GIS Applications in archaeology

Abstract

The diffusion of the use of Geographical Information Systems in archaeology has considerably increased in recent years. This multiplicity of applications is due mainly to the growing interest of archaeologists in modern methodologies for the management of archaeological data, surveyed by topographic, photogrammetric and remote sensing techniques. GIS have become a fundamental tool for managing, sharing, analyzing and visualizing spatially referenced data and they are completely substituting the traditional techniques used by archaeologists, based upon filling out forms, graphics and other paper documents. Besides in the modern global society, dominated by mass media such as Internet, the issue of utilization has become more and more important, and most of the more recent GIS applications (Multimedia GIS, WebGIS) take this aspect into consideration.

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   


A. Scianna, B. Villa
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   
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








GIS applications in archaeology

      

           




 













A. Scianna, B. Villa
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    




 

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


 
   

Features Strengths Weaknesses
Raster
format
It is preferable for modeling values
which continuously vary within the
territory.
Essential for 3D modeling
and for Map Algebra.
Large amount of computer
memory required.
Images blur at zoom
increase.
Vector
format
It is preferable for modeling discrete
values. Classic primitives of this
model are: points, polylines and
polygons.
Small amount of computer
memory required.
It is not influenced by
zooming. It is at the basis of
GIS topological rules.
It is not suited for modeling
values such as elevation,
water depth, temperature,
rainfall, continuously
varying upon earth surface.


GIS applications in archaeology

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



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    
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
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 




–    

– 

– 

– 


          

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 




A. Scianna, B. Villa





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




    

         
       

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
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



GIS applications in archaeology

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    
et al.



A. Scianna, B. Villa
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cc
et al.
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     

GIS applications in archaeology






 Construction of spatial database. Spatial and attribute queries
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  
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










Goal Type of data
Predictive analysis Data in very simple form, usually point or area data, 2D vector
Excavation documentation
Very heterogeneous 2D, 2.5D and/or 3D data in raster and vector format
such as CAD data from sketches or surveys, GIS data derived from CAD data,
raster data coming from cameras, low height aerial surveys (by balloons,
poles, drones). Data may have both simple or complex structure according to
configuration and shape of areas or objects to describe.
3D visualization
3D Vector and 2D or 2.5 D raster data in standardized form (usually a reduced
number of formats), archived also in very complex database structure. They
come from processing of excavation documentation data.


A. Scianna, B. Villa
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





   

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
 


ID FINDS DESCRIPTION MATERIAL AGE ARCHAEOLOGIST
… … … … …
255 Painted pottery Clay 3rd century BC Dr. Smith
256 Coin Bronze 4th century BC Dr. Johnson
… … … … …


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SELECT*
FROM
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

GIS applications in archaeology
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
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
 




 



Management and use of distributed 3D data
by open source Web-GIS software
  
      

 
     


 Statistical methods








 


       
         

2           Interoperability and cooperative
management of geographic, dynamic, multidimentional and distributed data with Free and Open
Source GIS.

A. Scianna, B. Villa




χ


 Spatial Analysis

  




  












 Cluster analysis and density analysis
       












GIS applications in archaeology


–       




– 


 
.




.
          
 et al.) 











et al.
    

 Predictive modeling







A. Scianna, B. Villa


 
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          









Minnesota Archaeological Predictive Model
 North Carolina GIS Archaeologi-
cal Predictive Model Project
 Map algebra



– 

– 

– 


    








(Eq. 1)





GIS applications in archaeology


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Digital Crete  
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Iowa   MAGIS  
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
   


A. Scianna, B. Villa
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

Virtual Museum of the Ancient
Via Flaminia   Virtual
Rome  

  

  et al.
et al.Virtual Rome


et al.

GIS applications in archaeology
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VR  The Virtual Museum of Iraq

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

A. Scianna, B. Villa
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
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     
   
         

           


 



GIS applications in archaeology
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
          

Pocket Archeonav














  

 

A. Scianna, B. Villa
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 



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
          

        

GIS applications in archaeology
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    

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

          






A. Scianna, B. Villa
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

et al.


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
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
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
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      
, 





GIS applications in archaeology


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    
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        
        
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








et al.

