Lecture | Digital Archaeology Group
Cracking the 3D Paradata Puzzle
- Date
- Thursday 9 October 2025
- Time
- Address
-
Van Steenis
Einsteinweg 2
2333 CC Leiden - Room
- A0.02a
Methods and Opportunities for Data-Driven Storytelling within the PURE3D Infrastructure
With the increasing application of 3D modelling tools and techniques within archaeology and heritage disciplines, the concept of 3D paradata is quickly becoming a critical aspect of ensuring the sustainability and reusability of not only the raw data and technical specifications but also the tacit human knowledge involved in the research process.
Paradata for 3D heritage outputs is information that provides insight into the scientific and creative process of making the 3D models of past contexts. However, despite an increase in academic inquiry on the topic, the jury is still out on exactly what, where and how 3D paradata is curated, stored and populated. This is largely due to the sheer diversity of 3D heritage in terms of applied methods, subject area, materials and project goals. While there is no specific formula for paradata documentation, this presentation explores the extent to which a given 3D viewing interface, that of Smithsonian's Voyager Explorer, can be utilised towards the dynamic communication of data-driven narratives using hypothetical 3D visualisations of the past.
Through a demonstration of diverse 3D editions published on the PURE3D Infrastructure, we can begin to identify norms and patterns as well as creative solutions in which this information can be segmented and stored inside and outside the 3D viewing environment based on the intended end-user, including interested publics, subject and technical experts and even machines.