Roller Stamp with Speech Scroll

3D Model

Excavated at the site of San Andrés near the Olmec center of La Venta in Tabasco, Mexico, this artifact is important, suggesting writing in Mesoamerica began in the La Venta area during the Formative Period (Pohl et al. 2002). Drs. Lori Collins and Travis Doering (University of South Florida Libraries) in cooperation with Dr. Mary Pohl (Florida State University), 3D laser scanned the roller stamp in 2005. Collins and Doering along with 3D Specialist Jorge González (USF), have now digitally “unrolled” and 3D printed the stamp, which dates to c. 500 B.C.E. (Pohl personal communication). New visualizations produced demonstrate how it would have been used in ancient times. These models are being utilized in digital heritage classes at USF and by researchers with FSU (Pohl et al.). The availability for viewing through Sketchfab allows for further use and research.