- J235, Johnstown Building
Trefforest Campus
University of South Wales
CF37 1DL
Pontypridd
- University of Southampton, School of Humanities, AlumnusUniversity of South Wales, Faculty of Advanced Technology, Graduate Student, and 2 moreadd
- Landscapes in prehistory, Archaeological Science, Landscape Archaeology, Megalithic Monuments, LiDAR, Archaeological Fieldwork, and 26 moreArchaeological GIS, Archaeological Informatics, Airborne Laser Scanning, Ontology Development, Information Systems Development, 3D Laser scanning (Architecture), Archaeology, Archaeological Information Systems (AIS), Linked Data, Digital Humanities, Spatial Databases, Vision Science, Perception, British Prehistory (Archaeology), Database Systems, Public Archaeology, Web GIS, Digital Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Humanities Computing (Digital Humanities), Ontology, Ontology (Computer Science), 3D GIS, CIDOC CRM, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)edit
- I am a data scientist specialising in geospatial and semantic information. My professional profile is over on LinkedI... moreI am a data scientist specialising in geospatial and semantic information. My professional profile is over on LinkedIn:http://uk.linkedin.com/in/pauljcrippsMy publications are over on Mendeley:http://www.mendeley.com/profiles/paul-cripps/My presentations are over on SlideShare:http://www.slideshare.net/pauljcrippsedit
Research Interests:
This paper will look across a range of recent developments in the specific field of archaeological spatial technologies in order to show how archaeological theory and technological practice can be successfully related; a reflexive process... more
This paper will look across a range of recent developments in the specific field of archaeological spatial technologies in order to show how archaeological theory and technological practice can be successfully related; a reflexive process whereby these two strands working together can provide more meaningful interpretation(s) and at the same time, help improve the underpinning technologies through extreme use cases, archaeological exemplars being invariably nontrivial. Using examples from recent and ongoing projects, including cultural resource management, archaeological investigation and academic research projects, this papers aims to show how many small steps have indeed brought us a long way with regard to spatial technologies in archaeology.
Research Interests:
Archaeologists nowadays have a broad range of geomatics tools and techniques available to help them in their work. Whilst measuring tapes and dumpy levels are still essential instruments found on archaeological sites across the world,... more
Archaeologists nowadays have a broad range of geomatics tools and techniques available to help them in their work. Whilst measuring tapes and dumpy levels are still essential instruments found on archaeological sites across the world, many projects now include Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), robotic Total Station Theodolites (TST) and a variety of photographic and photogrammetric methods. Spatial data is then handled in 2D and 3D using CAD and GIS. These modern tools allow archaeologists to record our heritage with greater precision and faster than ever before whilst producing rich spatial data for visualisation and analysis. Sandsfoot Castle is a so-called Henrician castle. It was built in the 1530s, during the reign of King Henry VIII, on a cliff overlooking Portland Harbour, Dorset, UK. Together with Portland Castle, it provided defence of the harbour and surrounding roads, protecting shipping and preventing invasion. It is now a Grade II* Listed Building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument, which confers it legal protection. At the time of this project, the castle was considered a dangerous structure, since coastal erosion had already caused a sizeable part of the castle to fall down from its cliff-top position to the beach below. The castle’s main stone structure sits amongst the remains of the earth-bank defences surrounding it, now part of a formal garden including fish ponds and flower beds.
Research Interests:
Archaeological information is by its very nature complex and uncertain. Typically, databases (when used) are used to record a 'perfect' and simplified version of the available archaeological information; there is little room for... more
Archaeological information is by its very nature complex and uncertain. Typically, databases (when used) are used to record a 'perfect' and simplified version of the available archaeological information; there is little room for multivocality, uncertainty is reduced to a value qualifier and fundamental concepts are semantically indistinct. It is time for archaeological information systems to move forward with respect to core concepts of subjectivity, multivocality, temporality and uncertainty. This paper will examine how these concepts can successfully be modelled and made explicit within archaeological information systems, such theoretical constructs being independent of any modelling language or implementation platform. This paper will then present related work on a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) being developed by a commercial archaeological unit based around these core concepts. Finally the paper will explore avenues for improving exchange of information, specifically ways in which SDI principals and technologies could be applied to UK local and national heritage records.
Research Interests:
The use of PTM/RTI techniques combined with LiDAR Digital Surface Models to investigate the archaeology of landscapes.
