En masse scanning and semi-automated surfacing of small objects using micro-CT

Abstract

Modern archaeological studies increasingly utilize three-dimensional virtual representations of objects, high resolution scanning, large datasets, computationally intensive analyses, and machine learning. With higher resolution scans, challenges surrounding computational power, memory, and file storage quickly arise. Processing and analyzing high resolution scans often requires memory-intensive workflows, which are infeasible for most computers and increasingly necessitate the use of supercomputers or the design of innovative processing methods. Here we introduce a novel protocol for en-masse micro-CT scanning of small objects with a semi-automated processing workflow with minimal user interaction that functions in memory-limited settings. Using our protocol, we successfully scanned 1112 animal bone fragments using just 10 micro-CT scans, which were post-processed into individual 3D models. Notably, our methods have the potential to be applied to any object (with discernible density from the packaging material) potentially extending this method to a variety of inquiries and fields beyond paleoanthropology and archaeology, including paleontology, geology, biology, art and cultural heritage preservation, and manufacturing. Overall, our new scanning method and processing workflows lay the groundwork for future mass-scale, high resolution scanning studies.