ABSTRACT
This chapter aimed to demonstrate how 3D visualization can be applied to archaeological research, independently of the theoretical approaches or the research questions involved. Scientific visualization is a graphical representation of data in order to gain deeper understanding and new insights, allowing the researcher to study the material in ways previously impossible. An important additional benefit of 3D visualization is the possibility of testing the validity of archaeological 'facts'; such an experiment may lead to the isolation of incorrect data by identifying whether values of archaeological data are true in a given context. 3D visualization can be applied alongside other research methodologies, including the analysis of remains of material culture through the reconstruction of the processes that transform natural matter into cultural matter. The concept of chaine operatoire, or the operative chain, was primarily designated to describe this relationship and was applied mostly to the study of prehistoric societies.
