

Data Purpose Differentiation:

3D Gaussian Splatting models: Virtual tours, public engagement, stakeholder visualization

Aerial view of the excavation terraces captured for digital heritage preservation

Point cloud data: Precise measurements, engineering documentation, architectural studies

Point cloud of the archaeological site used for precise measurement and engineering documentation

Impact on Archaeological Workflow

Remote Research Capabilities

Researchers now analyze excavation data from their computers without site visits. The LCC Studio viewer enables distance and area measurements directly from the digital model.

Stakeholder Usage

Archaeologists: Excavation monitoring, progress tracking, work quantity documentation
Students: Development projects, educational applications
Public: Virtual site exploration for those unable to visit physically

Analysis Advantages Over 2D Documentation

The complete 3D spatial dataset enables capabilities impossible with traditional 2D methods:

Generate cross-sections from any angle after scanning
Extract plan views and orthophotos as needed
Direct detail extraction without returning to site
Comprehensive spatial context for every archaeological feature

Market Impact

The project generated significant interest in Turkey's archaeological community:

Multiple inquiries from archaeologists and architects following social media documentation
Case study cited in symposium presentations by researchers
Demonstrated XGRIDS SLAM applicability beyond traditional surveying applications
Shifted perception of device capabilities in cultural heritage documentation

According to Okan Atlıhan, Surveying Engineer at Atlıhan Surveying: "Several archaeologists and architects used this study as an example in their symposium presentations and mentioned that XGRIDS SLAM was utilized in these works. This has changed perceptions about the device's recognizability and the breadth of its application areas."

Technical Specifications

Scanner: XGRIDS L2 Pro (LiDAR + vision fusion)
Scanning Method: 3D Gaussian Splatting
Processing Software: Lixel Studio
Validated Accuracy: <1 cm
Site Coverage: 1,000 m² in single scan session
Storage: Complete dataset including point cloud and 3DGS models (requires substantial storage compared to traditional survey data)

Conclusion

The 10x speed improvement translates to concrete benefits: reduced project costs and capacity to take on additional cultural heritage documentation projects. The 5x cost savings makes comprehensive archaeological documentation accessible for more sites.

Most importantly, the digital archive provides a permanent, detailed record of the excavation state—preserving cultural heritage in explorable 3D format for researchers, students, and the public worldwide.