Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Using 3-D Digital-Heritage Techniques to Document Heritage at Risk: A Case Study from Florida

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Historical Archaeology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Heritage sites around the world are being impacted by the climate crisis, a situation that continues to grow in scope and severity. As archaeologists, land managers, and other heritage professionals seek solutions to mitigate the impacts, three-dimensional (3-D) digital heritage techniques can assist heritage professionals in the rapid documentation of sites. This technology can be particularly impactful where sites may be lost, creating a digital record of what the site once was. Building upon its Heritage Monitoring Scouts (HMS Florida) Program, the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) is using terrestrial laser scanning and photogrammetry to document impacted sites across Florida. Documentation techniques include capturing entire landscapes, as well as curating digital models of artifacts in lieu of collecting the physical objects. Several of its projects, including a study of the techniques during a two-year grant-funded project, shed light on the affordances and constraints of the technology’s application in historical archaeology.

Resumen

Los sitios patrimoniales por todo el mundo están siendo afectados por la crisis climática, una situación que continúa creciendo en alcance y gravedad. A medida que los arqueólogos, administradores de tierras y otros profesionales del patrimonio buscan soluciones para mitigar los impactos, las técnicas tridimensionales (3-D) del patrimonio digital pueden ayudar a los profesionales del patrimonio en la documentación rápida de los sitios. Esta tecnología puede ser particularmente impactante donde los sitios pueden perderse, al crear un registro digital de lo que alguna vez fue el sitio. Sobre la base de su Programa de Scouts de monitoreo del patrimonio (HMS Florida, por sus siglas en inglés), la Red de Arqueología Pública de Florida (FPAN) utiliza escaneo láser terrestre y fotogrametría para documentar los sitios afectados en Florida. Las técnicas de documentación incluyen la captura de paisajes completos, así como la conservación de modelos digitales de artefactos en vez de recopilar los objetos físicos. Varios de sus proyectos, incluido un estudio de las técnicas durante un proyecto financiado por una subvención de dos años, arrojan luz sobre las posibilidades y limitaciones de la aplicación de la tecnología en la arqueología histórica.

Résumé

Les sites patrimoniaux autour du monde subissent l'impact de la crise climatique, une situation dont l'ampleur et la gravité continuent de croître. Alors que les archéologues, les gestionnaires de terres et d'autres professionnels du patrimoine s'efforcent de trouver des solutions pour atténuer les impacts, les techniques du patrimoine numérique en trois dimensions (3-D) peuvent les aider dans le cadre d'une documentation rapide des sites. Cette technologie peut être particulièrement significative lorsque les sites risquent d'être perdus, car elle crée une archive numérique de ce qu'ils furent à un moment donné. S'appuyant sur son programme Heritage Monitoring Scouts (HMS Floride) (Agents de veille du patrimoine), le Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) (Réseau d'archéologie public de Floride) recourt au balayage terrestre au laser et à la photogrammétrie pour documenter les sites affectés à travers la Floride. Les techniques de documentation incluent une saisie de paysages entiers, ainsi que la création d'un répertoire de modèles numériques d'artéfacts au lieu d'une collecte d'objets physiques. Nombre de ses projets, notamment une étude des techniques dans le cadre d'un projet de deux ans financé par subvention, mettent en lumière les affordances et contraintes du recours à la technologie en matière d'archéologique historique.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, David G., Thaddeus G. Bissett, Stephen J. Yerka, Joshua J. Wells, Eric C. Kansa, Sarah W. Kansa, Kelsey Noack Myers, R. Carl DeMuth, and Devin A. White 2017 Sea-Level Rise and Archaeological Site Destruction: An Example from the Southeastern United States Using DINAA (Digital Index of North American Archaeology). PLOS ONE <https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0188142>. Accessed 6 March 2023.

  • Anderson, Richard C. 1982 Photogrammetry: The Pros and Cons for Archaeology. World Archaeology 14(2):200–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, Felicity 2019 Climate Control in the Face of Climate Change: Reducing Carbon Footprints in Museums. Master’s thesis, Communication and the Arts, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berenfeld, Michelle L. 2015 Planning for Permanent Emergency: “Triage” as a Strategy for Managing Cultural Resources Threatened by Climate Change. The George Wright Forum 32(1):5–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Britt, Tad, David J. Watt, Mark Rees, Kory Konsoer, and Samuel M. Huey 2020 A Perfect Storm: An Archaeological Management Crisis in the Mississippi River Delta. Parks Stewardship Forum 36(1):70–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, Tom, Joanna Hambly, William Lees, and Sarah E. Miller 2021 Proposed Policy Guidelines for Managing Heritage at Risk Based on Public Engagement and Communicating Climate Change. The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice 12(3–4):375–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fussell, Angela 1982 Terrestrial Photogrammetry in Archaeology. World Archaeology 14(2):157–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrison, Ervan G. 1992 Recent Advances in Close Range Photogrammetry for Underwater Historical Archaeology. Historical Archaeology 26(4):97–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghosh, Sanjib K. 1992 History of Photogrammetry—Analytical Methods and Instruments. In Technical Commission VI: Economic, Professional and Educational Aspects of Photogrammtery and Remote Sensing, Vol. 29 Part B6, pp. 311–327. ISPRS, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • González-Tennant, Edward, and Diana González-Tennant 2016 The Practice and Theory of New Heritage for Historical Archaeology. Historical Archaeology 50(1):187–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grilli, Eleonora, and Fabio Remondino 2019 Classification of 3D Digital Heritage. Remote Sensing 11(7):847.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grussenmeyer, P., E. Alby, T. Landes, M. Koehl, S. Guillemin, J. F. Hullo, P. Assali, and E. Smigiel 2012 Recording Approach of Heritage Sites Based on Merging Point Clouds from High Resolution Photogrammetry and Terrestrial Laser Scanning. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences 39(B5):553–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, Sidney, and Robert O. Jones 2007 Hasting Community Center, National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. National Park Service, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kersten, T. P., M. Lindstaedt, and B. Vogt 2008 Preserve the Past for the Future: Terrestrial Laser Scanning for the Documentation and Deformation Analysis of Easter Island’s Moai. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences 37(B5):271–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kincey, Mark, Chris Gerrard, and Jeff Warburton 2017 Quantifying Erosion of “at Risk” Archaeological Sites Using Repeat Terrestrial Laser Scanning. Journal of Archaeological Sciences: Reports 12:405–424.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koller, David, Bernard Frischer, and Greg Humphreys 2009 Research Challenges for Digital Archives of 3D Cultural Heritage Models. ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage 2(3):1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lannelongue, Loïc, Jason Grealey, and Michael Inouye 2021 Green Algorithms: Quantifying the Carbon Footprint of Computation. Advanced Science 8(12). Advanced Science, Wiley Online Library <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.202100707>. Accessed 15 March 2023.

