3D models of lithic artefacts: A test on their efficacy

Digital recording methods for analytical purposes in archaeology have since a few years entered a more mature phase, which includes the definition and standardisation of work processes and protocols, thus allowing the re-use of a given work routine by other research teams and colleagues. In this paper, we shortly describe the work done within the DISAPALE project and more specifically we focus on the usability of 3D models of lithic artefacts for basic typo-technological assessments. To do that, we asked two testers to independently perform a series of analysis, only based on the 3D models of selected artefacts and relying on open-source software, in conditions generally harder than the usual (where contextual information on the provenience of the artefacts or the chronological attribution are usually available). The obtained results – with the two testers able to remotely identify, measure and analyse most of the lithic artefacts – have shown the potential of a larger diffusion and circulation of 3D models, as well as their limits, especially when interacting with models alone.