Archaeological excavation is a destructive process, making accurate, fast and efficient 3D documentation of information essential. With this in mind, our research uses an integrated workflow of topographic measurements and image-based 3D modelling to generate highly accurate reconstructions of archaeological features at the site of Thorikos, Greece. Topographic ground control points and images are acquired using a total station and consumer digital camera respectively, and processed in a highly automated workflow using Structure from Motion and Multiview Stereo reconstruction software. These models were generated on a daily basis in order to map the on-going of a field campaign at this archaeological site in 2012. Moreover, a management system is presented as a consultation and analysis application, enabling the interaction with the 3D models, accompanied with attribute data and metadata. For the efficiency of the management system it was essential to integrate the 3D models in a Harris matrix. This matrix functions as an intermediate between a graphical user interface and the database system. Additionally, two applications of these 3D models are presented, focussing on capacity calculations and in situ mapping (orthophoto mapping) of stone wall remains. The presented management system, the linking of 3D models with excavation data, and the use of 3D models as a scientific tool demonstrate the huge potential of 3D data for archaeological research.
ABSTRACT:Over the past 20 years, heritage inventories in Flanders (Belgium) have evolved from printed books to digital inventories. It is obvious that a system that publishes a digital inventory needs to adapt to the user requirements. But, after years of working with a digital inventory system, it has become apparent that not only has the system been developed to the users needs, but also that user practice and the resulting data have been shaped by the system. Thinking about domain models and thesauri influenced our thinking about our methodology of surveying. Seeing our data projected on a common basemap led us to realise how intertwined and interdependent different types of heritage can be. The need for structured metadata has impressed upon us the need for good quality data, guaranteed by data entry standards, validation tools, and a strict editing workflow. Just as the researchers have transitioned from seeing their respective inventories as being significantly different to actually seeing the similarities between them, the information specialists have come to the realisation that there are synergies that can be achieved with other systems, both within and outside of our organisation. Deploying our inventories on the web has also changed how we communicate with the general public. Newer channels such as email and social media have enabled a more interactive way of communicating. But throughout the years, one constant has remained. While we do not expect the systems to live on, we do want the data in them to be available to future generations."To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often".1 In Flanders (Belgium), heritage inventories have a long history. Over time, the way these inventories have been constructed has changed significantly. Once purely an analogue affair, nowadays computer systems and databases are omnipresent. Constructing a heritage inventory without a database has become unfathomable. It is obvious that a digital system to record and present heritage data needs to fit the users' requirements. But what might be less clear is that not only do the users form the system, but the system also forms the users. This paper will examine how the Flanders Heritage inventory system was shaped by the data, and how the data, and the way they were collected, was influenced by the system.
Heritage organizations in Flanders started using thesauri fairly recently compared to other countries. This paper starts with examining the historical use of thesauri and controlled vocabularies in computer systems by the Flemish Government dealing with immovable cultural heritage. Their evolution from simple, flat, controlled lists to actual thesauri with scope notes, hierarchical and equivalence relations and links to other thesauri will be discussed. An explanation will be provided for the evolution in our approach to controlled vocabularies, and how they radically changed querying and the way data is indexed in our systems.<br><br> Technical challenges inherent to complex thesauri and how to overcome them will be outlined. These issues being solved, thesauri have become an essential feature of the Flanders Heritage inventory management system. The number of vocabularies rose over the years and became an essential tool for integrating heritage from different disciplines.<br><br> As a final improvement, thesauri went from being a core part of one application (the inventory management system) to forming an essential part of a new general resource oriented system architecture for Flanders Heritage influenced by Linked Data. For this purpose, a generic SKOS based editor was created. Due to the SKOS model being generic enough to be used outside of Flanders Heritage, the decision was made early on to develop this editor as an open source project called Atramhasis and share it with the larger heritage world.
Purpose – Over the past 20 years, heritage inventories in Flanders (Belgium) have evolved from printed books to digital inventories. The purpose of this paper is to look at this evolution and highlight the interaction between the system and its users. Design/methodology/approach – After a short introduction about the history of inventories in Flanders, this paper mainly concerns itself with the last decade. Discrete topics will be highlighted to show the effects of the interaction that has taken place. Findings – It is obvious that a system that publishes a digital inventory needs to adapt to the user requirements. But, after years of working with a digital inventory system, it has become apparent that not only has the system been developed to the users’ needs, but also that user practice and the resulting data have been shaped by the system. Seeing data projected on a common basemap has led researchers to realise how intertwined and interdependent different types of heritage can be and how much their respective methodologies can benefit from more interaction. It has become apparent that data quality is of the utmost importance, something that can only be guaranteed by data entry standards, validation tools, and a strict editing workflow. The systems that are being developed are not expected to live on forever, but the data in them is. Originality/value – This paper presents real-life use cases and practical applications of building and maintaining a large digital inventory system over the years and through changes in organisational structure and focus. It provides insights that are hard to ascertain from smaller projects due to the volumes of data that are handled.
The two small sondages that were dug on the lower south-east slopes of the Velatouri in 2013 2 yielded the remarkably low number of 602 finds (apart from shells 3 ), even though the soil from all contexts was systematically sieved: 159 in sondage 1 (macrosquare M2) and 443 in sondage 2 (macrosquare M3). 'Remarkably low' has to be understood in the face of the high numbers of surface finds that turned up in the area during the intrasite survey of 2012-2015. Especially in the adjacent survey square 124 (macrosquare L3) that was resurveyed every year between 2012 and 2015, surface finds kept turning up. What follows is a catalogue of the finds: we have opted for full presentation instead of publishing diagnostic fragments only (as was customary in previous *
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