THE VIRTUES OF
virtual archaeology The ability to produce precise, 3-D digital replicas of archaeological items and display them on the Web could have a tremendous impact on the science.
ARLEYN SIMON/ASU PRISM
By Michael Bawaya
A 3-D recreation of a horned toad effigy vessel is virtually rotated in this series of images. This virtual vessel was created from a 3-D scan of the genuine vessel. The data from the scan was then fed into a computer-aided geometric design program, which precisely reproduced the shape and dimensions of the vessel. While the virtual vessel is part of the archaeology exhibit at Arizona State University, the genuine article, due to NAGPRA, has been repatriated.
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fall • 2003
