The 84th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology

More than pretty pictures: A decade of aerial imagery and photogrammetry in northern Ecuador

This is an abstract from the « Towards a Standardization of Photogrammetric Methods in Archaeology: A Conversation about ‘Best Practices’ in An Emerging Methodology » session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Since 2007 our team has been conducting low level aerial reconnaissance in the northern highlands of Ecuador, a challenging environment with low air pressure, frequent high winds, misting rain, and rapidly alternating intense sun and enveloping low lying clouds. We struggled with our kites that initial year but managed to build the first high-resolution aerial map of an Ecuadorian Inka fortress. During subsequent years, the switch to drones and improved photo-analytical capacity opened a new world of visualization to us and our colleagues, though never without challenges from the difficult environment. Beyond the beautiful images of the Inka fortresses, mound sites, and haciendas that we were mapping, however, was the power of photogrammetry and 3D modeling in building not only precise images but offering a better overall structural understanding as well. Complex slope models and volumetric cut and fill calculations were among the analytical techniques we could bring to the first complete maps of the large earthen mound centers at Cochasquí and Zuleta, for example. Ultimately, the ability to analyze landscapes in real time became our standard, and in conjunction with powerful subsurface tools such as radar and magnetometry, such visualizations have become an essential tool for our investigations.

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Methods for the Application of Structure from Motion (SfM) 3D models for the Recording and Consolidation of Archaeological Architecture.

This is an abstract from the « Towards a Standardization of Photogrammetric Methods in Archaeology: A Conversation about ‘Best Practices’ in An Emerging Methodology » session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Photogrammetry is the process of generating 3-Dimensional digital models from still photographs. The process is applied in a variety of field and lab settings for documenting the archaeological record. Currently, there is a need for focus on individual applications and the development of a standard methodology to ensure consistent and comparable 3D models. We present our system for incorporating photogrammetry into the documentation of architecture, developed at the site of Nim li Punit, Belize, during our 2018 field season. The archaeological excavation of architecture involves the documentation of the pre-excavated building, the liberation of earth and material overburden, the documentation of all in situ construction (including wall fall, fill stones, and standing architecture), the drawing of consolidated architecture, and the documentation of the final state of the post-excavated buildings. The generation of 3D models greatly assists in all facets of the excavation, documentation, analysis, and consolidation processes.

Methods for the Application of Structure from Motion (SfM) 3D models for the Recording and Consolidation of Archaeological Architecture. Lire la suite »

Digitization of small artifacts

This is an abstract from the « Towards a Standardization of Photogrammetric Methods in Archaeology: A Conversation about ‘Best Practices’ in An Emerging Methodology » session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Over the past 20 years, technology has been developing at great speeds. Multiple methods of digitization have been emerging and been applied to archaeology. The most commonly used tools have been photogrammetry and laser scanning. However, one of the problems encountered with those tools when digitizing archaeological data occurs when working with small-sized artifacts. This paper compares the outcomes of three methods of three-dimensionalizing small figures and artifacts: photogrammetry, laser scanning, and structured-light-technology (SLT) scanning. The comparison focuses on quality of three-dimensional image outcome as well as the time and labor required to complete it with each method. The SLT digitization method resulted in much faster process as well as more precise three-dimensional models.

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Digital Curation of Photogrammetric Data

This is an abstract from the « Towards a Standardization of Photogrammetric Methods in Archaeology: A Conversation about ‘Best Practices’ in An Emerging Methodology » session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Back in 2003, archaeologists were warned of what Sullivan and Childs (2003) coined as the “Curation Crisis.” They explained that a set of historical circumstances, “contributed to a crisis in curation of archaeological collections.” Primarily focused on the curation of physical documents and objects, they argued that long-term curation efforts need to be emphasized in all stages of archaeological research. A similar alarm was raised in 2015, when Mary Clarke (2015) wrote on the issue of digital data curation in what she called the “Digital Dilemma.” This call to action still rings true in the present where we see an ever-increasing proliferation of digital data stemming from archaeological contexts and projects. While this deluge of information is gladly accepted in advancing the field, the level of curation and preservation is still deficient. Focusing on photogrammetric practices, in this paper I will offer standardization methods that are useful in all stages of the archaeological process to ensure proper curation.

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Bethel Cemetery: Photogrammetric Field Methods in Burial Excavation

This is an abstract from the « Towards a Standardization of Photogrammetric Methods in Archaeology: A Conversation about ‘Best Practices’ in An Emerging Methodology » session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. During the summer of 2018, cultural resource management professionals, in collaboration with local universities, relocated a nineteenth-century cemetery from an urban setting, as a component of planned infrastructure expansion by the Indianapolis International Airport. Project managers chose to employ SfM photogrammetry to document excavated burials, which provided project researchers tools necessary for bioarchaeological study. Project directors devised a methodology for the digital mapping of human burials prior to fieldwork, however, team members faced unexpected challenges necessitating modification to established procedures and protocols. By the close of fieldwork, the photogrammetry team had digitally recorded and reconstructed 3D models of over three-hundred exhumations and developed a clear understanding of which practices were suitable to the variability in field settings, and those that revealed themselves to be impractical. This paper describes the problems encountered during the 3D mapping of excavations at Bethel cemetery, how the photogrammetry team adapted to variability in field environments for photocapture, and offers photogrammetric protocols recommended for adoption by practitioners and academics as standard practice in the archaeological excavation of human remains.

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The Maya Cranial Photogrammetry Project: A Look at Ethics and Best Practices

This is an abstract from the « Towards a Standardization of Photogrammetric Methods in Archaeology: A Conversation about ‘Best Practices’ in An Emerging Methodology » session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The Maya Cranial Photogrammetry Project consists of a database of digitized crania that can be used to investigate questions related to biological and cultural histories. The shape of human remains reflects a complex interplay between the environment and genetics, and thus can be used to reconstruct evolutionary processes. Typical methods rely on obtaining metric data directly from the physical remains, however, poor preservation and prolonged access have proven challenging. 3D modeling technologies have emerged and made it possible to preserve the remains and access collections remotely. Despite these victories, digital data has manifested its own challenges, such as; management, preservation, and of particular concern when discussing digitized human remains, security and access. Utilizing crania from Tipu, a Colonial mission site located in western Belize, 3D models were created using photogrammetry and craniometric data were produced digitally. This paper does not aim to address the biological and cultural transitions occurring in the contact period, but instead use the growing database as an opportunity to explore guidelines and best practices in the management of digitally produced and recorded data.

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3D or 2-1/2D? Comparing 3D Photogrammetry And Reflectance Transformation Imaging

This is an abstract from the « Towards a Standardization of Photogrammetric Methods in Archaeology: A Conversation about ‘Best Practices’ in An Emerging Methodology » session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. 3D photogrammetry, creating digital 3D models using multiple photographs, has become a popular tool for documenting, analyzing and sharing archaeological artifacts and sites. In some cases, though, Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) can be a useful complementary documentation/analysis technique, perhaps even superior for some artifacts and uses. RTI generates digital virtual lighting models of surfaces using multiple photographs taken at different lighting angles, which can be thought of as « 2-1/2D » information. Examples of optimal use cases for each technique will be discussed and compared.

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