After the Revolution: A Review of 3D Modelling as a Tool for Stone Artefact Analysis

Abstract

With over 200 peer-reviewed papers published over the last 20 years, 3D modelling is no longer a gimmick but an established and increasingly common analytical tool for stone artefact analysis. Laser and structured light scanning, photogrammetry, and CT scanning have all been used to model stone artefacts. These have been combined with a variety of different analytical approaches, from geometric morphometrics to custom reduction indices to digital elevation maps. 3D lithic analyses are increasingly global in scope and studies aim to address an ever-broadening breadth of research topics ranging from testing the functional efficiency of artefacts to assessing the cognitive capabilities of hominid populations. While the impact of the computational revolution on lithic analysis has been reviewed, the impact of 3D modelling on lithic analysis has yet to be comprehensively assessed. This paper presents a review of how 3D modelling in particular has impacted the field of stone artefact analysis. It combines a quantitative bibliometric analysis with a qualitative review to assess just how "revolutionary" 3D modelling has been for lithic analysis. It explores trends in the use of 3D modelling in stone artefact analysis, its impact on the wider lithic analysis field, and methodological, regional and theoretical gaps which future research projects could explore.

Close-range photogrammetry reveals morphometric changes on replicative ground stones

“…However, advancements in digital technology have presented new opportunities to analyse these artefacts in greater detail. Over the last decade, 3D stone artefact reconstruction has emerged as a prominent analytical method due to its versatility, precision, and wide range of potential applications, mostly used as pedagogical, illustrative, documentative instruments with a publication rate of over 200 articles from 2002 [ 7 ]. The use of diverse 3D scanning techniques such as laser, structured light, CT, and photogrammetry has facilitated the acquisition of volumetric data allowing three-dimensional virtual reconstruction of the complete artefact.…”

“…The use of diverse 3D scanning techniques such as laser, structured light, CT, and photogrammetry has facilitated the acquisition of volumetric data allowing three-dimensional virtual reconstruction of the complete artefact. These reconstructions are invaluable for scientists and archaeologists enabling a variety of analyses such as morphometric evaluations, development of specific texture description and quantification indices, and assessment of the operational chain (for an extensive review see [7][8][9]). The possibility to conduct quantitative analysis using 3D virtual replicas would be a significant accomplishment, particularly in the field of morphometric and functional analysis, where the need for unique unambiguous descriptions has long been at the forefront of researchers' discussion.…”

Benchmarking methods and data for the whole‐outline geometric morphometric analysis of lithic tools

“…Originally developed for the quantitative analysis of organismal shapes, both two‐dimensional (2D) and 3D geometric morphometric methods (GMMs) have recently gained some prominence in archaeology for the analysis of stone tools 1–3 —unquestionably the primary deep‐time data source for the earliest periods of human cultural evolution 4 . The key strength of GMM rests in its ability to statistically quantify and hence qualify complex shapes, which in turn can be used to infer social interaction, 5 function, 6,7 reduction, 8 as well as to assess classification systems and cultural relatedness 9–11 …”