Some of the most famous prehistoric sites on Orkney (Scotland) are being scanned through advanced 3D laser devices to record extremely faint details. The team from Glasgow School of Art and Historic Scotland will scan the chambered tomb of Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae settlement.
     The two-week project is part of a plan to build up three-dimensional images of 10 World Heritage sites. The recording process will involve a laser being fired millions of times a second at each of the monuments. The end result will be a precise record of the sites, accurate down to just millimetres. The data will be used to assess the physical condition of the structures and provide a foundation for future conservation, site management and aid archaeological understanding.
     Project leader Dr Lyn Wilson said: "This will be the first site in the Scottish Ten project where we have existing scan data: comparing data acquired at different dates will allow us to measure any changes in condition of the monuments."

Source: BBC News (17 August 2010)