CAA 2015 - Siena

Abstract
Pottery goes digital. 3D laser scanning technology and the study of archaeological ceramics.

Loes Opgenhaffen, ACASA Archaeology - University of Amsterdam, l.opgenhaffen@uva.nl - LOPD

Graphic Solutions for Archaeology, loes@lopd.nl
Martina Revello Lami, PhD fellow, ACASA Archaeology - University of Amsterdam, m.revello-
lami@uva.nl
Ivan Kisjes, ACASA Archaeology – University of Amsterdam, i.kisjes@uva.nl

Over the last fifteen years, three-dimensional digitization has been successfully used for the study and
preservation of a wide range of cultural heritage objects, from architecture to in situ monuments, from
archaeological artefacts to precious manuscripts. Most frequently brought into play for documentation
purposes, 3D scanning systems are highly precise measurement tools, which provide a high quality,
high-resolution three-dimensional archive of an object’s surface topography. However, the possibilit ies
offered by 3D scanning technologies have not been fully explored in archaeological research so far,
where these systems have been mainly used in order to speed up the traditional practice of visual
recording and build automated classifications and typologies. Pottery studies, in particular, have paid
greater attention to the development of increasingly sophisticated methods for deducing from 3D
scanner output most accurate and representative profiles of complete ceramic vessels as well as small
fragments, largely overlooking other promising applications.
To bridge this gap, we will present the preliminary results of a pilot study carried out on consistent
bodies of pottery, spanning from the Iron Age to the Mid Republican period, in which systematic
ceramic analyses have been coupled with 3D scanning technologies. By means of this integrated
approach, we aim at demonstrating that the full potential of 3D scanning technology applied to
archaeological ceramics goes way beyond accurate documentation procedures. In receiving the
complete account of surface geometry, texture and volume, 3D models enable to determine vessels
capacity, calculate the density of ceramic material and virtually assemble dislocated fragments. More
importantly, three-dimensional models provide additional information on the very process of making a
pot, shedding light on manufacturing methods, technological choices and potters’ motor habits. In fact,
the detailed recording of surface topographies can lead to more accurate analysis of features such as
grooves, spiral ridges and cracks, commonly examined to assess different shaping techniques (wheel
throwing, moulding, coil-building). Likewise, 3D models may establish different degrees of variability
in the morphological attributes of a ceramic assemblage, contributing therefore to trace scale and
intensity of pottery production.