Abstract: | When an archaeological site is investigated large numbers of potsherds may be recovered. These have to be drawn. This is a very time-consuming and labour-intensive task which is usually undertaken by skilled draughtsmen. The system described in this paper aims to speed the process of sketching potsherds by using software techniques developed for computer-aided drawing (CAD), together with hardware which allows the user to digitize the profile of a sherd. The resulting system is cheap and portable, and may be used in the field in conjunction with a battery-powered computer. A novel method of calculating the position of the original axis of a pot has also been developed for sherds lacking a section o f rim or base. |