The Use of 3D Photogrammetry in the Analysis, Visualization, and Dissemination of the Indigenous Archaeological Heritage of the Greater Antilles

Esteban Rubén Grau González-Quevedo,Silvia Teresita Hernández Godoy,Alexis Morales Prada,Yadira Chinique De Armas,Adolfo José López Belando,Jorge Garcell Domínguez,Racso Fernández Ortega,Ulises Miguel González Herrera,Mirjana Roksandic

doi:10.1515/opar-2020-0144

Abstract

Abstract The development of digital technologies and the use of advanced photogrammetry programs for modeling archaeological excavations and sites have opened new possibilities for spatial analysis in archaeology and the reconstruction of archaeological contexts. In addition, these tools allow us to visually preserve the features of archaeological sites for future use and facilitate the dissemination of archaeological heritage to local communities and the general public. This paper summarizes 3D photographic visualization of three cave art sites (Los Cayucos and Cueva No. 1 in Punta del Este, Cuba, and José María Cave in the Dominican Republic) and two burial spaces (Canímar Abajo and Playa del Mango, Cuba) using photogrammetry software. The application of these novel methods at the cave art sites allowed us to visualize faint pictographs that were invisible to the naked eye, to better define the shapes of petroglyphs and to reconstruct the position of lost/removed panels. At the burial sites, 3D modeling allowed us to register the archaeological context with greater precision. The use of 3D modeling will improve spatial analysis and data safeguarding in Cuban archaeology. Moreover, 3D movies are an effective way to disseminate knowledge and connect local communities with their cultural heritage, while reducing the impact of public visits to remote or endangered sites.

Highlights

The research and conservation of cultural heritage, as the testimony of different cultural strategies and cognitive abilities of past human groups, has gained both political and public relevance (Hernández, 2011; International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments, 1931)
Climate change, and rising sea levels, as well as the uncontrolled pressures of development and tourism, have seriously threatened cultural legacies around the world (Gutiérrez et al, 2012; Hernández, 2012; UNESCO, 2009). This is important in the Caribbean, where the first encounters between Europeans and the indigenous people of the Americas took place, where strong hurricanes are a yearly phenomenon, and where coastal developments, compounded with destruction of protective natural barriers and the rising sea level, obliterated many archaeological sites
We summarize the results of the application of 3D modeling techniques in the visualization of five archaeological sites in the Greater Antilles, including two funerary spaces and three sites with cave art

Summary

Introduction

The research and conservation of cultural heritage, as the testimony of different cultural strategies and cognitive abilities of past human groups, has gained both political and public relevance (Hernández, 2011; International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments, 1931). Climate change, and rising sea levels, as well as the uncontrolled pressures of development and tourism, have seriously threatened cultural legacies around the world (Gutiérrez et al, 2012; Hernández, 2012; UNESCO, 2009). This is important in the Caribbean, where the first encounters between Europeans and the indigenous people of the Americas took place, where strong hurricanes are a yearly phenomenon, and where coastal developments, compounded with destruction of protective natural barriers (e.g., mangroves) and the rising sea level, obliterated many archaeological sites. The study and conservation of cultural heritage is necessary to guarantee balanced and sustainable management of heritage sites for the benefit of current and future generations

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Results

Conclusion