ADS 3D Viewer is now live
Posted on 7 October 2016
The viewer was developed by Marie Curie Research Fellow Fabrizio Galeazzi in collaboration with 3DHOP

A new way of visualising archaeological data has been released online.
The ADS 3D Viewer is
an interactive visualization system that is integrated with the ADS database. It combines the potential of the
3D Heritage Online Presenter (3DHOP), a software package for the web-based visualization of 3D geometries, with the infrastructure of the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) repository, in the attempt to create a platform for the visualization and analysis of 3D data archived by the ADS in a simple way.
Two versions of the viewer have been developed, meaning that single objects or site-level stratigraphy can be visualised. Dr Fabrizio Galeazzi, Marie Cure Fellow, said: “The ADS 3D Viewer is the first example of a web-based visualization system for the preservation and analysis of archaeological stratigraphy integrated within the framework of a trusted digital repository. One of the main strengths of the viewer is its flexibility and adaptability. The ADS Stratigraphy 3D Viewer can be adapted and applied to case studies that use different excavation methods.
“By increasing the accessibility of digital and metric 3D representations of the excavation process and facilitating the interpretations made by different scholars of the same context on the web, the ADS 3D Viewer will be a useful instrument for the remote, collaborative study of complex archaeological datasets, promoting the use of 3D representations for the analysis, interpretation and knowledge production in Archaeology.
“One of the primary goals of the ADS 3D Viewer project was the development of a tool that could have a significant impact upon archaeological practice, integrating both traditional and innovative data acquisition methods.
“The next challenge will be to understand how web-based 3D platforms, such as the ADS 3D Viewer, can be used in the field for the remote, collaborative study of complex archaeological datasets, thereby promoting the use of new 3D digital methods and approaches for analysis, interpretation and knowledge production in archaeology.”