Estimation of Jomon period pithouse energy costs through the use of reconstructions

Research Project

Project/Area Number	21K20057
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Review Section	0103:History, archaeology, museology, and related fields
Research Institution	Ritsumeikan University
Principal Investigator	NOXON Corey・Tyler 立命館大学, 立命館グローバル・イノベーション研究機構, 研究員 (70906924)
Project Period (FY)	2021-08-30 – 2024-03-31
Project Status	Granted (Fiscal Year 2022)
Budget Amount *help	¥2,990,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥690,000) Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000) Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Keywords	Jomon / Pithouse / Mobility / 3D / Photogrammetry / Sedentism / Population
Outline of Research at the Start	3D models of Jomon period pithouse reconstructions will be made in order to measure and calculate the material and energy costs related to their construction. Different pithouse types will be compared to see if certain pithouse types are more energy intensive to construct than others. This should provide insights into the intended duration of stay for different pithouse types, giving us a new method to identify possible changes in residential mobility.
Outline of Annual Research Achievements	During the past fiscal year I conducted my first trip to scan pithouse reconstructions at the Umenoki site in Yamanashi prefecture. I recorded 3 separate pithouses and created initial 3D models of these structures utilizing over 2500 images. Since the initial recording I have been working on ways to improve the model quality as well as processing the models in a way that makes them easier to work with while still retaining the necessary spatial fidelity needed for material measurements. The photogrammetry process can create highly detailed models, but much of the captured information is not directly related to the main structural components of the pithouse. The main challenge at this point has been to try to isolate the pithouse components that would be directly tied to structural integrity. I have identified and tested a reliable method of creating cross sections of the models in order to more easily measure different structural components without the software being bogged down with unnecessary data. The initial testing also identified some weaknesses in the capture methods. There were issues with getting certain images to align with the main models. Difficult lighting conditions in the pithouse interiors have caused some problems and some improvements can be made in the creation and utilization of tracking markers inside the structure. I have determined several ways to improve the capture process and will implement them in future scanning trips. Preliminary research results were presented at the Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods Conference in August.
Current Status of Research Progress	Current Status of Research Progress 3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed. Reason Covid-19 restrictions caused some travel delays which has put the project behind schedule. While I had intended on having completed multiple scanning trips at this point, due to delays I focused more on model processing and devising ways to improve future capture sessions. Several additional scanning trips are planned for the coming year and the reevaluation of capture techniques as well as the additional work put into model processing methods should speed the analysis of newly captured models.
Strategy for Future Research Activity	In the coming year I plan on conducting several more scanning trips. The models will be analyzed and a rough estimation of energy costs associated with different pithouse types will be completed. Research updates will be presented at next year's Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods Conference and a writeup of the project will be submitted to the conference proceedings.