CIPA 2003 XIX 11 ! International Symposium, 30 September - 04 October, 2003, Antalya, Turkey 
population of Africa is largely unaware of the significance of 
African heritage sites and generally not in a position to visit any 
but those in their immediate vicinity. It is therefore planned to 
record and document the historically most relevant of these 
sites using state-of-the-art digital photogrammetry and laser 
scanning, as well as visualisation, GIS and database technology. 
The digital documentation will consist of metrically correct 3D 
computer models, 3D interactive visualisations, GIS coverages 
and databases of varying extent, which will contain site related 
textual, spatial and image data. This documentation can serve 
for restoration, documentation for the future, scientific research 
and, in CD or Web page format, for education and the 
promotion of tourism. The documentation of the 3.5 million 
year old petrified hominid footprints of Laetoli, Tanzania have 
already been completed as a Getty Conservation Institute 
project (Riither, 1998), the rock churches of Lalibela in 
Ethiopia are partly documented (Rüther et al, 2001) and the 
Kilwa project, described in this paper, is underway. The three 
sites have been chosen as pilot projects for the African Heritage 
Database as they differ in their nature and require different 
recording and documentation techniques. The project is partly 
funded by UNESCO. 
5. CONCLUDING REMARKS 
There can be no doubt regarding the need to record African 
heritage in order to preserve it for future generations and make 
the present population of Africa aware of its rich heritage. 
Documentation should go beyond pure metric recording and an 
integrated database and Information System should be 
established for each site, combining metric data in a structured 
form with data on history, excavation reports, site conditions, 
vegetation, geology, site management, tourist activities and 
relevant site information. The problem of transferring data from 
photogrammetrically digitised coordinate data into a CAD 
system was successfully addressed by the design of a data 
structure which conveyed feature position and topology 
information to the CAD system for automated drawing. Laser 
scanning proved to be a valuable addition to the documentation 
toolbox and can be expected to play a significant role. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
The authors gratefully acknowledge the generous loan of the 
Cyrax laser scanner for the Kilwa project by Set Point 
Geomatics. The authors also thank the University of Cape 
Town’s URC and USHEPIA programme- which provided 
funding for the field campaign and the University of Dar es 
Salaam for logistical support. Finally acknowledgement is due 
to the staff of the Tanzanian Department of Antiquities and 
especially to the Director, Dr. Kamamba, who gave permission 
for the research and the documentation project on the Kilwa 
site. 
REFERENCES 
Barber D., Mills J. and Brian P.G. Laser Scanning and 
Photogrammetry: 21 st Century Metrology. Int. Archives of 
Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information 
Sciences Volume XXXIV -5/C7 pp. 360-366. 
Boehler W., Heinz G. and Marbs A. ( 2001).The Potential of 
Non-Contact Close Range Laser Scanners for Cultural Heritage 
Recording. Int. Archives of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing 
and Spatial Information Sciences Volume XXXIV -5/Cl pp 
430-436. 
Thomas Buehrer T., Zhang Li. Gruen A., Fraser C. and Rüther 
H.(2001). Photogrammetric reconstruction and 3D visualisation 
of Bet Giorgis, a rock-hewn church in Ethiopia. Int. Archives of 
Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information 
Sciences Volume XXXIV -5/C7 pp 338-344. 
Chittick N. (1974) .Kilwa, an Islamic Trading City on the East 
African Coast. Publication of the “British Institute in Eastern 
Africa and “Digital Library (Dictionary of Islamic 
Architecture) http://archnet.org/library/dictionary. 
Chami F.A.,(1998). A Review of Swahili Archaeology. African 
Archaeological Review, Vol. 15, No.3. 
Fangi G., Fiori F., Gagliardini G. and Malinvemi E.S. Fast and 
Accurate 3D modeling by Laser Scanning System. Int. Archives 
of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information 
Sciences Volume XXXIV -5/C7 pp 196-203. 
Lingua A. and Rinaudo F., ( 2001).The Statue of Rameste II- 
Integration of Digital Photogrammetry and Laser Scanning 
Technique for 3D Modeling. Int. Archives of Photogrammetry, 
Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences Volume 
XXXIV-5/C7 pp. 206-211. 
Monti C., Brumana R., Fregonese L., Savi C. and Achille C. 
Integrated Methodology of Survey-Digital Photogrammetry and 
3D Model Laser Scanning. Int. Archives of Photogrammetry, 
Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences Volume 
XXXIV -5/C7 pp. 437-444. 
Rüther, H (1998), Laetoli Project Report 1996 -1998. Part VII: 
Photogrammetric Recording of the Trackway, Publication of 
the Getty Conservation Institute, 1998, p.68-103. 
Rüther, H., Fraser, C. & Gruen A., (2001) The recording of Bet 
Giorgis, a 12th Century rock-hewn church in Ethiopia. 
Proceedings, International Workshop on Recreating the Past 
“Visualization and Animation of Cultural Heritage”, 
Ayutthaya, Thailand. 
Rüther, H., (2002), An African Heritage Database, the virtual 
preservation of Africa’s past. Proceedings, ISPRS Workshop, 
Dar es Salaam. 
Sutton J.E.G, (1998) Kilwa: A history of the ancient Swahili 
town with a guide to the monuments of Kilwa Kisiwani and 
adjacent islands. AZANIA - Journal of the British Institute in 
Eastern Africa., Volume 33. 
Sutton J.E.G, (1990), .A thousand Years of East Africa. 
Publication of the British Institute in Eastern Africa. 
Sir John Gray ( 1951) Publication of the British Institute in 
Eastern Africa. Tanganyika Notes and Records, No 31. 
Van den Heuvel, F.A. 2000. Trends in CAD-based 
photogrammetric measurement. International Archives of 
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Vol. 33, Part 5/2, pp. 
852-863.