Vera MOITINHO DE ALMEIDA | Dirk RIEKE-ZAPP
(Vienna, Austria)
Keywords: Accuracy, Precision, Resolution, Uncertainty
Abstract:
Cultural Heritage (CH) objects encompass a wide diversity of materials, colours, shapes, textures, and patterns amongst several other characteristics. Understanding these, their roles, and their combinations allows insight to the interrelationships between them, as well as insight into issues such as: material provenance, manufacture, function, knowledge networks, and human mobility. On the other hand, this understanding may also help in predicting and comprehending their occurrence in new contexts. As such, the need and concern for the documentation and description of CH objects is unequivocal; that these methods are reliable, and that procedures and techniques are internationally accepted. But, of course, it is the scientific question one wishes to answer that determines the key properties that need to be documented and described in any given situation for a given CH object.
Metrology is the science of measurement and its application. Measurement error is ubiquitous in scientific work. Accuracy, Precision, Resolution, and Uncertainty are terms that are well defined in the literature and, for this reason, they should not appear “abstract” for applications to CH. Proper use and reference when discussing these terms are very important when working with any type of measurement technology, as inaccurate, imprecise and low-resolution measurements with a high level of uncertainty may most certainly lead to erroneous interpretations of CH objects.
Relevance for the conference: To clarify a set of key terms often misunderstood and typically misused in Cultural Heritage, but of upmost importance for an efficient and reliable documentation, analysis, preservation, and sharing of CH assets.
Relevance for the session: To clarify a set of key terms often misunderstood and typically misused in Cultural Heritage, but of upmost importance for an efficient and reliable documentation, analysis, preservation, and sharing of CH assets.
Innovation: A through understanding of these key terms is necessary to develop critical methods, as well as suitable and user-oriented solutions for a given task.
References:
• Moitinho de Almeida, V., Rieke-Zapp, D. (2017). “Generación de datos 3D con sistemas ópticos de medición de corto alcance”. In Arqueología Computacional. Nuevos enfoques para la documentación, análisis y difusión del patrimonio cultural. D. Jiménez-Badillo (ed.). Mexico: Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH). Pp.93-109. (ISBN: 978-607-539-027-7)
• Moitinho de Almeida, V., Wefers, S., Murphy, O. (2017). “An Interdisciplinary Discussion of the Terminologies used in Cultural Heritage Research”. In Digital Techniques for Documenting and Preserving Cultural Heritage. A. Bentkowska-Kafel & L. MacDonald (eds.). Plymouth: ARC Humanities Press. Pp.3-16. (ISBN:9781942401346)