Free and Open Source Software

Definition

Open Source softwware is computer software where the source code is available; with a license that allows rights to study, change, and distribute the software to anyone, and for any purpose. It provides a number of advantages, including cost (though it is not always “free”). Results are typically open, allowing for better interoperability of data; and the products typically exist in a collaborative environment.

Many of the Technical Brief articles (available here, and at Springer publishing) reference open source software. The products below have been pulled from those articles, with additions from the Technologies Committeee.

SHA provides no endorsement of these products, and the product links will open in a new window.

Products

ImageJ imagej.nih.gov/ij/

ImageJ – Image Processing and Analysis in Java

Recommended by the Tech Committee

Iolite Software iolite-software.com

Iolite is the most complete software solution for the visualisation and reduction of time-resolved mass spectrometry data. It creates open source results, and provides a license for researchers from degree-granting institution

See: Attribution Enhanced: An SEM/EDS – LA-ICP-MS Investigation of a Suspected Mid-18th-Century Wistarburgh Glass Globular Bottle.
J. Victor Owen, Patrick Cruise, John D. Greenough, and Joseph Petrus
Technical Briefs In Historical Archaeology 10: 1-8 View PDF

MeshLab meshlab.sourceforge.net

MeshLab is an open source, portable, and extensible system for the processing and editing of unstructured 3D triangular meshes.

See: Generating 3-D Models of Artifact Density in Excavation Units: A Case Study at Site 41WT69, the McAdoo Plantation Home
Heather A. Fischer
Technical Briefs In Historical Archaeology 10: 21–28 View PDF

Photogrammetry – structure from motion (SFM) software

A wide range of shareware or a free SFM software is available

For more information see (p. 45 Table 1): Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Documenting and Interpreting Historical Archaeological Sites: Part II—Return of the Drones
Thomas G. Whitley
Technical Briefs In Historical Archaeology 9: 41-48 View PDF

R www.r-project.org/

R – The R Project for Statistical Computing

Recommended by the Tech Committee

This article has 2 comments

  1. Mark Freeman

    If you have an expertise in one of these products and would be willing to help other SHA members please comment below and note your name and software area of expertise.

  2. Mark Freeman

    If you have expertise in one of these products, and would be willing to help other SHA members, please comment below and note your name and area of expertise.