3D Mapping in Tennessee's Unnamed Caves

Jordan Schaefer, an archaeologist who specializes in the use of digital technologies to study the past, will discuss the process of creating a 3D digital map of what is known as the 12th Unnamed Cave, a dark-zone cave art site in Tennessee that contains over three hundred images. While two-dimensional maps can be useful, they make it difficult to understand the relationship between the cave’s artwork and the artists’ physical experiences of navigating the cave. Using a 3D modeling process called photogrammetry, a digital reconstruction of a cave's interior can address why certain images were created in different locations inside. Additionally, sound data can indicate how ambient noises and chamber acoustics relate to the artwork. Findings indicate that the locations of 12th Unnamed Cave’s rock art are by no means random, but likely based on the artists’ personal experiences of different spaces.

This Lunch and Learn event is in-person in the Museum’s Digital Learning Center at 12:00. No RSVPs are required to attend this free event. It will also be livestreamed on the Museum’s website at TNMuseum.org/Videos. If you have any questions please email [email protected].

Boxed lunches made by Apple Spice Nashville are available for purchase for $12.24 to enjoy during the event. The lunches will include a sandwich, chips, and a cookie. Lunch orders must be placed by noon on November 19, 2024. Please order your boxed lunch on the ticket registration page.

Host or Publisher Tennessee State Museum