Colour and space in cultural heritage: Key questions in 3D optical documentation of material culture for conservation, study and preservation

The paper introduces some key interdisciplinary questions concerning the development of optical measuring techniques and electronic imaging applied to documentation and presentation of artefacts, as identified through the work of Colour and Space in Cultural Heritage (www.COSCH.info), a transdomain European Action (TD1201) in the area of Materials, Physics and Nanosciences (MPNS) supported, since 2013, by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology http://www.cost.eu/domains_actions/mpns/Actions/TD1201. Some 125 international researchers and professionals participate in COSCH activities which have been organised around six main subjects: (1) spectral object documentation; (2) spatial object documentation; (3) algorithms and procedures; (4) analysis and restoration of cultural heritage surfaces and objects; (5) visualisation of cultural heritage objects and its dissemination; and (6) the semantic development of the COSCH Knowledge Representation. The Authors outline and illustrate the approaches adopted by COSCH. They indicate future work that is needed to resolve the identified scientific, technical and semantic questions, as well as challenges of interdisciplinary communication, to ensure a wider adoption of specialist technologies and enhanced standards in 3D documentation of material cultural heritage -- being a basis for its understanding, conservation, restoration, long-term preservation, study, presentation and wide dissemination.