It might seem complex to connect archaeological artefacts with modern considerations. Indeed, nowadays, museum visitors project their own expectations and cultural habits on ancient society objects. The spatial perceptions of the objects therefore an anthropological  and psycological subject (Bruner, 2023).

Fujita and its colleagues present in this paper an innovative approach to pottery ethical perception with a Quantitative Sensory Impression Factor Structure and Semantic Differential Method. After digitalising the potteries into a 3D model, the authors are testing participant perception of the virtual potteries via an augmented reality lens. The survey results were computed into factor analysis, highlighting the predominance of one or several adjectives for describing specific pottery typologies.

Overall, this paper contributes to analysing human abstraction over objects with an innovative approach to the Semantic Differential Method (Osgood et al., 1957).

Museography adaptations of these observations would undoubtedly help create more interactive exhibitions and an embedded environment where visitors are not only the subject of the visit but truly actors of the scientific construction by helping understand human behaviour on cultural objects.

References

Haruhiro Fujita, Toru Miyao, Hironori Imai, Hiroyuki Sasaki, Yew Kwang Hooi and Simon Kaner (2025) Analysis of Sensory Impression Factor Structures of Jomon Potteries through a Semantic Differential Method Viewing 3D Models on MR equipment. Zenodo, ver.3 peer-reviewed and recommended by PCI Archaeology https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14788676

E. Bruner (2023). Cognitive Archaeology, Body Cognition, and the Evolution of Visuospatial Perception. Elsevier Science & Technology, San Diego, United States

Charles E. Osgood, George J. Succi and Percy H. Tannenbaum (1957). The measurement of meaning, Urbana, vol. IL, University of Illinois Press.