PM-Vis: A Visual Analytics System for Tracing and Analyzing the Evolution of Pottery Motifs

Jincheng Li , Chufan Lai , Hai Zhang

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics +

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April 15, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Analyzing ancient Chinese pottery motifs is key to understanding cultural evolution. PM-Vis, a visual analytics system, aids researchers in tracing motif changes over time and space.

Area Of Science

Archaeology
Digital Humanities
Visual Analytics

Background

Analyzing the evolution of ancient Chinese pottery motifs is crucial for understanding cultural spread and development.
Traditional methods face challenges in documenting and identifying evolutionary connections due to complex changes in appearance, space, and time.

Purpose Of The Study

To introduce PM-Vis, a visual analytics system designed to facilitate the tracing and analysis of pottery motif evolution.
To address the limitations in current documentation and analysis methods for ancient pottery motifs.

Main Methods

PM-Vis employs a "selection-organization-documentation" workflow.
The selection stage uses a three-fold projection and motif-based search to identify motifs with evolutionary links based on appearance, temporal, and spatial proximity.
Organization and documentation stages allow for establishing evolutionary sequences, segmenting motifs into phases, and annotating findings.

Main Results

The system effectively aids in selecting motifs with potential evolutionary connections.
Users can establish evolutionary sequences and categorize motifs into distinct phases.
The system supports detailed annotation for recording research insights.

Conclusions

PM-Vis offers a novel visual analytics approach for studying pottery motif evolution in Chinese archaeology.
The system enhances the ability to document and analyze complex cultural changes reflected in ancient artifacts.
Case studies, expert feedback, and user studies confirm the system's utility and effectiveness.