GIS for Archaeology and CRM

As part of the UK Archaeology Map, the folks at Online Archaeology have made available their catalog of United Kingdom archaeology data in KML format. Each of the layers represented on their map application, from World War era gun placements to 3rd century Roman Villas. In total, there are 287 Military sites identified and 278 Roman Villas. Also available on the UK Map catalog page are RSS links to each layers, an option to view it on their mapping application, and a link to a list of selected sources for further reading.

Deserving of a post of its own, the UK Archaeology Map is a very cool project. Based off the Google Maps API, the UK Archaeology map is in continual development with tools for increased usability and added data. Check out the Online Archaeology Map blog to track it’s developments and pick up a few hints of how the creator solved some of his mapping tasks.

Further adding value to the Online Archaeology site is an RSS aggregator for a number of archaeology and technology/archaeology news feeds. The interface is pretty slick, but it seems to be missing one super important GIS/Archaeology blog Online Archaeology’s section on “IT Archaeology” offers a bit of information on GIS and there is tons of other info to be found with some wondering around.

I am not really sure who is behind Online Archaeology, but it is a great project. The UK Archaeology Map they have created is a fine use of the Google Maps API combined with some added features for usability. The data presented is interesting and quite extensive (as far as archaeological sites published on the web goes). Take a few minutes and check it out!

Directed by Marc Waelkens, of the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, the dig at Sagalassos (wiki link) is a large-scale interdisciplinary excavation which began in 1990. Located in Southwest Turkey, Sagalassos is a very well preserved ancient city that has a history dating back to it’s growth before the conquest of Alexander the Great in 333 BC, to its transfer to king Amyntas in 25 BC, up to it’s final abandonment due to earthquakes and failing economy in the 7th century AD.

Featured as an “Interactive Dig” on Archaeology.org, the Sagalassos excavation is a fantastic example on using technology and well written text to bring archaeological digs, findings, and experiences to a wide audience. As part of the offerings at the Sagalassos, they have added a new KMZ network link to a Google Earth file documenting many aspects of the extensive excavation

KMZ of Sagalassos Archaeology
(link)

The Sagalassos KMZ file contains information about archaeological and architectural features, panoramic VR photo tours, overlain archaeology and geophysical maps, and links to field notes from throughout the project. In all, the Sagalassos KMZ contains a ton of interesting and informative media and links.

On first look, the KML displays an archaeological base map of the site and great custom “dig site” icons linked to multiple VR panoramas (which loads in a separate browser window), a photo, and often extensive field notes. Viewing the panoramas, from which you can zoom and pan, you get an incredible sense of what it looks like on site. Also, zoom out in Google Earth and tilt/pan with the terrain on. The landscape of the site, in the Taurus mountains, is very impressive.

In the Northeast area of the Sagalassos project, there is a georeferenced image of the composite geophysical survey findings. By turning off the top most map overlay and adjusting the transparency of the geophysical overlay, you can get a great appreciation for how complex the subsurface archaeology is at Sagalassos. As an armchair geophysicist, you can see detailed subsurface structures directly to the East of the Theater and about 30 meters to the West and Southwest. It looks like the dig team will have plenty more to work on in future seasons.

The links to the field notes bring you to the archaeology.org virtual dig page which includes field notes as well as pictures and some technical drawings of structures from that portion of the site. Heading back to the main page of the Sagalassos interactive dig, you can also find a journal of daily life around the dig site. These are interesting journal entries about the non-archaeological side of spending days in the field.

The archaeology.org interactive dig site gives the reader a load of great info about the site, the archaeology, and the team, but the inclusion of the Google Earth KMZ brings it all together. The place based presentation of the archaeology offer us a context to frame the data and experiences of the project. Further, users can now explore the site on their own via the map and panoramas and even find unexcavated archaeology by interpreting the geophysical results. Providing visual media such as this to a wide audience of specialists and non-specialists, and everyone in between, will certainly draw more attention to the importance of archaeology and allow viewers to share some of the same adventure and excitement as the archaeologists.

The Antkythera Mechanism Research Project: Applying modern computer technology to our oldest artifact of archaeological computer technology.

The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project (AMRP) is a joint venture by Cardiff University, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, X-Tek Systems UK and Hewlett-Packard USA, funded by the Leverhulme Trust and the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece.

The intention of AMRP is to use state of the art technologies to better understand the origins and function of the Antikythera Mechanism (A short background on this mechanism is written below). Thought to be a first century B.C. analog computing device for calculating the position of the sun, moon, and possibly classically known planets, the Antikythera Mechanism represents computing technology not thought o have existed until 1500 years later. Composed of Bronze and an array of 30+ gears, in a differential configuration, the mechanism, has been studied and x-Rayed in the past, but little understanding has come of it. (Wikipedia entry on Antikythera Mechanism)
Now, the AMRP, teamed up with major players in modern technology, hopes to unravel the mysteries of the Antikythera Mechanism. Using Computed x-Ray Tomography, the team developed 3D images of the mechanism and shed new light on the ~2000 Greek characters that are inscribed on the device. New releases show that the team is making great strides in understanding the inter workings of the ancient computer. As of June 6, 2006, the AMRP announced that using new techniques, they have now deciphered 95% of the Greek text etched in the Antikythera Mechanism. This transcripts have not yet been released, except for a small reveal on the website that mentions the “little Golden Sphere”.

In the coming months, the AMRP will release more information on their findings and reveal the ancient text which may very well rewrite the history of technology and computers as we now know it.

Background info on the Antikythera Mechanism

In 1901, near the Greek island of Antikythera, a sponge diver discovered an ancient shop wreck in 42 meters of water. Within this wreck were a number of statues, vessels, and other artifacts including a deeply encrusted clump of stone and metal. It was not for another year that archaeologist Spyridon Stais discovered that this encrusted lump displayed a distinct impression of a gear. As it turned out, this encrusted lump was a bronze mechanism which housed some 30+ gears and was constructed around 80 B.C.

From this point, archaeologists cleaned and then debated the origins and propose of the “Antikythera Mechansim” for years. It was not until 1959 that this artifact had received a full scientific evaluation. Derek Price published articles (1959 Scientific American article) discussing the function of the Antikythera Mechanism as a computing device for calculating the position of heavenly bodies such as the Sun and Moon. To this point, devices such as this, with differential gearing systems, were thought to not have been invented until 1500 years to the present. If Price was correct, this was by far the earliest computing device known to exist. Price’s articles set off a series of discussions, but the Antikythera Mechanism’s place in history was not yet secured.

In 1993, a new reconstruction was proposed by Bernard Gardner, a student of Allan George Bromley who X-Rayed the device some years earlier. Finally, in 2002, Micheal Wright used Linear Tomogrpahy to develop a new model which suggests that the Antikythera Mechanism could also calculate the location of classically known planets.

Antikythera Mechanism Animations

To get a better idea of how this whole thing works, I highly recommend checking out Manos Roumeliotis’s animation videos. Manos has modeled and reanimated the mechanism from scratch to show the mechanics behind the mystery.