Photogrammetry in the Structure of Transdisciplinary Archaeology: an Example of Modelling Artefacts From the Medieval Steppe of Ukraine

The paper focuses on applying Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry as a tool for archaeological research. It dwells on its impact on contemporary archaeological science and discusses the practical experience of 3D modeling. To illustrate the applied solutions, the article focuses on five artefacts from the Golden Horde period from the Ukrainian Steppe. The paper aims to contribute to the set methodological and didactic efforts and thus impact Ukrainian archaeology, improving its competitive potential. Therefore, a large part of the text is devoted to describing the data acquisition setup and process with particular attention to the demands of the process and specific hints to be known. Considerable attention is paid to highlighting specific practical limitations of the method, together with their causes and effects. Moreover, the text expands on what these limitations mean for practicing archaeologists and what needs to be considered when starting to work with photogrammetry. This is provided through a straightforward explanation to ensure the transdisciplinary communication between photogrammetrists and archaeologists. The methodological issues are presented via the 3D models of the five Golden Horde period Ukrainian steppe artefacts. This selection is explained by the lack of coverage of the interaction between the steppe nomads and the Golden Horde in Ukrainian research history. Therefore, the first part of the text also contains a detailed presentation of the artefacts’ archaeological context and suggested attribution. The second part of the paper describes photogrammetric equipment and methods, procedures, and subtleties of photogrammetric study of small objects. The choice of equipment and the essential parameters are discussed and summarized in an overview table as they directly affect the 3D modeling results. The importance of data acquisition scenario development and the coherence of research needs with methodological tools is highlighted. The photogrammetric procedures result in an entirely new level of study and representation of archaeological artefacts in Ukraine's Medieval archaeology. The models are featured with detailed descriptions, including specific observations of their individual features. This characterization level clearly demonstrates the photogrammetric method’s research potential if enriched with archaeological context and multidisciplinary study.