Application of Photogrammetric Methods to Archaeological Site Documentation: Archaeological and Experimental Case Studies

Summary

Photogrammetry is a powerful tool using images to create three-dimensional (3D) models of objects and landscapes. Advances in software and personal computing have made photogrammetry an important instrument for the documentation of archaeological sites. Despite this, using photogrammetry to understand spatial data within archaeological sites is uncommon. Recording spatial data on sites is usually done by hand-measuring artifacts within a grid or by using a total station for more accurate mapping and piece plotting. Using photogrammetry to create a 3D model of excavations may be a more expedient method, but the accuracy and precision of spatial data using this technique has not been fully investigated. Here we present data from experimental and archaeological excavations to determine how effective this technique is for reconstructing and preserving primary 3D coordinate data from sites. We compare accuracy and precision of 3D coordinates using three techniques: traditional hand-measurement, total station data, and photogrammetry. We apply these techniques in several experimental and archaeological contexts. This technique could be useful for small-scale excavations with equipment limitations, or in larger projects to document expedient test excavations. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation International Research Experience for Students OISE 1358178 and 1358200.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16939