Research Interests:
This paper describes the process of modelling archaeological data as used within the Centre for Archaeology with the aim of using digital technologies to improve recording techniques and the resultant site documentation. This includes the... more
This paper describes the process of modelling archaeological data as used within the Centre for Archaeology with the aim of using digital technologies to improve recording techniques and the resultant site documentation. This includes the development of a domain ontological model to describe the data and act as the basis for system design and evolution. The paper will discuss the use of semantic web technologies and place the CfA work on the ontology within the wider sectoral context of archaeological research and other cultural heritage work in England and Europe.
Research Interests:
Traditionally, analysis of archaeological landscapes has drawn on two separate theoretical traditions. Functionalist explanation in the tradition of Renfrew (1973) emphasises general patterns in economic and social structures, and the... more
Traditionally, analysis of archaeological landscapes has drawn on two separate theoretical traditions. Functionalist explanation in the tradition of Renfrew (1973) emphasises general patterns in economic and social structures, and the development of formal methods. Approaches informed by phenomenology, such as those by Tilley (1994) or Thomas (1999), emphasise human-scale experience of landscape and the ‘constructed’ nature of space leading to, for example, suggestions of ‘circular landscapes’ in the Neolithic of Britain (Bradley 1998). In the last decade, approaches that draw on both of these have emerged in the context of GIS based landscape studies. One such area has been visibility analysis (e.g. Wheatley, 1995;
Exon, Gaffney, Woodward & Yorston, 2000) in which formal methods for analysing visual characteristics of landscape build up from an understanding of perception at the scale of individual human actors.
Although successful, most of these have dealt with visibility from static locations and ignored (orminimally considered) the effects of movement. This project centres on the investigation of movement and perception within archaeological landscapes; intending to study dynamic changes in visual envelope afforded active, mobile agents. By comparing archaeological features with these changing patterns of visibility, the aim is to form hypotheses regarding potential modes of interaction with and hence development of the continually evolving cultural continuum that is landscape.
Patterns of changing visibility are being further investigated by incorporating some elements of three dimensional visualisation in order to take account of (for example) colour, lighting and atmospheric models; key factors which affect human perception of space. These issues are particularly significant in the context of later Neolithic Britain, in which a series of monumental forms seem to have developed that formalise aspects of movement through landscape (e.g. cursus monuments, avenues). Consequently, the research focuses on later Neolithic landscapes including Avebury and the Dorset Cursus complex.
This paper presents some of the methodological and technological developments to date, including the development of a computational framework for the investigation involving the fusion of a Geographic Information System and three-dimensional technologies. In addition to the development of approaches to viewshed analysis within the GIS, the use of a threedimensional modelling package to produce rendered views from the GIS will also be discussed and some preliminary results will be presented. Image processing techniques for the analysis of these views with also be discussed. Another aspect of the proposed framework is the use of a gaming engine to provide an interactive, dynamic three-dimensional interface linked to the GIS and rendering suite.
Exon, Gaffney, Woodward & Yorston, 2000) in which formal methods for analysing visual characteristics of landscape build up from an understanding of perception at the scale of individual human actors.
Although successful, most of these have dealt with visibility from static locations and ignored (orminimally considered) the effects of movement. This project centres on the investigation of movement and perception within archaeological landscapes; intending to study dynamic changes in visual envelope afforded active, mobile agents. By comparing archaeological features with these changing patterns of visibility, the aim is to form hypotheses regarding potential modes of interaction with and hence development of the continually evolving cultural continuum that is landscape.
Patterns of changing visibility are being further investigated by incorporating some elements of three dimensional visualisation in order to take account of (for example) colour, lighting and atmospheric models; key factors which affect human perception of space. These issues are particularly significant in the context of later Neolithic Britain, in which a series of monumental forms seem to have developed that formalise aspects of movement through landscape (e.g. cursus monuments, avenues). Consequently, the research focuses on later Neolithic landscapes including Avebury and the Dorset Cursus complex.
This paper presents some of the methodological and technological developments to date, including the development of a computational framework for the investigation involving the fusion of a Geographic Information System and three-dimensional technologies. In addition to the development of approaches to viewshed analysis within the GIS, the use of a threedimensional modelling package to produce rendered views from the GIS will also be discussed and some preliminary results will be presented. Image processing techniques for the analysis of these views with also be discussed. Another aspect of the proposed framework is the use of a gaming engine to provide an interactive, dynamic three-dimensional interface linked to the GIS and rendering suite.
