University of Alabama’s Office of Archaeological Research Uses 3D Technology to Rebuild the Past

IMTS

Share this Article

oarIt’s interesting to think about how much technology is used to look back in time, so to speak. I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that it’s possible to see back millions of years in space, but on a more earthbound level, technology is able to make even ancient history clearer and more tangible than ever before. 3D technology, in particular, allows us to restore ancient objects and even rebuild things that no longer exist.

3D printing and scanning are just part of the arsenal of technology used by the University of Alabama’s Office of Archaeological Research (OAR) to bring the past into the present. We’ve written about archaeologists who have used 3D scanning and printing to reproduce and study fossils and ancient artifacts, but researchers at OAR have been using 3D modeling to reconstruct entire towns. Jeremiah Stager, a cultural resources assistant at OAR, was able to virtually rebuild an entire Alabama town as it existed in the early 20th century.

TassoPlantationDogtrot-300x169

3D model of a Tasso Plantation dog trot. [University of Alabama]

The Lay Dam began operation in 1914 and is still active today, one of the oldest hydroelectric dams in the country. A village grew around it to accommodate the construction workers who built the dam, along with their families. At the village’s peak, there were about three dozen homes, but today only two buildings are still standing – in the real world, that is. Alabama Power, which owns the dam, has maintained archival records, maps and architectural drawings from the dam’s construction, and Stager used these, along with hundreds of photographs kept by families whose ancestors lived in the village, to virtually rebuild almost the entire village. He then used the 3D models to create a virtual tour of the old village.

“It brings archaeology, history and a little bit of anthropology together,” he said. “3D modeling really connects well with people, especially kids. When I’m excavating at a park and a group of visitors comes up to me, and I’m trying to show them the dirt stains, which we think are really interesting, sometimes it’s hard for people to envision what was there. With 3D modeling, I’m trying to tell a story, help them re-imagine what it was like.”

130293_MW_3D_Printing_Lab

Dr. Andrew Graettinger, director of the UA 3D Printing Lab, discusses a design with a student. [University of Alabama]

For a tangible history lesson, Stager uses 3D printing. The University of Alabama’s College of Engineering has a 3D printing lab that consists of 6 printers and a knowledgeable staff that help students, faculty and staff print at no charge. Stager frequently takes advantage of the lab’s capabilities to create replicas of historical artifacts which can then be handled and examined by visitors.

“Sometimes artifacts break,” Stager said. “It would be good to get a good scan and then print them while they are still whole. It would also provide a better experience for museum visitors. While having the ‘real’ artifact behind a case looks cool, and it’s really neat to look at or read about, being able to interact with it often gives people a much better experience. It is a huge tool in connecting with the public.”

Axe-Head-300x169

3D model of a British trade axe. [University of Alabama]

Other technology utilized by OAR includes remote sensing, a ground penetrating radar that allows researchers to locate graves, prehistoric fire pits, and other underground anomalies; gradiometry, which produces higher-resolution images of items closer to the surface; and dendochronology, which involves ascertaining the age of wooden structures by measuring the number of tree rings in the wood used to build them. It’s not an exact science, but it can give researchers a better idea of the history of a structure than they would have had otherwise.

As technology continues to advance, OAR and other archaeological organizations will continue to use every method they can to discover and preserve pieces of the past that otherwise may have been lost forever. There’s still so much that we don’t know, but as time moves forward, the past is becoming much more visible. Discuss this story in the Rebuilding History forum on 3DPB.com.

Share this Article


Recent News

Liquid Metal 3D Printing Sector Emerges with Fluent Metal’s $5.5M Investment

3DPOD Episode 191: Amy Alexander, 3D Printing at the Mayo Clinic



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

3DPOD Episode 190: Generative Design for 3D Printing with Novineer CEO Ali Tamijani

Ali Tamijani, a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, has an extensive background in composites, tool pathing, and the development of functional 3D printed parts,...

Featured

3DPOD Episode 189: AMUG President Shannon VanDeren

Shannon VanDeren is a consultant in the 3D printing industry, focusing on implementation and integration for her company, Layered Manufacturing and Consulting. For nearly ten years, she has been involved...

3DPOD Episode 188: Clare Difazio of E3D – Growing the Industry, and Growing With the Industry

Clare DiFazio’s journey into the 3D printing industry was serendipitous, yet her involvement at critical moments has significantly influenced the sector. Her position as Head of Marketing & Product Strategy...

Featured

Printing Money Episode 15: 3D Printing Markets & Deals, with AM Research and AMPOWER

Printing Money returns with Episode 15! This month, NewCap Partners‘ Danny Piper is joined by Scott Dunham, Executive Vice President of Research at Additive Manufacturing (AM) Research, and Matthias Schmidt-Lehr,...