Three-Dimensional Modeling Applications for Cultural Preservation

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Three-dimensional modeling of archaeological sites has been used in scholarly papers as well as in museum displays to illustrate the original appearance of the archaeological site. In addition to these valuable applications, three-dimensional modeling of partially-excavated or no-longer-standing archaeological architecture has significant value to the field of cultural preservation. This project focuses on a portion of the partially excavated Piedras Marcadas Pueblo, located in the Albuquerque Open Space. Using architectural modeling programs such as SketchUp, the Pueblo was partially reconstructed with two-foot tall interior and exterior walls that were known to exist. The three-dimensional rendering of this floor plan can help inform further excavations and interpretations. Further work on this project will entail interpreting features of the Pueblo that no longer physically exist, using stylistic and structural information from similar Pueblos such as Zuni Pueblo and Taos Pueblo. The goal of this poster is to illustrate the value of undertaking this process. Digitally rendering the site from known features enables us to preserve the site from typical erosional forces, as well as provide a foundation with which to interpret what the site may have looked like in its original form.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25307