Introduction to the Special Issue on 3D Methodologies in Mediterranean Archaeology

This issue brings together several papers originally presented at the 2019 annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America in a panel entitled, “Three-Dimensional Archaeology Comes of Age.” This collection takes stock of a decade’s worth of groundbreaking transformation in archaeological practices with a focus on the ancient Mediterranean. Over this time, a subtle transition has occurred in which contentious debates over the value and practicality of 3D tools, such as photogrammetry, 3D scanning, 3D reconstruction, and virtual reality (VR), have given way to an emergent consensus that these constitute a new and important class of recording and heuristic instruments. Rather than seek to cover this fundamental shift in a comprehensive matter, this issue presents a characteristic cross-section of current archaeological research-based on three-dimensional computational methodologies. The content cuts across some 3,000 years of Mediterranean archaeology, from the Aegean Bronze Age to the later Roman Empire, underlining the discipline-wide impact of this methodological revolution. It seeks to shed light on how digital tools are transforming not just the ways we record data, but the very questions archaeologists ask of this information and how this will shape methodological and analytical trends in the next decade and beyond.

Catalogues of Stepped Pools and Stone Vessels

<div>Dataset of: Rick Bonnie, Being Jewish in Galilee, 100-200 CE. An Archaeological Study, Studies in Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology, 11 (Turnhout: Brepols, 2019)</div><div><a href="http://www.brepols.net/Pages/ShowProduct.aspx?prod_id=IS-9782503555324-1">http://www.brepols.net/Pages/ShowProduct.aspx?prod_id=IS-9782503555324-1</a></div><div><br></div><div>This dataset lists, describes, and provides relevant bibliography to all known stepped pools in Galilee from the Hellenistic to Byzantine periods that have been exposed through archaeological excavations or field surveys and to all known archaeological sites in Galilee with evidence for stone vessels. The dataset is available in both PDF and CSV format. The PDF file provides a detailed description of and bibliography for each stepped pool. The CSV file contains the raw data that can be easily imported into spreadsheets and databases.</div>

Catalogues of Stepped Pools and Stone Vessels

<div>Dataset of: Rick Bonnie, Being Jewish in Galilee, 100-200 CE. An Archaeological Study, Studies in Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology, 11 (Turnhout: Brepols, 2019)</div><div><a href="http://www.brepols.net/Pages/ShowProduct.aspx?prod_id=IS-9782503555324-1">http://www.brepols.net/Pages/ShowProduct.aspx?prod_id=IS-9782503555324-1</a></div><div><br></div><div>This dataset lists, describes, and provides relevant bibliography to all known stepped pools in Galilee from the Hellenistic to Byzantine periods that have been exposed through archaeological excavations or field surveys and to all known archaeological sites in Galilee with evidence for stone vessels. The dataset is available in both PDF and CSV format. The PDF file provides a detailed description of and bibliography for each stepped pool. The CSV file contains the raw data that can be easily imported into spreadsheets and databases.</div>

DATAM: Digital Approaches to Teaching the Ancient Mediterranean

DATAM: Digital Approaches to Teaching the Ancient Mediterranean provides a series of new critical studies that explore digital practices for teaching the Ancient Mediterranean world at a wide range of institutions and levels. These practical examples demonstrate how gaming, coding, immersive video, and 3D imaging can bridge the disciplinary and digital divide between the Ancient world and contemporary technology, information literacy, and student engagement. While the articles focus on Classics, Ancient History, and Mediterranean archaeology, the issues and approaches considered throughout this book are relevant for anyone who thinks critically and practically about the use of digital technology in the college level classroom. DATAM features contributions from Sebastian Heath, Lisl Walsh, David Ratzan, Patrick Burns, Sandra Blakely, Eric Poehler, William Caraher, Marie-Claire Beaulieu and Anthony Bucci as well as a critical introduction by Shawn Graham and preface by Society of Classical Studies Executive Director Helen Cullyer.