From Photography to 3D Models and Beyond: Visualizations in Archaeology

Donald H. Sanders is trained and educated as an archaeologist, architectural historian, and architect. He helped pioneer the discipline of virtual heritage in the early 1990s and continues to innovate in the field. His special interest is the application of nontraditional methods (including interactive 3D computer graphics and behavioral science techniques) to the study and visualization of the past, pushing the boundaries of conventional archaeological interpretation. He founded Learning Sites, Inc., in 1996, and the Institute for the Visualization of History, Inc., in 2001, to actualize these innovations by creating virtual reconstructions of the ancient world for museums, schools, scholars, and broadcast media. He has been an invited keynote speaker at venues around the world; and publications by him or about his companies have appeared in journals, newspapers, books, and magazines in over a dozen countries. Sanders is the Tartessos Prize winner in virtual heritage for 2015 and Corporate Vision Executive Award winner for 2016.

Preface


 


Introduction


Chapter 1. How Archaeologists Learn About the Past


Excavation. One way we learn about the past


Site Visits. A second way we learn about the past


Data Dissemination. A third way we learn about the past


Summary


 


Chapter 2. A Brief History of Architectural Depictions


Introduction


Development of Architectural / Archaeological Illustrations


Conclusion


 


Chapter 3. A History of Photography for Excavations


The 1830s and 1840s


The 1850s


The 1860s


The Late 19th Century


The 20th Century


Conclusion


 


Chapter 4. History of Interactive 3D Computer Modeling in Archaeology


Introduction


The Emergence of 3D Computer Graphics


The 1980s


The 1990s and the Emergence of Virtual Heritage


Into the Third Millennium


Summary History of 3D Modeling in Archaeology


Parallels Between Photography in Archaeology and 3D Modeling in Archaeology


Conclusion


 


Chapter 5. When New Technology Replaces Old Technology


Introduction


Historical Examples


Photography and Interactive Computer Graphics


Conclusion


 


Chapter 6. One Future of Archaeology


Introduction


An Historical Summary


One Future for Archaeology. Building the multipast


Putting It All Together


Some Closing Thoughts


Postscript


 


Bibliography


 


Index