Digitalising Materialities: Integrating 3D Documentation at Tall Ya'moun and Tall al-Assara

The increasing accessibility of 3D modelling technologies has significantly expanded digital documentation practices in archaeology, ranging from consumer-grade applications to professional photogrammetric workflows. This paper presents a comparative methodological case study based on archaeological material from Tall Ya’moun and Tall al-Assara in northern Jordan. It outlines and evaluates two approaches for producing 3D models of small- to medium-sized cultural heritage objects: (1) mobile LiDAR-based scanning with an iPad Pro using the Polycam application; and (2) traditional DSLR-based photogrammetry using professional software. The comparison focuses on workflow performance, including data acquisition, processing requirements, visual quality, and accessibility, rather than providing an independent metric accuracy assessment. The findings show that although photogrammetry has higher geometric resolution and image quality suitable for detailed analysis, the iPad/LiDAR system has great advantages in terms of speed, usability, and portability. Such attributes make mobile scanning ideal for rapid documentation, visualization, and outreach purposes where sub-millimetric accuracy is not necessary.