Manual Point Cloud Classification and Extraction for Hunter-Gatherer Feature Investigation: A Test Case From Two Low Arctic Paleo-Inuit Sites

For archaeologists, the task of processing large terrestrial laser scanning (TLS)-derived point cloud data can be difficult, particularly when focusing on acquiring analytical and interpretive outcomes from the data. Using our TLS lidar data collected in 2013 from two compositionally different, low...

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Main Authors: Landry David B., Milne S. Brooke, Park Robert W., Ferguson Ian J., Fayek Mostafa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2016-11-01
Series:Open Archaeology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/opar.2016.2.issue-1/opar-2016-0017/opar-2016-0017.xml?format=INT
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spelling doaj-38559bcf7ffd4d56b5a787ba4ef4209c2021-10-02T05:20:31ZengDe GruyterOpen Archaeology2300-65602016-11-012110.1515/opar-2016-0017opar-2016-0017Manual Point Cloud Classification and Extraction for Hunter-Gatherer Feature Investigation: A Test Case From Two Low Arctic Paleo-Inuit SitesLandry David B.0Milne S. Brooke1Park Robert W.2Ferguson Ian J.3Fayek Mostafa4Department of Anthropology, and the Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T2N2, CanadaDepartment of Anthropology, and the Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T2N2, CanadaDepartment of Anthropology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, CanadaDepartment of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T2N2, CanadaDepartment of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T2N2, CanadaFor archaeologists, the task of processing large terrestrial laser scanning (TLS)-derived point cloud data can be difficult, particularly when focusing on acquiring analytical and interpretive outcomes from the data. Using our TLS lidar data collected in 2013 from two compositionally different, low Arctic multi-component hunter-gatherer sites (LdFa-1 and LeDx-42), we demonstrate how a manual point cloud classification approach with open source software can be used to extract natural and archaeological features from a site’s surface. Through a combination of spectral datasets typical to TLS (i.e., intensity and RGB values), archaeologists can enhance the visual and analytical representation of archaeological huntergatherer site surfaces. Our approach classifies low visibility Arctic site point clouds into independent segments, each representing a different surface material found on the site. With the segmented dataset, we extract only the surface boulders to create an alternate characterization of the site’s prominent features and their surroundings. Using surface point clouds from Paleo-Inuit sites allows us to demonstrate the value of this approach within hunter-gatherer research as our results illustrate an effective use of large TLS datasets for extracting and improving our analytical capabilities for low relief site features.http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/opar.2016.2.issue-1/opar-2016-0017/opar-2016-0017.xml?format=INTterrestrial laser scanning digital archaeology hunter-gatherer archaeology Paleo-Inuit Southern Baffin Island Nunavut point cloud classification
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Landry David B.
Milne S. Brooke
Park Robert W.
Ferguson Ian J.
Fayek Mostafa
spellingShingle Landry David B.
Milne S. Brooke
Park Robert W.
Ferguson Ian J.
Fayek Mostafa
Manual Point Cloud Classification and Extraction for Hunter-Gatherer Feature Investigation: A Test Case From Two Low Arctic Paleo-Inuit Sites
Open Archaeology
terrestrial laser scanning
digital archaeology
hunter-gatherer archaeology
Paleo-Inuit
Southern Baffin Island
Nunavut
point cloud classification
author_facet Landry David B.
Milne S. Brooke
Park Robert W.
Ferguson Ian J.
Fayek Mostafa
author_sort Landry David B.
title Manual Point Cloud Classification and Extraction for Hunter-Gatherer Feature Investigation: A Test Case From Two Low Arctic Paleo-Inuit Sites
title_short Manual Point Cloud Classification and Extraction for Hunter-Gatherer Feature Investigation: A Test Case From Two Low Arctic Paleo-Inuit Sites
title_full Manual Point Cloud Classification and Extraction for Hunter-Gatherer Feature Investigation: A Test Case From Two Low Arctic Paleo-Inuit Sites
title_fullStr Manual Point Cloud Classification and Extraction for Hunter-Gatherer Feature Investigation: A Test Case From Two Low Arctic Paleo-Inuit Sites
title_full_unstemmed Manual Point Cloud Classification and Extraction for Hunter-Gatherer Feature Investigation: A Test Case From Two Low Arctic Paleo-Inuit Sites
title_sort manual point cloud classification and extraction for hunter-gatherer feature investigation: a test case from two low arctic paleo-inuit sites
publisher De Gruyter
series Open Archaeology
issn 2300-6560
publishDate 2016-11-01
description For archaeologists, the task of processing large terrestrial laser scanning (TLS)-derived point cloud data can be difficult, particularly when focusing on acquiring analytical and interpretive outcomes from the data. Using our TLS lidar data collected in 2013 from two compositionally different, low Arctic multi-component hunter-gatherer sites (LdFa-1 and LeDx-42), we demonstrate how a manual point cloud classification approach with open source software can be used to extract natural and archaeological features from a site’s surface. Through a combination of spectral datasets typical to TLS (i.e., intensity and RGB values), archaeologists can enhance the visual and analytical representation of archaeological huntergatherer site surfaces. Our approach classifies low visibility Arctic site point clouds into independent segments, each representing a different surface material found on the site. With the segmented dataset, we extract only the surface boulders to create an alternate characterization of the site’s prominent features and their surroundings. Using surface point clouds from Paleo-Inuit sites allows us to demonstrate the value of this approach within hunter-gatherer research as our results illustrate an effective use of large TLS datasets for extracting and improving our analytical capabilities for low relief site features.
topic terrestrial laser scanning
digital archaeology
hunter-gatherer archaeology
Paleo-Inuit
Southern Baffin Island
Nunavut
point cloud classification
url http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/opar.2016.2.issue-1/opar-2016-0017/opar-2016-0017.xml?format=INT
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