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Congratulations on the publication of your new book, Photogrammetry for Archaeological Objects: A Manual. As an archaeologist, how did you come to specialise in photogrammetry modelling?

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Madeline: I actually learnt how to do photogrammetry underwater first! It’s been a really interesting journey over many years, starting as an undergraduate student at the University of Sydney doing a double degree in archaeology and marine science. During this, I undertook an intensive maritime archaeology course at Flinders University where, under the instruction of Dr Kōtarō Yamafune, I was first introduced to photogrammetry. As part of the course, we endeavoured to model the wreck of an early 1900s oyster cutter, the��Caprice, in Mount Dutton Bay, SA. Upon my return to studying at the University, I quickly joined one of the marine sciences labs as a volunteer under the guidance of Professor Will Figueira and Dr Gus Porter. My role involved processing thousands of images of the Great Barrier Reef to create accurate photogrammetry models for ongoing scientific assessments. With this foundation, I was then able to confidently move on to designing an honours research project modelling the Neolithic temples of Malta. This led me to further photogrammetry fieldwork in Sri Lanka with Professor Barbara Helwing, modelling first millennium BCE stupas and archaeological objects. Soon after, I was brought on as a research assistant to Professor Peter Hiscock, where I modelled hundreds of lithic artefacts from around Australia and trained students in Australia and overseas. It was through this experience that was able to hone my method of modelling small objects for archaeological analysis.��In the five years since, I have become the Discipline of Archaeology’s photogrammetry specialist and worked on a variety of projects, including creating a digital catalogue of objects for the Chau Chak Wing Museum and teaching photogrammetry to undergraduate and postgraduate students. As a result of these experiences, I decided to compile this manual for students, hoping it will assist them in their photogrammetry endeavours.

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Can you briefly describe what photogrammetry modelling is, and how it might be useful for archaeologists?

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Madeline:��Photogrammetry modelling is the process of creating digital three-dimensional models of objects, features or landscapes using well-exposed, overlapping two-dimensional photographs. All you need is a camera! By creating digital models of your research subject material, you open up new and varied ways to analyse your archaeological material. For example, you can obtain precise measurements of any areas or cross-sections of your subject, assess volume and surface area, and even strip back the texture so you can analyse the raw morphology, even of areas that are not visible to the naked eye. Photogrammetry can also be used to understand production methods, structural variations across a number of specimens, and create archival records, as digital 3D models are immune to time and degradation. You can even map landscapes and create digital elevation models that can be further used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

For archaeologists, photogrammetry is particularly useful as it offers a non-invasive way to capture a 3D snapshot of cultural material or landscapes that can be analysed and re-analysed over and over again without damaging the subject. Models can be sent anywhere in the world and are incredibly useful educational tools, even if the original object is locked away in a museum somewhere. This helps promote public accessibility to cultural heritage – all you need is a screen!��

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Photogrammetry for Archaeological Objects: A Manual is an easy-to-follow introduction and guide to photogrammetry. Is this a resource you wish had been available when you first started 3D modelling?

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Madeline:��Absolutely! With this manual in my hands, I would have saved a huge amount of time working out the best techniques and approaches in both the shooting and processing stages of photogrammetry. It is a common assumption that photogrammetry is easy – which it can be, but only if making accurate and successful models is not a high priority! It takes time and understanding to set up your camera accurately, to position the camera and the lights, to know how many camera angles are required and how to work in an uncontrolled environment where your only light source is the sun. There is so much essential knowledge to understand before jumping in. Knowing how to process a basic model is also pretty simple; however, once you scratch the surface and delve deeper into the software, there is a lot to learn which can get confusing. Through countless hours of working with , I have discovered a variety of tools, functions and methods that really help the processing stage. Through trial and error, I tested a lot of the software’s features. This is why I wanted to write this manual, so I could share all the things I have learnt along the way and make the learning curve easier for beginners, so they don’t have to go through the stress of finding the answers to their problems by themselves – it’s all in the book!

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How might these case studies help develop an understanding of how to approach different photogrammetry projects?

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Madeline:��These case studies were specifically chosen to cover a range of different shapes, material types and colours, each presenting its own unique challenge and solution. They span from very small objects (a microlith) to shiny objects (a coin), long and thin material (bone fragment), and triangular and black stone tools. The intention here is to demonstrate examples of effective methods in both the shooting and processing stages that produce successful models. This introduces the reader to a variety of approaches and allows them to pick the best methods for their own projects. I have tried to cover the most common archaeological objects (like stone tools, bone fragments, coins and pottery) so readers can simply follow what I have outlined in the manual, however it is very likely other objects will be modelled, so this will set them on the right track! Unfortunately, in photogrammetry modelling there is no standard, one-size-fits-all approach, so introducing the readers to the range of choices not only in the shooting stage, but also in choosing equipment and in processing, will hopefully show them how to best design their own methodology.

Although this manual primarily focuses on modelling archaeological objects, I have also included three case studies on how to approach modelling excavation pits, landscape features and walled structures. It is highly likely that at some point an archaeologist photogrammetrist will encounter the need to model these in their career, so I have included them just in case!

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Madeline:��The methodology here is absolutely not exclusive to archaeologists, as anyone in the fields of zoology, palaeontology, geology, marine and medical sciences, and art and architecture (to name a few) will be able to use the techniques. Any discipline that requires high-resolution photogrammetry models for use in research, analysis or education will find this manual highly useful! This guide aims to provide a foundation for researchers to create accurate and successful models; archaeology is merely the lens through which photogrammetry is explored.��

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You have worked at a number of archaeological sites, both here in Australia and abroad. What have been some of your most memorable experiences from working at these sites?

