Geometric morphometrics, visual perception of similarity, gestalt principles and creating groups
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2020-09-07

How  do  we  define  shape,  how  do  we  know  when  two  objects  have  similar  shapes,  and  how  do we as humans use this information? Li et al. (2013) define shape as referring to the spatial regularity of an object. Their research suggests that humans use shape to identify, remember and recognize objects, and to infer the functions and uses of an object. The gestalt principle of similarity, states that things which share visual characteristics such as shape, size, color, texture, value  or  orientation  (with  shape  dominant  within  these)  will  be  seen  as  belonging  together.  Bringing these ideas together, we can argue that one use of shape by humans is making groups of similar things with similar purposes. How do we know that two objects have similar shapes? Geometric  morphometrics  methods  that  rely  on  the  statistical  characterisation  of  shape  ap-proach this problem through measurements, geometric morphometrics methods that use land-marks rely on a mix of perceived and measured properties, while as humans we rely primarily on perceived shape. This paper considers the practice of grouping objects on the basis of their measured and perceived morphology. It argues that the motivation for the creation of groups of similar objects will favour the use of either measured or perceived shape similarity. Based on this, the implications for the application of different approaches to the characterisation of shape as applied in archaeology are considered.


Rachel Opitz