The work presented in this article is the result of collaboration between historians and computer scientists whose goal was the digital reconstitution of Le Boullongne, an 18th-century merchant ship of La Compagnie des Indes orientales.1 This ship has now disappeared and its reconstitution aims at understanding onboard living conditions. Three distinct research laboratories have participated in this project so far. The first, a department of naval history, worked on historical documents, especially the logbooks describing all traveling events of the ship. The second, a research laboratory in archaeology, archaeoscience, and history, proposed a 3D model of the ship based on the original naval architectural plans. The third, a computer science research laboratory, implemented a simulation of the ship sailing in virtual reality.

Abstract-The West Digital Conservatory of ArchaeologicalHeritage p r o j e c t , a . k . a . W D C A H , i s a n e w F r e n c h r e s e a r c h organization whose aim is to both ensure the preservation of digital archaeological data, and deliver expertise in production, analysis, visualization and virtual reality exploration techniques. This project is an interdisciplinary project composed of engineers and researchers in archaeology, computer science, virtual reality and 3D interaction with virtual environments. The major objectives of this conservatory project are: (i) sustainable and centralized safeguarding and archiving of 2D/3D data produced by the archaeological community; (ii) free access to metadata; (iii) secure access to data for the different actors involved in scientific projects and (iv) the support and advice for these actors in the 3D data production and exploration through the latest digital technologies, modeling tools and virtual reality systems. This paper focuses on the first activities of the WDCAH which mainly concern digital models production using photogrammetry, 3D laser scans, and 3D computer graphics software. We are currently working on the reconstitution of six archaeological sites located in the west of France ranging from prehistory to the Middle Ages: the Cairn of Carn Island, the covered pathway of Roh Coh Coet, the Goh Min Ru megalithic site, the gallo-roman mansion of Vanesia, the keep of the Château de Sainte-Suzanne, the Porte des Champs of the Château d'Angers. Other proposals are currently under study.Index Terms-Archaeological heritage -digital preservationVirtual archaeology-3D models.

In the continuation of the 3D data production work made by the WDCAH, the use of virtual reality tools allows archaeologists to carry out analysis and understanding research about their sites. In this paper, we focus on the virtual reality services proposed to archaeologists in the WDCAH, through the example of two archaeological sites, the Temple de Mars in Corseul and the Cairn of Carn Island.

The sense of touch provides a particular access to our environment, enabling a tangible relation with it. In the particular case of cultural heritage, touching the past, apart from being a universal dream, can provide essential information to analyze, understand, or restore artifacts. However, archaeological objects cannot always offer tangible access, either because they have been destroyed or are too damaged, or because they are part of a larger assembly. In other cases, it is the context of use that has become inaccessible, as it is related to an outdated activity. We propose a workflow based on a combination of computed tomography, 3D images, and 3D printing to provide concrete access to cultural heritage, and we illustrate this workflow in different contexts of inaccessibility. These technologies are already used in cultural heritage, but seldom combined, and are most often employed for exceptional artifacts. We propose to combine these technologies in case studies corresponding to relevant archaeological situations.

Archaeological 3D digitization of skeletal elements is an essential aspect of the discipline. Objectives are various: archiving of data (especially before destructive sampling for biomolecular studies for example), study or for pedagogical purposes to allow their manipulation. As techniques are rapidly evolving, the question that arises is the use of appropriate methods to answer the different questions and guarantee sufficient quality of information. The combined use of different 3D technologies for the study of a single Mesolithic bone fragment from Brittany (France) is here an opportunity to compare different 3D digitization methods. This oldest human bone of Brittany, a clavicle constituted of two pieces, was dug up from the mesolithic shell midden of Beg-er-Vil in Quiberon and dated from ca. 8200 to 8000 years BP. They are bound to post-mortem processing, realized on fresh bone in order to remove the integuments, which it is necessary to better qualify. The clavicle was studied through a process that combines advanced 3D image acquisition, 3D processing, and 3D printing with the goal to provide relevant support for the experts involved in the work. The bones were first studied with a metallographic microscopy, scanned with a CT scan, and digitized with photogrammetry in order to get a high quality textured model. The CT scan appeared to be insufficient for a detailed analysis; the study was thus completed with a µ-CT providing a very accurate 3D model of the bone. Several 3D-printed copies of the collarbone were produced in order to support knowledge sharing between the experts involved in the study. The 3D models generated from µCT and photogrammetry were combined to provide an accurate and detailed 3D model. This model was used to study desquamation and the different cut marks, including their angle of attack. These cut marks were also studied with traditional binoculars and digital microscopy. This last technique allowed characterizing their type, revealing a probable meat cutting process with a flint tool. This work of crossed analyses allows us to document a fundamental patrimonial piece, and to ensure its preservation. Copies are also available for the regional museums.

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> In the past two decades or so, digital tools have been slowly integrated as part of the archaeological process of information acquisition, analysis, and dissemination. We are now entering a new era, adding the missing piece to the puzzle in order to complete this digital revolution and take archaeology one step further into virtual reality (VR). The main focus of this article is the methodology of digital archaeology that fully integrates virtual reality, from beta testing to interdisciplinary teamwork. We briefly discuss data acquisition and processing necessary to construct the 3D model, the analysis that can be conducted during and after the making or creation of the 3D environment and the dissemination of knowledge. We explain the relevance of this methodology through the case study on the intendant’s palace, an 18th century archaeological site in Quebec City, Canada. With this experience, we believe that VR can prompt new questions that would never have occurred otherwise and can provide technical advantages in terms of gathering data in the same virtual space. We conclude that multidisciplinary input in archaeological research is once again proven essential in this new, inclusive and vast digital structure of possibilities.</p>

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Abstract. We propose a workflow based on a combination of computed tomography, 3D images and 3D printing to analyse different archaeological material dating from the Iron Age, a weight axis, a helical piece, and a fibula. This workflow enables a preservative analysis of the artefacts that are unreachable because encased either in stone, corrosion or ashes. Computed tomography images together with 3D printing provide a rich toolbox for archaeologist work allowing to access a tangible representation of hidden artefacts. These technologies are combined in an efficient, affordable and accurate workflow compatible with Preventive archaeology constraints.