Comparability of Photogrammetry and Laser Scanners for Generating 3D Surfaces for Archaeological Questions

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 has become an invaluable tool in many areas of archaeology, including bioarchaeological contexts. 3D modeling can increase the scope and scale of many research questions by, for example, allowing for the use of geometric morphometrics to provide high-resolution anatomical information. Unfortunately, rendering 3D surface data has traditionally required expensive equipment, limiting access to many researchers, especially students. Photogrammetry, which converts a series of 2D images into a 3D object, may provide a less expensive alternative for creating 3D models. This study compares the accuracy of 3D cranial models generated using photogrammetry to the physical crania and models derived from a laser scanner. Photogrammetry models were generated from photos taken with Canon Rebel T4i and Agisoft Photoscan software, while the laser scans were produced with NextEngine scanner. Results show high fidelity between the real crania and virtual models. Based on standard craniometric measurements, photogrammetry produced models of similar accuracy to that of the scanner and the crania, with the resulting models deviating < 5% from true cranial measurements. Therefore, in addition to reducing processing time, improving texture resolution, and being easier and less expensive to use, photogrammetry appears to be a reliable alternative for analyzing and disseminating archeological data.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25557