No abstract

Public, and particularly museum-based, collections provide invaluable opportunities for analysis. The objects in these collections typically offer relatively complete examples which often become reference points for newly excavated material or analyses. However, aside from issues of provenance and occasionally authenticity, one of the biggest challenges with the analysis of objects in museum collections is, perhaps ironically, their public and collection-based context. Objects on display are often only directly analysed immediately following their initial discovery and are then increasingly restricted for direct analysis (e.g. placed behind glass, displayed in such a way that their removal is difficult, etc.). Although visible to millions, once in a collection the level of analysis possible is often limited and superficial. In this paper we discuss the analysis of three collections of ancient Italian armour now housed in collections, both public and private. We examine some of the ethical considerations when looking at such collections. We also discuss the issues faced when analysing and making digital models of objects, which are used to explore the nature and importance of military equipment in Italy during the first millennium BCE. In addition, we argue that, although famous, many of the pieces held in collections are currently being underutilized in studies of the ancient world. We suggest digitization, even when conducted quickly, can help to unlock more information from previously excavated and analysed items and we highlight the pros and cons of various techniques when working in museum-based contexts.

Collection of 3D data in archaeology is a long-standing practice. Traditionally, the focus of these data has been visualization as opposed to analysis. Three-dimensional data are often recorded during archaeological excavations, with the provenience of deposits, features, and artefacts documented by a variety of methods. Simple analysis of 3D data includes calculating the volumes of bound entities, such as deposits and features, and determining the spatial relationships of artifacts within these. The construction of these volumes presents challenges that originate in computer-aided design (CAD) but have implications for how data are used in archaeological analysis. We evaluate 3D construction processes using data from Waitetoke, Ahuahu Great Mercury Island, Aotearoa, New Zealand. Point clouds created with data collected by total station, photogrammetry, and terrestrial LiDAR using simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) are compared, as well as different methods for generating surface area and volumes with triangulated meshes and convex hulls. The differences between methods are evaluated and assessed in relation to analyzing artifact densities within deposits. While each method of 3D data acquisition and modeling has advantages in terms of accuracy and precision, other factors such as data collection and processing times must be considered when deciding on the most suitable.