Accessing interactively the spatio-temporal data-model of an archaeological site through its 3D virtual reconstruction

Abstract

Information and communication technologies are increasingly used in all archaeological processes. However, archaeologists sometimes consider them as intrusive, too far from the traditional work methodology and even a hindrance. In this article we propose a framework to allow natural and therefore intuitive access to the archaeological record. The information retrieval process is carried out through a three-dimensional virtual reconstruction of the archaeological site. In this system, navigation and interaction with the three-dimensional elements of the environment triggers database queries. To achieve such functionality, a client-server architecture is designed in which the server maintains a spatio-temporal database with heterogeneous information, including the 3D models of the finds. To do this, a virtual replica of the site is created considering spatial restrictions and topological relationships among the finds.