  • Lavoie, Catherine, and Dana Lockett 2016 Producing HABS/HAER/HALS Measured Drawings from Laser Scans: The Pros and Cons of Using Laser Scanning for Heritage Documentation. National Park Service <https://www.nps.gov/hdp/standards/laser_procon.pdf>. Accessed 6 March 2023.

  • Lercari, Nicole 2016 Terrestrial Laser Scanning in the Age of Sensing. In Digital Methods and Remote Sensing in Archaeology, M. Forte and S. Campana, editors, pp. 3–33. Springer, New York, NY.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lobb, Michael Alistar 2016 Developing Terrestrial Laser Scanning of Threatened Coastal Archaeology with Special Reference to Intertidal Structures. Doctoral dissertation, University of Southampton, Department of Geography and Environment, Southampton, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucivero, Federica 2020 Big Data, Big Waste? A Reflection on the Environmental Sustainability of Big Data Initiatives. Science and Engineering Ethics 26:1009–1030.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Means, Bernard, and Vinod Nautiyal 2021 Himalayan Heritage in Danger: How Digital Technology May Save the Cultural Heritage of Uttarakhand, India. In Trowels in the Trenches: Archaeology as Social Activism, Christopher P. Barton, editor, pp. 146–163. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, Sarah E., Kassie Kemp, and Emily Jane Murray 2021 Heritage Monitoring Scouts: Assessing Archaeological Sites at Risk. 1A-46 Final Report. Florida Division of Historical Resources, Tallahassee, Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, Sarah E., and Emily Jane Murray 2018 Heritage Monitoring Scouts: Engaging the Public to Monitor Sites at Risk Across Florida. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites 20(4):234–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Münster, Sander 2019 Digital Heritage as a Scholarly Field—Topics, Researchers, and Perspectives from a Bibliometric Point of View. Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage12(3). Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage, ACM Journals, ACM Digital Library <https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3310012>. Accessed 30 June 2023.

  • Murray, Emily Jane, and Emma Dietrich 2021 Catch and Release: Best Practices for 3D Documentation of Artifacts in the Field. Paper presented at the 77th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference, Durham, NC.

  • Murray, Emily Jane, and Sarah E. Miller 2022 Ecosystem Services and People of the Guana Peninsula. Paper presented at the 2022 GTM Research Reserve State of the Reserve, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

  • Nettley, A., Karen Anderson, C. DeSilvey, and Chris Caseldine 2011 Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning and LiDAR Data for Photo-Realistic Visualisation of Climate Impacts at Heritage Sites. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences 38(5/W16):223–229.

  • Pennanen, Kelsey A. 2019 The Application of Terrestrial Laser Scanning for the Documentation and Monitoring of a Threatened Buffalo Jump Heritage Site in South-Central Alberta. Master’s thesis, Graduate Program in Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richter, Ashley M., Falko Kuester, Thomas E. Levy, and Mohammad Najjar 2012 Terrestrial Laser Scanning (Lidar) as a Means of Digital Documentation for Rescue Archaeology: Two Examples from the Fayan of Jordan. Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia, pp. 521–524. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., Piscataway, NJ.

  • Robinson, Jeffery, and Kevin Gidusko 2017 Incorporating 3D Models into FPAN Educational Outreach. Poster presented at the 69th Annual Meeting of the Florida Anthropological Society, Jacksonville, FL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schexnayder, Jessica H., and Mary H. Manhein 2017 Fragile Grounds: Louisiana’s Endangered Cemeteries. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whittlesey, Julian 1966 Photogrammetry for the Excavator. Archaeology 19(4):273–276.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments:

This work would not be possible without the encouragement and guidance of Sarah E. Miller—a huge thanks for all of her support throughout the years. I would also like to thank Emma Dietrich, who has been my partner in these technological adventures and offered a lot of input in writing this article. I am also very appreciative of Bart McLeod, who has served as my mentor in this work and has been crucial in the development of my technical skills. Finally, I am grateful for all the contributions and collaborations from my FPAN colleagues, as well as our partners and volunteers who helped make these projects successful.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northeast Region, Florida Public Archaeology Network, 74 King Street, St. Augustine, FL, 32084, U.S.A.

    Emily Jane Murray

Authors
  1. Emily Jane Murray
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emily Jane Murray.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest Statement

The author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

ESM 1

(PDF 67 kb)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Murray, E.J. Using 3-D Digital-Heritage Techniques to Document Heritage at Risk: A Case Study from Florida. Hist Arch 57, 606–618 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-023-00417-z

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-023-00417-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation