FundUS ‒ an Interactive 3D Visualisation Software for Palaeolithic Excavation Data

Abstract

"In this paper, we propose a software which allows for the interactive 3D visualisation of excavation data from Palaeolithic archaeology. Existing software solutions were examined to assess their suitability for the Palaeolithic method of excavation. It has been shown that the available software is not well fitted for the data collected in Palaeolithic archaeology and that there is a demand for specialised software. In collaboration with archaeologists from the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, the requirements for this software were compiled. An implementation of the software was created using Java and Unreal Engine. To reconstruct the topographies recorded as points, a novel approach based on the Delaunay triangulation was used. The usability of the software was tested by conducting an online survey with archaeologists from the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen. After trying the FundUS software, the participants reported estimated savings of 65.07% compared to their usual workflows for 3D visualisation. The survey showed that the participants were very interested in using the software, even for applications beyond its intended purpose of supporting the evaluation. The software substantially shortens the time required to create visualisations by being able to work directly with the existing data, eliminating the need for manual preparation steps. In its current state, the software is able to partially fulfil the demand for a specialised evaluation software in Palaeolithic archaeology. With further development, the software could be expanded to fulfil this demand completely."