Digitized Maya music: The creation of a 3D database of Maya musical artifacts

The largest challenge facing the study of ancient Maya music today is the inaccessibility of the instruments, which are housed in the labs of archaeological projects or museums across Mesoamerica. In order to facilitate the study of ancient Maya music, it is necessary to create a database of numerous instruments from the Maya area that transcends geographical and temporal boundaries. This article will discuss how the Maya Music Project is using photogrammetry to create 3D models of musical instruments as a step towards achieving said database. By creating an online database of 3D instruments (www.mayamusicproject.org), the Maya Music Project will allow scholars around the world to study the musical artifacts in detail. This article also serves as a case study demonstrating the usefulness of digital, experimental archaeology to the study of archaeomusicology. Finally, this article will demonstrate how 3D models can be successfully used for public outreach in order to help generate interest in the study of ancient Maya culture.