In the Third Degree: Modeling and Photogrammetry at the Ancient Maya Site of Pacbitun, Belize

Summary

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

The archaeological site of Pacbitun is located in west central Belize and has a long history of occupation at the site. Starting in the Middle Preclassic (600 – 400 BC) and continuing until AD 800-900. Recent student research projects have led to three differing uses of photogrammetry. First has been for public education and outreach, with students converting artifacts found in elite burials and caches into physical replicas using 3D printing. The second has been the construction of models of the units for mapping and profiling of the excavations. Additionally, the 3D models are hosted online and allow collaborators a more detailed explanation of the structures found at the site. Finally, morphological characteristics of similar sorts of artifacts have been compared across excavation units. The modeling of these fragments allows researchers to compare new landmark feature measurements that were not directly measured in Belize. This means the artifacts can still be numerically analyzed, without the cost and difficulty of removing them from the home country. For example, mano fragments from a production area were compared to those found in other contexts to determine which have been used for maize processing.

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): 25167