Evaluating Desktop 3D Laser Scanning Technology for Digital Replication of Faunal Bones

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This poster presentation highlights the feasibility of using desktop 3D laser scanning technology for digital curation and creating accurate digital replicas of faunal bones for comparative and educational purposes. It compares the performance of two different desktop scanners, focusing on their ability to replicate the humeri, carinae, and coracoids of various Anatidae species. The study finds significant differences in performance, with one scanner achieving an 86% overall scan completion rate compared to the other’s 2.7%. The presentation also discusses how the application of powder enhances scan completion rates and explores the implications of these findings for selecting equipment and preparation methods in zooarchaeological research. This work emphasizes the importance of choosing the right scanning technology and preparation techniques for digital curation and creating detailed digital models of faunal bones. It also suggests directions for future research to refine digital replication methods in archaeology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52356