Since the turn of the 21st century, three-dimensional (3D) modeling has emerged as a rapidly advancing research methodology in Paleolithic archaeology. By 2022, over 200 articles on this topic had been published in English-language journals alone. To date, however, the majority of these studies focus on materials from Western Eurasia, Africa and North America, with only a limited number of cases involving East Asian artifacts. In the Chinese-language archaeological community, this method holds significant potential for further application.
On a qualitative level, 3D models enhance researchers’ ability to observe stone artifacts. Tiny technical features that are sometimes difficult to detect through visual inspection can be more clearly identified using 3D models. Also, 3D models facilitate the display and preservation of stone artifact data.
At the quantitative level, most fundamental approaches are scalar-based analysis. Researchers can calculate symmetry by projecting the 3D stone artifact model into a 2D image or by cutting or flipping the model, with the latter method being more precise. Using 3D models, researchers can also calculate the surface area of a stone artifact, thereby determining its cortex ratio or quantifying its reduction intensity. Moreover, based on 3D models, researchers can locate the center of mass of stone artifacts and analyze use-wear patterns by comparing pre- and post-use morphologies.
Furthermore, 3D models make it possible to apply 3D geometric morphometrics, a vector-based method, which places 3D models within a coordinate system, quantifies surface morphology based on landmark and semi-landmark coordinates, then conducts quantitative morphological analysis. 3D geometric morphometrics aids researchers in examining the stone artifact typology in a morphological perspective and quantitatively comparing differences between different assemblages or types. Additionally, using 3D geometric morphometrics and methods such as regression analysis, researchers can further explore some regularities, such as the morphological relationship between a flake’s platform and its profile.
In addition, there are some vector-based analytical methods outside of geometric morphometrics. These methods can assist researchers in quantifying the flake scar patterning and edge angles of stone artifacts. Also, recent advancements in this kind of algorithms have enabled researchers to virtually refit stone artifacts using 3D models.
After two decades of development, 3D modeling analysis of stone artifacts has achieved a relatively mature methodology, applicable across various aspects of stone artifact analysis. This methodology has further facilitated the analysis of other types of artifacts, such as bronzes. Also, 3D modeling analysis suits well with East Asian materials, and is expected to contribute to some key issues in East Asian Paleolithic archaeology. Nevertheless, there remains room for further development, particularly in constructing comprehensive 3D model databases for stone artifacts, which would facilitate the application of advanced methods like deep learning.
