Digitizing Roonka: The creation of a 3D representation from archival records

Abstract

The site of Roonka, South Australia, is the largest excavation of an Aboriginal burial ground in Australia. Excavated in the 1960s-70s, the site has never been fully analysed, partly because of the difficulties of interpreting the complex of burials and other features that had accumulated over at least 7000 years. Here we use a combination of geographical information systems (GIS) and computer aided design (CAD) programs to create a 3D representation of the main excavation, Trench A, at Roonka. Questions regarding the depositional history of the site are examined, with the reconstruction suggesting multiple occupations of the area and potential differentiations in the use of space. The results show the utility of the 3D reconstruction of archaeological sites from paper excavation records and the potential for further interpretations from such data.