Assessing the application of laser scanning and 3D inspection in the study of prehistoric cairn sites: The case study of Tahkokangas, Northern Finland

Abstract

Laser scanning has the potential of becoming an indispensable documentation method in archaeology. To test its application in interpretatively challenging archaeological settings, a part of the prehistoric cemetery of Tahkokangas in Northern Finland was scanned. The site consists of stone settings of varying form whose elevation and morphology indicate a date of 600–200 BC. A boulder field where six of the ten settings on the site are located was scanned. The structures were difficult to interpret on-site due to their inconspicuous nature. In this paper, in order to circumvent the problem, the gathered 3D data is processed into meshes and false colored by height. The meshes and the height colorization allow detailed structural interpretation of the settings.The 3D material allows new directions for the study of the site. Previously undetected extensions of the largest stone setting were discovered. Also the structural analysis of the setting suggests that additional support structures may have been used. Along with the findings, limitations and advantages of laser scanning and 3D inspection are discussed. The results and conclusions show laser scanning to be a useful documentation method even when studying indistinct sites for which the scanner was not originally designed for. Still, the method does not produce new information, but merely aids in its perception and interpretation.