DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18261895
title: 3D Lithic Meshes and Metadata for "Reconstructing the sequentiality of adjacent flake removal scars on lithic 3D models: A curvature-based computational approach"

description: Overview

This repository contains a dataset (n = 137) of 3D meshes of experimentally produced stone tools. These data are associated with the publication: "Reconstructing the sequentiality of adjacent flake removal scars on lithic 3D models: A curvature-based computational approach" by Cheng Liu, Francesco Valletta, Javier Baena Preysler, and Armando Falcucci.

By providing these models in open and specialized formats, this repository facilitates the reproducibility of the study’s results and allows for further research in lithic analysis. The 3D scanning of artifacts was performed using Artec Micro I and Artec Space Spider I scanners (Artec Inc., Luxembourg). The scanning process adhered to best practices for lithic digitization (Falcucci, 2022; Göldner et al., 2022), ensuring accurate capture of artifact details.

Repository Curator: Dr. Armando Falcucci, email: falcucciarmando@gmail.com

Description of the Dataset

This repository includes the following components:



3D_meshes.zip: A compressed folder containing 3D models in PLY format. We included the meshes at their maximum resolution to enhance reproducibility; note that in our paper, they were decimated (reduced) to optimize processing speed in Artifact3-D.

Artifact3-D_files.zip: Includes the Qins and ScarQins files needed for reproducing the results of our study in the Artifact3-D software (Grosman et al., 2022).

Scar-Sequentiality_metadata.csv: A CSV file containing technical information, characteristics, and metadata of the digitized lithic artifacts.

Readme_Scar-Sequentiality_meshes.txt: This README file provides detailed information about the PLY models and metadata associated with this repository.


Metadata Attributes

The Scar-Sequentiality_metadata.csv file includes the following attributes:



File_name: Artifact ID as reported in the .ply file.

Vertex_count: The number of vertices in the 3D model.

Face_count: The number of faces in the 3D model.

Avg_edge_length: The average distance between points on the model, serving as an effective measure of the model's resolution.

Volume: The volume of the artifact in cubic millimeters.

Surface_area: The surface area of the artifact in square millimeters.

Scanner: The specific model of the scanner used to capture the 3D data.

Size_kb: The size of the model file in kilobytes (KB).

Model_unit: The unit of measurement used for the 3D model. This value ensures proper scaling when importing the model into 3D software (it does not affect resolution).

Class: Lithic sorting into two categories: Cores (pieces lacking a dorsal/ventral surface but possessing two or more negative scars) and Blanks (flaked pieces with both a dorsal and ventral face).

Type: Detailed classification of the blank (flake, blade, or bladelet) or the core (platform, carinated, or Levallois).

Technology: The technology used to produce the blanks (carinated, Levallois, prismatic, orthogonal).

Raw_material: Categorization by the type of raw material (flint or basalt).

Preservation: Breakage classification for blanks (complete, distal, or proximal).

Cortex: Presence or absence of cortical coverage.


Research and Usage Notes

Users are encouraged to use this repository alongside the GitHub repository for the main publication (https://github.com/Raylc/scar-stratigraphy), which hosts the R code and datasets required to reproduce the study's results.

Licensing and Citation

Please cite this repository and the related publication when using this dataset in your research. Licensing details and citation formats are provided in the repository documentation.

References

Falcucci, A. (2022). MicroStone: Exploring the capabilities of the Artec Micro in scanning stone tools. protocols.io. https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.81wgb6781lpk/v1 

Göldner, D., Karakostis, F. A., & Falcucci, A. (2022). Practical and technical aspects for the 3D scanning of lithic artefacts using micro-computed tomography techniques and laser light scanners for subsequent geometric morphometric analysis. Introducing the StyroStone protocol. PLOS ONE, 17(4), e0267163. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267163 

Grosman, L., Muller, A., Dag, I., Goldgeier, H., Harush, O., Herzlinger, G., Nebenhaus, K., Valetta, F., Yashuv, T., & Dick, N. (2022). Artifact3-D: New software for accurate, objective and efficient 3D analysis and documentation of archaeological artifacts. PLOS ONE, 17(6), e0268401. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268401