3D documentation of Old Turkic Altai runiform inscriptions and revised readings of the inscriptions Tuekta-V and Bichiktu-Boom-III

30 Old Turkic runiform inscriptions in the Altai Mountains were digitalized by means of 3D technologies during field research in 2017. How the inscriptions were carved as well as their locations in hardly accessible areas required a solution that would combine a detailed 3D documentation of rock surfaces with mobility and freedom from external power supply. Digital photogrammetry proved to be the optimal choice for achieving highquality documentation using inexpensive hardware and free software for further data processing. The advantages of 3D documentation of Altai runiform inscriptions are illustrated by the examples of two Old Turkic runiform inscriptions: Tuekta-V and Bichiktu-Boom-III. The 3D results made it possible to propose new readings of these inscriptions based on the revised composition of their runiform signs. It turns out that the Bichiktu-Boom-III inscription might contain a very rare usage of a religious term that can shed light on the history of religious confessions in the area at the time of the creation of those inscriptions.