Francesca DOLCETTI
(University of York, York, United Kingdom)
Keywords: digital visualisation-3D modelling-cypriot archaeology
Abstract:
The research project I present aims to assess and monitor the impact of 3D modelling upon research, academic dissemination and public engagement. A triangulation approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative analyses, will be applied in order to compare data coming from different methods and obtain a better understanding of the subject (Economou and Pujol Tost 2011).
Using the case study of the Middle Bronze Age settlement at Erimi- Laonin tou Porakou (Limassol, Cyprus), the research will consider each stage of the visualisation process, from the creation of interactive three-dimensional models, to their presentation to varying audiences in a range of settings, to the evaluation of their effectiveness and the subsequent improvement using users’ feedback.
The methodology proposed for this project is defined by different stages along the following workflow:
- Data acquisition and recording: gather all the available data through a multidisciplinary approach, including material evidence and micromorphological analyses. Record all the information related to metadata and paradata in a comprehensive metadata schema;
- 3D modelling: create an interactive 3D model that shows the site at its actual state and the interpretive visualisation of the settlement;
- Evaluation: present the 3D visualisation to different user groups, composed by specialists and non-specialists, and use both qualitative and quantitative approaches (interviews and questionnaires) to collect their feedback;
- Implementation: use the audience feedback in order to define guidelines to improve the 3D model comprehensibility.
Through this methodological approach, I aim to assess how people perceive digital visualisations and to what extent 3D models can broaden the understanding of an archaeological site to groups of both specialists and non-specialists unfamiliar with the specific case study’s context.
