Over the last decade, archaeological 3D data has become more accessible to the public. There are online archives, similar to the ADS, where users can access this data for additional knowledge in specific artifacts and archaeological sites which have been recorded using various forms of 3D data. While this data can be viewed, some online archives do not have their data open for the public to download and re-use for their own purposes.
3D Data in the ADS Archives Questionnaire: Link
This questionnaire has been created by Michaela Mauriello, a University of York Digital Heritage Masters student, to investigate the activity and re-use of 3D data found within the ADS archive as part of a placement at the ADS. Specific archives provide photogrammetric, CT scans, laser scans and additional forms of data gathered while the project was in progress. The 3D data found within the ADS archives can be downloaded for personal re-use. This downloadable data and metadata can be used in projects and research by those interested in the particular subject.
The ADS utilizes an open sources 3D Viewer (3D Hop) allowing users to interact with 3D data found in archives providing photogrammetric data such as the ForSEAdiscovery. Two versions of the viewer were developed for the ADS and include: the Object Level 3D Viewer and the Stratigraphy 3D Viewer. The object 3D Viewer allows users to move the object to view all sides, zoom in and out of the scene as well as control the lighting in the viewer to see better details in specific areas of interest. The viewer for the stratigraphic data shows different layers found within the archaeological site. This can be seen in the Las Cuevas Project archive.
With the availability of 3D data found in the ADS archives, it is important to be transparent as to how easily accessible it is to find the archived 3D data. Based on previous statistical analysis performed between October and November 2018, there was limited access to the 3D data found in the ADS archives. This may depend on the visibility of the archive as once depositors submit their work it generally conveys the project has been fully completed and have since moved on to their next research interest.
Additionally, there is no current tab to access an archive that contains 3D data. This stems from the issue of the inability to fully query for 3D data. While it may appear to be beneficial to incorporate a tab to the main ADS archives web page, the question arises if it is actually desired by users. The questionnaire monitors this aspect of desirability through questions about the awareness of 3D data being available to view and download in the ADS archives.
The outcome of this survey will help the ADS prioritize 3D data and how it will be represented in the website. If desired, in the long term the inclusion of an easily accessible method to view the 3D data can lead into more traffic for the archive while increasing the viewership, use and re-use of various projects.
Go To Questionnaire [NO LONGER LIVE]
Since this post was published the user survey has been completed and the Questionnaire is no longer available. The results of the project can now be found in a series of blog posts.
