Margaret Farmer: 3D Models of Bones from the Valley of the Nobles

The process of creating 3D models from photographs of objects at multiple viewpoints—called Structure from Motion (SfM)—is a promising method for comparative morphology in osteology.
 
The modeling project focused on a group of commingled, heavily damaged, and poorly preserved human remains from the Theban Tomb Complex 29 in the Valley of the Nobles in Luxor. Many of the bones were from deteriorated mummies that bore no form of identification. Because none of the materials could be transported off site, we opted to document as much as possible with 3D rendering, which would allow us to analyze virtual models. The 3D rendering will help us determine what kind of trauma or disease the bones endured before, during, and/or after death.

Margaret Farmer holds a B.S. in Forensic Science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, and a B.F.A. from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Her ongoing research project includes analyzing the digital samples from the Theban Tomb Complex 29 and using them to build a database of digitized 3D bone pathologies

Please join us at 6:30pm for a pre-lecture reception ($5 per person), and after the lecture for a dinner with the speaker. We will meet at Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap, just a few blocks away. Each attendee pays for his or her own dinner and contributes an extra $5.00 to defray the cost of the speaker’s meal.  Please RSVP to Carol Boyer at ccboyer@comcast.net 

Venue sponsored by Maria and Richard Calderon in association with Hands Along the Nile Development Services Inc. (HANDS)