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Advances in Virtual Archaeology: Research, Preservation, and Dissemination IMEKO International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Torino, Italy, October 19-21, 2016 Advances in virtual archaeology: research, preservation, and dissemination Antonio Profico 1,4*, Fabio Di Vincenzo 1, Luca Bellucci 2,4 , Flavia Strani 3,4 , Mary Anne Tafuri 1, Giorgio Manzi 1,2 1 Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy 2 Polo museale, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy 3 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy 4 PaleoFactory, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract – The archaeological and palaeontological in an irreversible manner [1-4]. record (including human skeletal remains) often The development of computerized technologies based on bears crack, damage and deformations. The recent X-rays, structured-light and photogrammetry, allow us to rapid development of the diagnostic potentials of acquire, record and process digitally, many relevant “virtual archaeology” has provided innovative aspects of the morphology of important and, sometimes, tools to manage, study and preserve cultural and unique remains. Further analytical tools, based on natural heritage. These tools include, among statistical and multivariate methods for the study of others, CT-scans, Laser-scanning, skeletal variability, made it possible for the disciplines of photogrammetry, 3D imaging and rapid palaeontology and paleoanthropology to gain a new prototyping. This approach can contribute to any analytical dimension with regards to evolutionary, archaeological context from its discovery to functional and ecological processes associated with these research, preservation, and dissemination. 3D remains [5]. Sophisticated digital techniques, such as imaging techniques, for instance, substitute computerized tomography, laser scanning, 3D-imaging, physical intervention with a virtual protocol aimed allow us to ‘operate’ in a totally virtual environment on at restoring the original shape of an archaeological unique and precious remains, while favouring their item or a fossil specimen. In a similar way, the conservation and fruition by a larger audience. recovery of digital morphological information can The development of 3D imaging techniques entailed the be gathered using data preserved even on a implementation of digital acquisition procedures and the deficient finding through the use of 3D definition of protocols addressed to the virtual restoration comparative samples. Here we present an extended of damaged human remains [1, 6-8]. The 3D digital and updated review about the most innovative acquisition not only decreases the possibility of damages protocols applied in virtual archaeology and performed on the original specimens during the phases of palaeontology. study, but can undergo reproducible protocols of virtual restoration aimed at repairing damaged or deficient 1. INTRODUCTION regions [9, 10]. The digital versions of physical objects can be used to restore morphologies and to reproduce the The possibility of an archaeological find to unravel original in an indefinite number of copies as detailed its full set of historical and scientific information is physical casts by using 3D printer (rapid prototyping). strictly dependant upon the combination and This issue is central for research purposes as well as coordination of many different skills involved in sharing information, preservation, conservation and every stage of its discovery, study, conservation and museum exhibits [11]. disclosure. For what concerns skeletal remains, the The traditional method of cast processing entails the circumstances of their preservation (as fossils, sub- production of two valves composing a negative print of fossils, mummies or else) are often occasional, and the specimen; successively they can be used to obtain a typically undergo various processes of diagenesis positive cast by filling the inner cavity with plaster or that alter (to various extent) their original plastic resins [12]. This approach can be invasive both for morphology. Very often, these findings represent the undesired physical damages and genetic contamination. only source of information available on important, or This latter factor can affect ancient DNA analysis. A even crucial, phases of human evolution, diffusion specimen can be subject to the making of casts of the and civilization. Hence, it becomes extremely inner cavity (e.g. endocast) through the introduction of important to gather as many information as possible, silicon resins inside the specimen; as for the previous restoring their original state and studying their case, also in this one the risk of causing damages is high. features extensively while preventing interventions A physical restoration consists in the reassembling and that could potentially damage the skeletal elements immobilization of fragments adjacent and not through the apposition of fixing material. Furthermore, an 89 archaeological specimen can undergo further restoration digital reconstruction of the virtual version of the works, which might burden the specimen with additional physical object via triangulation. Colouring can also be physical and chemical stresses. The operations of acquired using this technique. restoration on a physical object are restricted to the iii. Photogrammetry portions preserved, on the contrary, working on the its 3D reconstruction from multiple images is a method digital version make it possible to perform other commonly called photogrammetry. With this approach procedures such as the retrodeformation and the addition of missing parts cut-out from a similar specimen and the photographs are aligned producing a points cloud. adapted to the target sample [4, 13, 14]. The specimen is acquired from different angulations so as 3D printing is one of the latest technology making to reduce the number of blind areas. A detailed texture inroads in archaeology and in palaeontology. Nowadays it can be processed from the photographs acquired. Unlike is possible to recreate duplicates of fossils, also in CT-scan and laser scanning the dimension of the 3D different scales, without damaging sensitive collections model obtained via photogrammetry does not replicate and “print” virtually restored speci mens. Replicas can be the original scale, hence a metric reference is needed. used both in scientific research as testing models and in dissemination activities such as museums or temporary b. Editing and virtual restoration techniques exhibitions. They can also play a crucial role as teaching support at different levels, especially for disabled persons i. Geometric Morphometrics (GM) [15]. This analytic methodology is based on the concept of In the last years, digital acquisition and editing techniques geometrical/anatomical “homology” meant as have undergone a reduction of costs. Photogrammetry correspondence between two related forms in accordance requires low cost equipment and software (e.g. Agisoft). with ontogenetic or phylogenetic criteria [20]. The Many editing softwares (e.g. Meshlab) and informatics biological configurations in related specimens are libraries (e.g. vcg library) are open access, making it acquired as a series of “points” (landmarks) presumed to possible to modify the source code for any be “homologous” and comparable in all their histological implementation [16-18]. and topological characteristics [21]. In addition to Throughout this paper we demonstrate how all of the landmark acquisition more topological information can techniques described have the potential of yielding a be reached through the acquisition of semi-landmark sets context of archaeological or palaeoanthropological [22]. In detail these configurations consist in a group of interest with little intervention on its original. While providing a full set of reproducible information and geometric points defined on a reference template and guaranteeing immediate valorisation and dissemination, superimposed on the target model exploiting the spatial such techniques are still under applied in cultural heritage pattern obtained from the Procrustes alignment (GPA) of studies. the landmark configurations belonging to the reference In particular, we considered data acquisition, digital and the target models [23]. restoration, digital printing techniques and their ii. Mirroring and digital alignment improvements in recent years by means of some A restoration of the overall morphology of a specimen examples in the field of palaeoanthropology and can be performed to restore the deficient side by archaeology. mirroring of the preserved portion. The first step consists on the definition of the midsagittal plane by 3 landmarks. 2. DIGITAL ACQUISITION AND VIRTUAL The complete side can be mirrored along the midsagittal RESTORATION plane and the deficient portions on the other side replaced a. Digital acquisition techniques with those mirrored. Occasionally, the deficient side can i. Computerized Tomography be replaced completely with the mirrored side. When an X-ray tomography provides a series of 2D cross-sectional anatomical portion is missing on both sides (e.g. images (“slices” ) spaced by a constant distance (inter- zygomatic arch) digital alignment can be applied [24]. slice distance), which defines the resolution of the CT This approach consists in the acquisition on the reference acquisition. The application of the
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