Abstract/Summary

Stećci are medieval tombstones that can be found in situ in the landscapes of the Western Balkans. Only approx. 8% of stećci have various decorations in the form of low relief, while less than 400 tombstones also bear inscriptions. Climate influences often cause erosion of these engravings, which makes them increasingly difficult to detect and identify. As part of the archaeological research on the stećci phenomenon in the area of the medieval župa Dabar (modern municipalities of Berkovići and Bileća), a pilot study of 3D scanning of these monuments with a hand-held scanner was performed. Eight tombstones, two with an inscription and six with decorations, were thus scanned in their entirety, in order to evaluate the visibility and recognition of the engravings, and to assess the technique for detailed documentation of material culture itself. The article presents the process of scanning and analyzes the results.