A. Scianna, B. Villa
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        




















Interpreting Space: GIS and Archae-
ology
Forecasting statistical models of archaeological site location
 
Statistical modelling of archaeological sites locations as non-stationary
Cox processes and its use in forecasting
, Interactive Spatial Data Analysis

The Spatial Humanities: GIS and
the Future of Humanities Scholarship,
Sharing interpretation: The chal-
lenge of Open Source web approachProceedings of
the 2nd International Conference on Remote Sensing in Archaeology

. “Revolution OS” in archeologia: esempi
di interfacce web per l’archeologia del paesaggio
Open Source, Free Software e Open Format nei processi di ricerca archeologici

Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology

The fuzzy approach to statistical analysis, 


GIS applications in archaeology
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Hyperspectral techniques
and GIS for archaeological investigation

Virtual Reality in Geography
I sistemi Informativi Geografici in archeologia
Quantitative Geography: Perspec-
tives on Spatial Data Analysis
Spatial point pattern analy-
sis and its application in geographical epidemiology

   Digitalterrain modelling and three-dimensional surface graphics for
landscape and site analysis in Archaeology and Regional Planning
Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology
1987
     The diffusion of a new technology: A perspective on the
adoption of Geographic Information Systems within UK technology

Toward a regional GIS site information retrieval system: The
Oxfordshire Site and Monuments Record (SMR) prototypeSites
and Monuments: National Archaeological Records 

Multi-dimensional GIS: exploratory approaches to spatial
and temporal relationships within archaeological stratigraphy   
  Interfacing the Past: Computer Applications and Quantitative
Methods in Archaeology (CAA95)

A Guide to Field Methods in Archaeology: Approaches to
the Anthropology of the Dead
Archaeological Prediction and Risk
Management: Alternatives to Current Practice
   Predictive models for archaeological resource location

Computer Processing Techniques for Regional Modeling of Archaeological
Site Locations,
  The fundamental principles and practice of predictive archaeological
modelingMathematics and Information Science in Archaeology:
a Flexible Framework  

Geographic Information Systems and Archaeology, 
Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology 1991

Ranter’s corner: Bringing the camps together: GIS and ED
 
Archaeological modeling with GIS at scales large and smallRead-
ing Historical Spatial Information from Around the World: Studies of Culture and
Civilization Based on Geographic Information Systems DataProceedings of the 24th
International Research Symposium

An experiment in archaeological site
location: Modelling in the Netherlands using GIS techniques


A. Scianna, B. Villa

 The Environmental Basis of Mesolithic Settlement,  
The Mesolithic in Europe 

GIS in Archaeology: An Annotated
Bibliography

ccArchaeology and Geographical Information Systems: A European
Perspective
The use of sampling in archaeological survey

  
Back to 2nd AD. A VR on-line
experience with Virtual Rome ProjectVAST 2008. The 9th International Symposium
on Virtual Reality, Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

Archaeological Sampling Strategies 

  Experimental studies for the definition of 3D geospatial web services,
 WebMGS 2010 1st
International Workshop on Pervasive Web Mapping, Geoprocessing and Services,
, 

 3D Gis Data Model Using Open Source Software,Core
Spatial Databases – Updating, Maintenance and Services – from Theory to Practice
, 

GIANT3D:Experimentations on a new 3D
data model for GIS

The last development of ARCHEO-
NAV: An OGC compliant navigator for archaeological sites running on PocketPC
Proceedings of CIPA XX International Symposium
Multimedia guide in archaeological
sites by GIS-GPS techniques, pocket-PCs and pocket-GPSs

ccSettlement pattern modelling through Boolean overlays of
social and environmental variables, New Tech-
niques for Old Times(CAA98)

Testing archaeological predictive models: A rough guide,
Layers of Perception. Proceedings of the 35th Interna-
tional Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology
(Berlin 2007)
Predictive modelling in Archaeology: A primer

Predictive modelling of archaeological site location: A case study in the
Midwest
 A predictive model of ar-
chaeological site location in the Western Shawnee National Forest
 
Explanation in Archaeology


GIS applications in archaeology

Practical Applications of GIS for Archaeologists: A Predic-
tive Modelling Toolkit
Going over old ground: GIS, archaeological theory and the act of per-
ceptionComputing the Past: Computer Applications
and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA 92)

 The use of GIS to understand regional variation in earlier Neolithic
Wessex   New Methods, Old Problems: Geographic Infor-
mation Systems in Modern Archaeological Research,   

Spatial Technology and Archaeology: The archaeological
applications of GIS
Conditional GIS surfaces and their potential for archaeological
predictive models,   Layers of Per-
ception,Proceedings of the 35th International Conference on Computer Applications
and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (Berlin 2007)
Airborne multi-spectral prospection for buried archaeol-
ogy in mobile sand dominated systems,
Archaeological Prospecting: Kriging and simulation
  Simulation Methods in Archaeology






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