High Resolution Imaging of Stone Tools from the 1st Millennium BC, Grand Cocle Region of Panama: A Digital Archive Initiative

Summary

Archaeological investigations often result in large quantities of stone and ceramic artifacts which, after being catalogued and analyzed, are stored in accessible places and rarely used for further research, student training or public education. Digital technology is changing this. It is revolutionizing the way we do research, archive our results and communicate with others. Based on a sample of time- or functionally-sensitive stone tools from the 1st millennium BC component at the archaeological site of La Mula-Sarigua in the Grand Cocle Region of Panama, this poster will describe the results of my initiative to (1) digitally photograph and/or scan each object to produce high resolution 3D images, and (2) place them in a publicly accessible web-based repository. The incorporation of high resolution 3D scanned artifacts in digital databases will allow users to manipulate, make observations and take measurements similar to handling the actual artifact. That such databases will be an important tool for analyses in the future is certain as it allows for extensive research independent of the physical objects and institution, the latter of which are often continents apart.

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): 14425