Preservation of Ancient Teeth Geomorphometry through Computer Tomography Scanning and 3D Printing: An Accuracy Test

Summary

Human remains are pivotal to our understanding of the past. While much bioarchaeological analysis continues to rely on macroscopic and non-invasive methods, scientific and technological developments in the last 30 years have revolutionized the discipline. Among others, isotope analyses, and the extraction of ancient DNA (aDNA) have further unveiled the richness of information that bones and teeth can provide. In spite of their potential, the application of these methods is limited due to their invasive and destructive nature. The development of 3D technology has dramatically altered the storage and dissemination of archaeological material for educational, culture management, and scholarly projects. This study presents the implementation of Computed Tomography scanning (CT) along with 3D printing, in the fabrication of casts of ancient teeth prior to aDNA extraction and sequencing. This study presents all the processes involved in the production of an accurate product, including: CT Scanning, CT imaging conversion for 3D printing, and 3D printing. The study also compares the original teeth with their respective casts to test the accuracy of the information generated by the 3D models. Overall, this application preserves the geomorphometry of the teeth, while enabling their replication and expanded dissemination through digital file sharing and reprinting.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage