Chapter 3 reasoning in 3 D : a CritiCal appraisal of the role of 3 D moDelling anD virtual reConstruCtions in arChaeology

Early VR and 3D modelling projects involving archaeological data began as early as the late 1980s and early 1990s (for an extensive survey of the history of VR, see Frischer et al. 2002). At about the same time, there were proposals of possible applications of VR and 3D modelling techniques for solving archaeological problems (Reilly 1989; Reilly & Shennan 1989; Sims 1997). The field gradually advanced, and new models and projects virtually reconstructed archaeological sites, monuments, and artefacts. By the end of the 1990s, several major publications summarized theoretical aspects and practical work in virtual archaeology (Forte & Siliotti 1997; Barceló et al. 2000; Niccolucci 2002). These years also saw the first attempts to establish standards and propose methodologies for the use of VR and 3D modelling techniques in archaeology, especially for communicating data by means of these techniques (Ryan 1996). Others explored the historical credibility of the VR and 3D products, the accuracy of the products from an archaeological point of view (Kanter 2000; Frischer et al. 2000), and the need for transparent data (Forte 2000).