Making meaning from 3D models and 3D prints: A case study using archaeological objects from Southwestern Ontario

Summary

3D technologies provide a powerful mechanism for documenting, sharing, and engaging with archaeological information. While the products of these tools (including 3D models and 3D prints) are often treated as neutral objects, they should be identified as mediated and interpretive entities. How people experience, perceive, and value these archaeological "copies" in relation to original archaeological material is still relatively unknown. This poster provides a localised case study from Southwestern Ontario outlining the key themes that emerged from interviews with diverse archaeological constituents including local descendant (First Nations) community members, academic and CRM archaeologists, museologists, and members of the general public. The interviews were framed around a collection of both historical Euro-Canadian and Ontario First Nations artifacts as well as digital photographs, 3D models, and 3D prints of those artifacts. Along with a brief description of the various technologies used to make the representations and replicas, this poster synthesises the key themes emerging from the interviews and discusses the implications of those results for the development of future artifact sharing protocols.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16896