Artifact3-D: New software for accurate, objective and efficient 3D analysis and documentation of archaeological...

Area of Science:

• Archaeological Science
• Digital Archaeology
• Computational Archaeology

Background:

• Artifact analysis is central to archaeology, requiring detailed recording and comparison.
• Existing methods can be time-consuming and subjective.
• Computational approaches are increasingly vital for modern archaeological workflows.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce Artifact3-D, a novel software package for artifact analysis.
• Demonstrate the utility of Artifact3-D through real archaeological case studies.
• Provide a comprehensive computational toolkit for archaeological research.

Main Methods:

• Developed Artifact3-D software with functions for accurate artifact measurements.
• Included computational tools for orthogonal distances, surface area, volume, CoM, edge angles, asymmetry, and scar attributes.
• Tested the software on diverse lithic artifact case studies.

Main Results:

• Artifact3-D provides accurate, objective, and repeatable measurements for artifact analysis.
• The software facilitates the export of metrics and figures for further research.
• Case studies demonstrate utility in analyzing tool functionality, technology, and knapping techniques.

Conclusions:

• Artifact3-D offers a robust toolkit for artifact documentation and analysis across all research stages.
• The software enhances efficiency in handling large excavation datasets.
• Artifact3-D supports diverse artifact types and opens new research avenues in archaeology.