Some of us have been messing around with Image J, a piece of freeware that will analyze digital photographs. Cady, Scott, and myself are trying to get a paper together where we will try to see if we can tell if Boulder Jasper has been heat treated by analyzing the level of light refraction and color of samples before and after heat treating.
There are many, many plug-ins and many, many possible applications of this technology. Everybody check it out. Best of all, it's free...
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So after you showed this to me, I thought about lighting conditions when it comes to looking at color differences and similarities. I took the liberty of contacting a mechanical lighting specialist to ask about equipment that would accomodate this type of atmosphere. Here is what he said...
"Sorry about the delayed response I have been traveling the last week. We design and build a wide range of specialty illumination systems with constant flux output controlled by active feedback mechanisms. The lighting booths are designed to accommodate a wide range of specimen sizes and are custom made for your needs. What is the largest artifact that you would like to photograph?"
-Gerald Budd-
So after reading this, I got to thinking. What if we were to consult with a number of people to create a portable device that can record this type of data in the field? Say, a handheld scope that would not only project a conrolled light soure, but at the same time record colors in a number of different formats (e.g. RGB and CMYK percentages, Munsel, etc.). We could enter all the Munsel data by recording colors in the same way we would a specimen. It could be marketed to so many different types of fields, including archaeology, interior design, artists, graphic designers, etc.
Chris, you really know how to get my brain going.
The other thing I forgot to mention about Gerald Budd's system is that it is built with LEDs, so it is very power efficeint.
Here's a solution to varying lighting conditions, similar to what Budd was offereing.
http://www.pantone.com/products/products.asp?idSubArea=0&idArea=8&idProduct=21&idArticleType_Products=0
What if we just put the samples into a flatbed scanner with like a piece of plastic over the glass? Would that solve the lighting problem? A friend here did this to capture the data for his MA, an Image J analysis of flake scar patterns.
Chris, as long as the contrast, brightness, and color levels were set the same for every sample, that would not be a problem. But scanners don't necessarily produce the most vibrant pictures.
By the way, did anyone see what Saturno did at San Bartolo with a flatbed scanner when recording the murals there. It was all in last month's National Geographic. Pretty cool stuff.
Chris,
you said:
"A friend here did this to capture the data for his MA, an Image J analysis of flake scar patterns."
That sounds interesting. Joel pitched the idea to me about doing some flake scar analysis from PVAP for my thesis. At the time it sounded boring. What question(s) is your friend trying to answer?
Joshua Watts, candidate for the Masters degree in Anthropology.
FROM: Dr. C. Michael Barton
Chair, Supervisory Committee
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Dr. Keith Kintigh
Dr. Arleyn Simon
EXAMINATION DATE: Monday,September 12, 2005, at 8:30 am
MASTERS PAPER TITLE: The Scale of Individual Participation in Salado Social and Political Organization Using Projectile Points from the Eastern Tonto Basin, Arizona
ABSTRACT
An investigation of individual flintknappers’ participation in the social and political organization of the prehistoric Eastern Tonto Basin, Arizona, is undertaken. To accomplish this, I outline a flexible methodology that allows for the analysis of large numbers of projectile points while emphasizing the considerable potential of individual scale research. Theoretically this approach is informed by previous researchers’ discussions of technological style and utilizes a micro-scale focus for the concept, referred to as techne signatures. Small triangular projectile points (147 artifacts) collected from Roosevelt phase (A.D. 1275-1325) sites in the Eastern Tonto Basin are analyzed and the spatial distribution of individuals’ handiwork in late-prehistoric multi-site communities is described.
These data inform a discussion of previous researchers’ interpretations of political organization at the scales of “multi-site villages,” “irrigation districts,” and “local systems” in the Eastern Tonto Basin. The results of this research suggest that the Roosevelt phase knappers probably participated in social networks at all of these scales.
Nice, Thanks Chris.
Does this mean there is some hope for lithic lovers in the SW?
I just found and article about BIII-PI lithic transitions.
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