Computer Applications to Archaeology 2009 Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. March 22-26, 2009 1 Surface scanning - New Perspectives for Archaeological Data Management and Methodology? Bernd Breuckmann 1 ; Pablo Arias Cabal 2 , Nicolas Mélard 3 ; Roberto Ontañón Peredo 2 ; Andreas Pastoors 4 , Luis César Teira Mayolini 2 , Pedro Ángel Fernandez Vega 5 and Gerd-Christian Weniger 4 1 Breuckmann GmbH, Meersburg. Germany. 2 Universidad de Cantabria, Santander. Spain. 3 Institut National du Patrimoine and C2RMF, Paris. France. 4 Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann. Germany. 5 Museo de Prehistoria y Arqueología de Cantabria, Santander. Spain. Abstract Documentation and publication of palaeolithic objects such as lithic artefacts, bone tools or mobile art is done since decades mainly by drawings. These drawings are an indispensable part of scientific research and methodology. Teaching drawing techniques is even integrated into the educational program at university level. Although creating a drawing is very time consuming and requires training, until now it has not been replaced by photography. Taking a picture of a palaeolithic object is obviously even more difficult than to make a drawing. To visualize all scientific relevant features of an object in just one shot is not possible. The cost/performance ratio for drawings is therefore better than for photography. Photos are used mainly to present objects to a broad public. Within the scientific community drawings are the most frequent medium of information transfer. Surface scanning of palaeolithic objects has the potential to substitute drawings as medium for scientific information transfer. Polygon meshes are of high scientific value because they allow an objective record of the object and its digital measuring. Once recorded, the digital data file can be transferred via internet and allows direct access to objects. Prehistoric archaeology will have to adapt to this new recording technology and in the future data bases like NESPOS which allow world wide access. Key words: surface scanning, archaeological data management, documentation of palaeolithic artefacts, NESPOS 1 State of the art Drawings have the advantage that they follow defined conventions and perform the technical status of an object. This facilitates their sensing, allows quick visual comparison of various items and the information to be put into a larger scientific context. The sensing of drawings of lithic artefacts works at even higher speed than exploring the originals themselves. Items of mobile art are different, though. They present more complex visual information than lithic artefacts and are therefore still the field of specialised illustrators. An obvious problem of scientific drawings is a loss of objectivity. Ultimately, each drawing is an individual interpretation. By skilfully dispensing or adding minor features, the unambiguousness of an item can be manipulated. This is often the case when for instannce a decision between geofact and artefacts has to be made. Another problem is the reduction of complex artefacts into a 2D-format by drawing it. Especially pieces of mobile art display a great variety of forms, from basrelief to sculpture. In many cases, the tracing of engravings displaying different line thickness and line deepness is important for understanding a depiction. The same is true for rock art. Drawings do not allow direct access to these details. Drawings do have another disadvantage. They are difficult to use in the secondary analytical process by the scientific community. Usually, drawings are published in papers or books as main medium of