Difference visualization of 3D point sets from trench investigations

In recent years, archaeologists used a 3D point cloud to document excavation sites in detail, instead of using traditional recording methods. However, current digital tools for point clouds have limited support for visualizing the excavation process using multiple point clouds from different depths of the trench site. This paper proposes a method for visualizing changes between 3D point clouds of the excavation site, supporting the creation of a digital archive of the excavation process. First, trench point clouds from different stages are aligned using the ICP algorithm, and geometric differences are calculated. Points are then interpolated to represent unrecorded stages between point clouds. Finally, a keyframe animation is produced by removing interpolated points to illustrate the excavation process. This method offers archaeologists an effective visualization tool for building digital archives. The approach enhances documentation and contributes to a clearer understanding of the sequence of archaeological events revealed during excavations.