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Madeline:��It is really difficult for me to name just one memorable moment as I have worked in some amazing places – from mustatils in Saudi Arabia to Aboriginal rock art sites in Australia. I think one of the most prominent projects that really stands out for me is modelling the oldest stone axe fragment in Australia, currently housed in the Western Australian Museum. This was an incredibly difficult object to model as it is so small, but to see and work with it was just a really humbling experience, knowing someone made it tens of thousands of years ago, and here I was taking photos of it. The other project would have to be modelling the Neolithic temples in Malta. This was the first project where I got to take the reins and navigate the modelling process. After months of research and preparation, being able to explore the temples and analyse their engineering and architecture and recreate it in digital space was really exciting. Walking through them again using a VR headset was an additional highlight! Those weeks when I was exploring the rooms and capturing every detail of the temple walls, envisioning what the temples were originally like and what they were used for, are a memory I won’t forget easily.��

I also want to add that the other experiences that I am particularly grateful for in my photogrammetry career are all the friendships I have made. Through teaching and collaborating on projects I have met some of the most inspiring and driven people, for whom I am deeply thankful. Specialising in photogrammetry has opened up many doors for me, offering new experiences and challenges each year, and I’m genuinely excited for what the future will bring.��

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Photogrammetry for Archaeological Objects: A Manual is available now. Order your copy here.

The ��(ASHA)��was founded in 1970 to promote the newly created field of historical archaeology within Australia. At the core of this fascinating cross-disciplinary collaboration between archaeologists, historians and historical geographers lies the desire to understand the early colonial period of Australia including cross-cultural contacts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups, picking up on similar developments in the USA, Britain and elsewhere.

By 1983 ASHA had started its own journal and released a number of special studies and occasional papers. However, by the early 2000s the society saw a need for a more professional outlet for both the academic theses being produced and the high-quality consultancy research. At this time some of the international publishers saw Australian content as “too parochial” or wanted a focus on the theoretical rather than substantive aspects, while many of the established Australian publishers of academic monographs were only interested in Indigenous archaeology.

At this point ASHA decided on starting a new series, “Studies in Australasian Historical Archaeology”, to make this research and the associated data available to the public and researchers. ��è��Ƶ was approached to ensure a high-quality product and in 2008 the first volume released was a revised version of Prof. Jim Allen’s seminal thesis on Port Essington, the first Australian PhD in historical archaeology (1969), which included many of the themes of colonisation, contact and adaptation which still drive the field today.

The first seven volumes of the series have been very successful and well regarded, based on PhDs, major consultancies and other research projects.��The oldest five of these are now available Open Access as a free PDF download via the ��è��Ƶ website.

The “traditional” monograph series will continue to fulfil its original role of data-rich studies available. However, ASHA and SUP have been working hard on the next evolution, and in November 2021 we will release the eighth volume in the series, on the recent excavation of the Port Arthur convict penitentiary. This volume will be the first to be written, illustrated and produced with the informed public much more in mind, moving ASHA towards its other long-range goal of reaching out to the community and showing them some of the wonderful discoveries and insights being made by Australian historical archaeology.

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Martin Gibbs is Professor of Australian Archaeology at the University of New England, Armidale and co-editor of the Studies in Australasian Historical Archaeology series. His key research areas are in the historical and maritime archaeologies of the Australia-Pacific region.

Melissa Kennedy is a Research Associate at the University of Western Australia for the Project Aerial Archaeology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She is the editor of A Land in Between: The Orontes Valley in the Early Urban Age, a book which��documents the material culture and socio-political relationships of the Orontes Valley and its neighbours from the fourth through to the second millennium BCE (photo from the author archives).

Why is the Orontes Valley in the Northern Levant often described as a ‘land between’?

Most research has focused on the large riverine valleys and the coast, with everything in between generally an afterthought, perhaps as many of the sites in this area were not as large as those on the rivers and coast. It is partly because of this that the region has largely been viewed as a ‘land between’ rather than a connector.

Much work has been done on the coast and along the Euphrates and the Khabur river corridors, but with the exception of sites like Ebla, Qatna and Hama comparatively little research has focused on this area. Why is that?

Again, I think this is mainly due to the smaller size of many of the sites, they have not been seen as important as their larger neighbours but we know that is not the case.

What has sparked your interest in the archaeology of this part of the world?

I had the privilege to go to Pella, Jordan for my first archaeological experience. This made me fall in love with the Levant. The people who worked at Pella were also instrumental in developing my love and scholarly pursuit of this important region.

What first got you interested in archaeology?

As a child I used to live in London, as my dad worked at UCL Hospital, my mum would take my brother and myself down the road to the British Museum. I grew to love the ancient world through this, and the fact that both my parents are really interested in ancient history and archaeology and they nurtured this interest.

What are you currently working on?

I am now working on the Neolithic and “Early Bronze Age” of Saudi Arabia. In comparison to the rest of the Middle East, very little is known about these periods in this region. So it is all very exciting to be at the forefront of academic research into this amazing region.

If you could go back in time, when and where would you go?

I think the 3^rd millennium BC, I’d love to see if what I think may have happened, actually did. Also, this is such a crucial/pivotal period in history, it would be amazing to see these fantastic sites in all their glory.