3D scanning technology as a standard archaeological tool for pottery analysis: practice and theory

This article reports on the successful completion of a large-scale pilot project, where 3D scanning technology, and newly developed software to optimally identify the rotation axis of wheel-produced ceramics, were used as practical tools for pottery analysis. Approximately 1000 potsherds from several sites and periods were scanned, their axis of symmetry computed, and their mean profiles drawn. The variety of fragment shapes, sizes and surface properties enabled us to test the system for a large range of archaeologically relevant pottery types. The high rate of success of the system, its efficiency and its output in the form of accurate, print-quality profiles, encourage us to recommend this method as a practical and reliable tool in archaeological research.