A Study of 3D Photogrammetry and Oneota Ceramics

Summary

3D photogrammetry is the process of creating a manipulable 3D model using only photos from a high-resolution camera that are then processed through computer software to extract 3D data and create a wireframe and mesh. This process can be accurate enough to measure a hairline fracture along the surface of prehistoric pottery with .1mm accuracy. Analyze the benefits of such methods, a study was conducted using Oneota ceramic artifacts of the La Crosse, Wisconsin locality that have been curated at the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center, with the data compiled into a virtual database. Using typology, archaeologists have recognized differences in Oneota culture. Distinctive characteristics of Oneota ceramics are the motifs created by trailing along the surface of the still moist clay. The pot shape and contours can be recorded by taking photographs at multiple angles to be processed on a computer to create a digital replica that can be studied by anyone with internet access, data no longer restricted to a site whose physical artifacts are exclusively stored within the curation facility. 3D models can also be printed to be used as aids for teaching and studying different methods of analysis, such as typology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20963