Formal three-dimensional computational analyses of archaeological spaces

This paper focuses on the use of formal three-dimensional computational analyses of archaeological spaces as a means to enhance archaeological interpretations, which are usually constrained by the nature of the archaeological record and the methodologies employed during all stages of knowledge production. The first part of this chapter concentrates on the potential of lighting analysis to identify the impact that illumination has on the perception of a given environment and task performance. The second part explores built space, focussing on patterns of visibility, based on texture viewsheds methodology. All the examples presented in this paper come from three different types of spaces in Minoan Crete (a house, a workshop and a burial building), providing valuable information about different aspects of everyday life in 3000-1600 BCE. Formal visibility and lighting analysis techniques, based on three-dimensional computer graphic simulations, provide a synthetic understanding of the potentials of these spaces, stimulating discussion of visual perception, as well as of a broader spectrum of senses.