Jun 3, 2024
On Obstacle Courses and Other Racings (or an Outburst about Reusing 3D Models of Cultural Heritage Objects for Research and Conservation)
- 12:00 to 13:00
- Lecture
- Dept. III
- Vera Motinho de Almeida
Little attention seems to have been given in material cultural heritage research practice to the digital data lifecycle and, although often mentioned, to actually making research data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable; Wilkinson et al., 2016). In this talk, I will showcase an investigation into Greek and Cypriot pottery, 10th–4th c. BCE, from various European collections, and with a strong emphasis on 3D digital resources. The aims are manifold, namely, to understand the chronological and geographical variability of the items’ production and use (e.g., shape classification and patterns, capacity standards, use-wear, and network analysis), as well as to enable conservation studies and monitoring. However, despite the large amount of 3D models of archaeological objects available online, I will explain some of the obstacles encountered when attempting to reuse them and proceeding with this investigation. This presentation tackles issues related to digital archives and repositories, the quality of and trust in 3D digital resources, contextual and useful metadata for research (including technical metadata, aka paradata), and data incompleteness—although a resource cannot be fully described, it can be better described.
Vera Moitinho de Almeida is a senior researcher and coordinator of the Centre of Digital Culture and Innovation (CODA) at the Faculty of Arts & Humanities of the University of Porto (FLUP), part of CITCEM-UP and INESCC-UC, and an honorary senior research collaborator at LAQU-UAB. She has an unusual interdisciplinary academic background: a PhD (cum laude) from UAB, focusing on technological and functional analysis of archaeological objects using 3D digital models and reverse engineering processes; an MSc in Prehistoric Archaeology (UAB); an interdisciplinary MSc (cum laude) in Multimedia Technologies (FEUP); and a BA in Fine Arts (IPC), with a major in pedagogy, while having attended several courses in distinct fields. Her research expertise consists of three intertwined subjects: 1) 2D/3D digital imaging and visualizations for research and conservation of cultural heritage materials; 2) Computational archaeology; 3) Digital data lifecycle and FAIR principles. She has been actively involved in several international transdisciplinary scientific projects and published extensively in the field of digital applications to research in archaeology, cultural heritage, and the digital humanities.
Contact and Registration
This lecture series is open to the public. We welcome both internal and external guests. To register, please click here and choose which event you would like to attend. You can register for multiple events but must do so separately.
For questions on registration please contact event_dept3@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de and for further information about the series please contact rbrentjes@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
About This Series
The VoH Working Group in cooperation with Research IT presents a series of lectures titled "Overcoming Obstacles, Learning from Experiences: A Transdisciplinary Conversation about Computer Vision, 3D Models, Preservation, and Outreach in Digital Humanities projects,” running from May–July 2024. The series features speakers from multiple disciplines in the Humanities – History of Science, History, Art History, and Archaeology – who will focus on methods that can be utilized in the systematic DH-related analysis of objects. Topics covered include databases, their development, preservation, and dissemination, computer vision and its components, such as classification, annotation, and vectorization, as well as 3-D modeling.
For a full description of the series, please click here.