Creating Accurate Computer Graphical Models Of Archaeological Artifacts

Abstract

Archaeologists often have to rely on drawings and descriptions of artifacts because the nationalistic policies of the countries in which the artifacts are discovered prevent their subsequent removal. The artifacts are placed in museums, and the only way archaeologists can even see an item involves costly trips abroad. Because computers are now capable of recreating real-world objects with stunning accuracy, studying computer graphical models of artifacts represents anew, cost-saving and effective way to bypass the problem of artifact inavailability. This thesis addresses the issues involved in creating accurate computer graphical models of archaeological artifacts. The process of creating computer models can be divided into four main problems: 1. Data Acquisition 2. Relative Orientation 3. Geometric Modeling 4. Texture Mapping The techniques for solving these problems are well known, but their simultaneous implementation to provide archival-quality models of museum artifacts is new. This thesis documents research which focused on realizing this implementation. Because of time constraints, the goals of the research were not realized.Additionally, the scope of this work will be extended in the future to include all objects (not just artifacts) of all shapes. However, this thesis will serve as a reliable reference for future work.