EXPERIMENTAL THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING OF A LOWER PALAEOLITHIC HANDAXE: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND ANALYTICAL VALUE

Abstract

Chipped stone tools are difficult to illustrate in publications with line drawings or analog photographs, and previous attempts to improve on stone tool illustration with stereoviews, coatings, or casts have not been widely adopted by lithic analysts. New software makes it possible to create interactive photorealistic 3D digital images of stone tools in the field or laboratory without specialized or expensive equipment. These images can be replicated by 3D printers, and based on our experiments using three different printing media we demonstrate that models printed in ABS plastic are acceptably inexpensive forms that reproduce the artifact features required by specialists. The combination of image-based modeling and 3D printing will revolutionize the illustration of artifacts and greatly mitigate the need for extensive travel and help alleviate accessibility issues.

Keywords:

• image-based modeling
• 3D printing
• digital surrogacy
• Palaeolithic handaxe
• 3D photogrammetry

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Department of Archaeology at Boston University and the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the Manufacturing Center, at Wentworth Institute of Technology for the use of their resources. The Chad DiGregorio Grant-in-Aid Fund at Boston University supported this study, for which we are grateful.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brandon R. Olson

Brandon R. Olson is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Archaeology at Boston University. A classical archaeologist, he has worked extensively in Cyprus, Turkey, and Israel. He specializes in the Hellenistic and Roman worlds, as well as Geographic Information Systems and 3D modeling in archaeology. Correspondence to: Brandon R. Olson, Department of Archaeology, Boston University, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 U.S.A. Email: [email protected]

Jody M. Gordon

Jody Michael Gordon is an Assistant Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston where he teaches classes on ancient history, art, and architecture. He received his Ph.D. in classical archaeology from the Department of Classics at the University of Cincinnati and he is an Assistant Director of the Athienou Archaeological Project in the Republic of Cyprus. Correspondence to: Jody Michael Gordon, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Wentworth Institute of Technology, 550 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA 02115, U.S.A. Email: [email protected]

Curtis Runnels

Curtis Runnels is Professor of Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology at Boston University. He specializes in Aegean prehistory from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic, and his recent research focuses on site location models for Mesolithic and Palaeolithic sites. He is currently engaged in the study of the Palaeolithic from Crete. Correspondence to: Curtis Runnels, Department of Archaeology, Boston University, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 345EBoston, MA 02215, U.S.A. Email: [email protected]

Steve Chomyszak

Steve Chomyszak is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Technology at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. He is a specialist in 3D printing and has taught a variety of classes in the Engineering Center at Wentworth. Correspondence to: Steve Chomyszak, Mechanical Engineering Wentworth, Institute of Technology, 550 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA 02115, U.S.A. Email: [email protected]