"Bones:" Archaeology's 3D Imaging Technique

Okay, it’s not quite what you might expect if you’re a fan of  the provocative, squint Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin) and her holographic reconstruction of dead bodies on Fox Television’s “Bones” TV Series, but the use of 3D imaging in a process called Photogrammetry is defining  new dimensions in archaeological research and conservation, allowing us to view and, "walk around," the object in a three dimensional perspective.
Photogrammetry is the technique of using laser photography to record minuscule data from sites where hand drawings and regular photography could never capture.  Together with remote sensing, aerial archeology, and laser surveying, our observation of architectural structures and historical artifacts has greatly evolved into a capability of reconstructing an object to the finest detail, never before seen , for study.

From Article Photos

Organized by CIPA, the Comite International de la Photogrammétrie Architecturale, in 1995, a group has been established under the heading of Working Group 5, "Photogrammetry and Archaeology." The goal of the group is to make archaeologists and photogrammetrists aware of technology that’ll greatly improve analysis and conservation of historical artifacts and structures, while also broadening the understanding of the current limitations.  According to the Photogrammetry and Archaeology website, the terms are:

• To identify trends in photogrammetric developments that have application in archaeology.
• To document current applications of photogrammetry in archaeology.
• To promote the use of appropriate photogrammetric procedures in archaeology.
• To spread this information to organizations and individuals through an active program of liaison between CIPA and these organizations.