The Pukao of Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile)

Structure from motion (SfM) mapping is a photogrammetric technique that offers a cost-effective means of creating three-dimensional visual representations from overlapping digital photographs. The technique has seen increasing uses for documenting the archaeological record. We demonstrate the utility of SfM through a study of the form of red scoria bodies known as pukao from Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile). We study 50 pukao that once adorned the massive statues (moai) of Rapa Nui, and compare them to 13 additional pukao located in Puna Pau: the island’s red scoria pukao quarry. Through SfM, we demonstrate that the majority of these bodies have petroglyphs and other surface features that are relevant to archaeological explanation and are currently at risk of continued degradation

Using Structure from Motion Mapping to Record and Analyze Details of the Colossal Hats (Pukao) of Monumental Statues on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Structure from motion (SfM) mapping is a photogrammetric technique that offers a cost-effective means of creating three-dimensional (3-D) visual representations from overlapping digital photographs. The technique is now used more frequently to document the archaeological record. We demonstrate the utility of SfM by studying red scoria bodies known as pukao from Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile). We created 3-D images of 50 pukao that once adorned the massive statues (moai) of Rapa Nui and compare them to 13 additional pukao located in Puna Pau, the island’s red scoria pukao quarry. Through SfM, we demonstrate that the majority of these bodies have petroglyphs and other surface features that are relevant to archaeological explanation and are currently at risk of continued degradation

Comparative study of two 3D reconstruction methods for underwater archaeology

International audienceThe underwater 3D reconstruction cartography has made great progress in the last decade. The work presented in this paper is about the analysis and 3D reconstruction of archeological objects. Using a calibrated single camera and an uncalibrated system, we propose to describe a method to perform the Euclidian 3D reconstruction of unknown objects. A comparison of two methods is presented and tested on synthetic and real underwater pictures. Filters are proposed to simulate underwater environment and inherent problems. Finally, robust and stable features have been extracted from underwater pictures and used to perform the 3D model

Rivoluzione digitale e patrimonio culturale subacqueo: approcci, metodologie e riflessioni teoriche sul rilievo fotogrammetrico e la visualizzazione tridimensionale in archeologia subacquea

Contemporary archaeology confronts with many issues relating to broader societal challenges. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) play a relevant role within this confrontation. Understanding the role and effects of ICTs in society is still in the process and so is for archaeology. The relation between archaeological thought and computer technologies has witnessed a preliminary and strong commitment of archaeologist to computer’s potentials as part of the positivistic strand of the New Archaeology, going through to the acquisition of the GIS and virtual reality potentials since the 1980s. The data enriching environment of post-processual archaeology and the increasing development in computers power and means, have brought to the fore issues of data archiving, management, retrieval, sharing and access. The digital environment requires an ever increasing amount of space for the ever increasing amount of digitally-born data to be preserved and shared. The present dissertation aims to analyze the digital world of archaeology and, particularly, photogrammetry applied to the survey and recording of underwater cultural heritage, with an eye on theoretical and methodological aspects that affect the way photogrammetry and 3D models enter the process of archaeological interpretation. Photogrammetry and the resulting three-dimensional models are useful in the interpretation process as part of a larger digital framework for the analysis of spatial data in underwater archaeology