
The whole process of creating the materials is described and the resulted renderings are compared with each other.Promising full backwards compatibility the plugin restores users’ ability to work with legacy scenes and render across networked farms. Apart from this, the aim of the present study is to describe a meaningful way of thinking in order to achieve the accurate visualization of archaeological materials. The obvious goal is to provide a list of materials and renderings for the three artefacts. The practical part contains the evaluation of 3D models for three artefacts a glass, a metal and a painted one, in their initial state as well as in various stages of deterioration, created in 3d Studio Max, using mental ray materials and global illumination techniques. The third chapter ends with a critical approach to the work already done in the field, as seen from an archaeological computing point of view. In particular, various methods for simulating and visualizing the appearance of weathered materials are presented. Computer graphics methods for modelling the appearance of materials, such as shaders and rendering techniques are included in the third chapter. These are broad topics, so the discussion is constrained to three material types glass, metal and painted surfaces. Then, the most common degradation mechanisms and phenomena, observed on artefacts are defined. First, fundamental scientific axioms about the interactions between matter and light are introduced.

In the second chapter explanations about materials’ appearance, derived from physics, optics, as well as art conservation and cognate disciplines, such as material science and analytic chemistry, are presented. Then, the potential uses of 3D models of artefacts are mentioned, and the basic requirements for the successful implementation of computer modelling in the study of artefacts are underlined. Next, the appearance of archaeological finds is decomposed, mentioning the parameters which are responsible for their complexity. Concepts about artefacts’ cycle of life and artefacts’ state, or physicality, in relation to time and change are presented.


Its theoretical basis, as explained in the introductory chapter, is derives from philosophical approaches to artefacts. It is believed to make a contribution in filling the gap between the archaeological perspective about artefacts’ temporal and spatial nature and materials modeling.

This dissertation is dealing with the accurate representation of archaeological materials in 3D modeling.
