The value of pseudo 3D techniques for the interpretation of analogue archaeological research

The use of virtual 3D techniques as a research tool in the interpretation of analogue archaeological data has gained little attention. The current paper will explore whether the use of 3D techniques can help to understand data from old archaeological excavations. A method is presented which facilitates the translation of analogue data into a pseudo 3D environment. One trench from the famous excavations of the early medieval trading town of Dorestad serves as a case study. This trench was excavated in 1970 and has never been published in detail. The trench contains a particularly large amount of features and has a complex stratigraphy. This makes it hard to interpret the features in the trench by traditional methods using two dimensions. In this paper it is argued that the creation of a pseudo 3D space of old analogue excavation data offers archaeologists the possibility to experience and understand the data in a way which is not possible when the data is experienced in only two dimensions. Experiencing old archaeological data in three dimensions from different angles creates a spatial awareness of the features which helps to comprehend and interpret the features and structures in the trench.