Using Building Information Modeling Programs to Understand the Built Environment of the Virgin Branch Puebloan Culture

Author(s): Benjamin Van Alstyne; Karen Harry

Year: 2015

Summary

Architecture has always been a key focus in archaeological research. This is because it dominates the context where the investigation takes place. However, there is a dearth of research concerning the vernacular architecture within the built environment of the Virgin Branch Puebloan (VBP) people on the Shivwits Plateau. This stems from the sediments of the area, which have obliterated most floor features and thus have limited the amount of architectural information that can be recovered. To compensate for this lack of structural evidence, this research utilizes architectural Building Information Modeling (BIM) programs, in conjunction with ethnographic and archaeological data, to model the construction of a VBP pueblo digitally. The BIM model, however, goes beyond visual imagery. Once constructed, the model makes it possible to carry out a variety of architectural, structural, thermal, and solar analyses. In this study, the BIM model is used to obtain information on the type construction materials used, the labor requirements needed to construct the pueblo, and the thermal dynamics of each room. This case study demonstrates the potential of BIM programs to substantially contribute to our understanding of prehistoric lifeways.

SAA 2015 abstracts made available in tDAR courtesy of the Society for American Archaeology and Center for Digital Antiquity Collaborative Program to improve digital data in archaeology. If you are the author of this presentation you may upload your paper, poster, presentation, or associated data (up to 3 files/30MB) for free. Please visit http://www.tdar.org/SAA2015 for instructions and more information.

Cite this Record

Using Building Information Modeling Programs to Understand the Built Environment of the Virgin Branch Puebloan Culture. Benjamin Van Alstyne, Karen Harry. Presented at The 80th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, San Francisco, California. 2015 ( tDAR id: 397937)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

min long: -115.532; min lat: 30.676 ; max long: -102.349; max lat: 42.033 ;