Geospatial Technologies for 3D Digital Documentation of Underground Heritage Constructions: Catacombs from Sicalpa Viejo, Ecuador

The conservation of underground cultural heritage requires high-precision 3D digital documentation. In Ecuador, this type of heritage is mainly threatened by natural seismic events. The catacombs of the Church of Our Lady of the Snows, at Sicalpa Viejo, Ecuador, have a high heritage value, because they were built in colonial times and have been through significant seismic events, such as the earthquake of 1797. This research presents a methodology that uses cutting-edge technology to obtain digital documentation, taking into account the particularities of this type of underground heritage constructions. As a result, 3D modeling of the entire environment of the catacombs was obtained: niches, ossuary, vestiges of human bones of that time and details in stone. This kind of 3D digital documentation is very useful for planning conservation projects of underground cultural heritage before or after a seismic event.