Osteogrammetry: The Efficacy of SfM Photogrammetry for Documenting Human Skeletal Remains

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Archaeological Futures through a Virtual Past" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This research refines methods of digitally documenting human remains from archaeological contexts using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry and confirms the accuracy of employing this method for metric and nonmetric data collection. SfM photogrammetry offers a low-cost and accessible way to create accurate 3D digital models of skeletal elements from 2D photographic data using little specialized equipment which could be accessible to most archaeological field projects. This research includes two pilot studies. The first will evaluate the metric accuracy of the skeletal models by comparing measurements taken from 20 femora by an experienced forensic anthropologist, a bioarchaeology student, and from digital models created and analyzed with Agisoft Metashape. T-tests will be used to determine the degree of interobserver error introduced by digital model creation and measurement processes. The second pilot study will examine the potential for non-metric, pathological analyses using digital models by analyzing skeletal remains recovered from three burials at a medieval site in San Donato, Lamon, Italy, modeled on-site during a single field season. The photographic quality of SfM models potentially acquired during the recovery process allows for close examination of surface texture unachievable by other methods of 3D documentation such as computed tomography and laser scanning.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeological Futures through a Virtual Past   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38934.0