Research Interests:
This paper considers computed means for constructing and interrogating prehistoric architectures. We ask where the ‘landscapes’ created through points and arcs divide us from the prehistory we seek and whether in fact these virtual... more
This paper considers computed means for constructing and interrogating prehistoric architectures. We ask where the ‘landscapes’ created through points and arcs divide us from the prehistory we seek and whether in fact these virtual landscapes offer new prehistoric places in which to dwell. Taking as a starting point the formulation of models of prehistoric space the paper considers how habitual computed action, constrained as much by technological systems as by archaeological information, and informed by analytical approaches to such ‘architectures’, defines places usefully from which to consider dwelling choices and dwelling experiences. By considering the development of landscape as a complex cultural continuum, incorporating both prehistoric architectures and natural features reinterpreted through the environmental experience of successive generations, it becomes possible to produce parallel dwelling places in virtual worlds which we can inhabit, and from which we can develop novel narratives of the past.
Research Interests:
This project developed directly from work carried out as part of the Centre for Archaeology’s (CfA) Revelation project (Cross, 2004). The assessment stage of Revelation included several pieces of work that investigated, analysed and... more
This project developed directly from work carried out as part of the Centre for
Archaeology’s (CfA) Revelation project (Cross, 2004). The assessment stage
of Revelation included several pieces of work that investigated, analysed and
reported on the existing state of the data systems and the inter-relationships
between various data resources constituting the information management
systems of the CfA. These included a review of the existing systems (Cross,
2004 Appendix A) and the production of data-flow diagrams (for explanation of
terms see 6. Glossary) and entity relationship models to represent how
information is collected, managed and distributed by CfA staff in their work.
The resulting picture showed the CfA systems as a rather disparate grouping,
or ‘archipelago’, of diverse, specialised, but rather isolated and independent
information systems and databases. In many cases, due to their age, these
systems do not have very clear mechanisms to enable the sharing of data
either between the different data ‘islands’ within the CfA or with the outside
world. Another outcome of this initial work from Revelation was the recognition
that, whereas the conventional modelling work had proved quite successful in
revealing gaps existing between systems, it did not readily enable the
modelling of likely solutions, i.e. how the information held in different systems
could be shared.
What was needed was an approach to modelling which would produce a more
conceptual overview of all the information being created. Such a model
needed to include how existing data items would continue to be represented.
But it should also show the conceptual relationships that pertained between
data, thus allowing construction of a more complete picture of how all the data
fitted together. It was at this point that the idea of using an ontological
approach to modelling was considered and attention turned to the
International Committee for Documentation of the International Council of
Museum’s Conceptual Reference Model, in short the CIDOC CRM (Crofts et
al..2003) as a tool for producing an ontological model.
An ontology is an explicit formal declaration (with a standardised vocabulary)
of how to represent object concepts and other classes assumed to exis t in
some area of interest (a domain) and the relationships between them. In this
sense an ontology is a specification of a conceptualization.
Ontologies provide a shared and common understanding of data and, in some
cases, services and processes that exist within a domain (in this case the
Centre for Archaeology). This facilitates communication between people and
information systems and an enhanced ability to search for information across
different knowledge repositories. The common understanding allows mapping
of the concepts within an ontology to information and processes within the
organisation being represented. Using the terms defined in ontologies enables
application designers to understand fully the meaning and context of the
information being modelled. This helps represent data in a meaningful and
consistent way, enabling better integration of data across applications.
The CIDOC CRM ontology is an emerging international standard, created in
the first instance for the museums world (via ICOM), but which has found
4
applications across the broader heritage sector. As the CRM ontology is
event-based, rather than data-driven, it appeared well suited to modelling the
core of the archaeological process, by which archaeologists attempt to record
and document the results of past events through a series of events or
activities in the present.
Archaeology’s (CfA) Revelation project (Cross, 2004). The assessment stage
of Revelation included several pieces of work that investigated, analysed and
reported on the existing state of the data systems and the inter-relationships
between various data resources constituting the information management
systems of the CfA. These included a review of the existing systems (Cross,
2004 Appendix A) and the production of data-flow diagrams (for explanation of
terms see 6. Glossary) and entity relationship models to represent how
information is collected, managed and distributed by CfA staff in their work.
The resulting picture showed the CfA systems as a rather disparate grouping,
or ‘archipelago’, of diverse, specialised, but rather isolated and independent
information systems and databases. In many cases, due to their age, these
systems do not have very clear mechanisms to enable the sharing of data
either between the different data ‘islands’ within the CfA or with the outside
world. Another outcome of this initial work from Revelation was the recognition
that, whereas the conventional modelling work had proved quite successful in
revealing gaps existing between systems, it did not readily enable the
modelling of likely solutions, i.e. how the information held in different systems
could be shared.
What was needed was an approach to modelling which would produce a more
conceptual overview of all the information being created. Such a model
needed to include how existing data items would continue to be represented.
But it should also show the conceptual relationships that pertained between
data, thus allowing construction of a more complete picture of how all the data
fitted together. It was at this point that the idea of using an ontological
approach to modelling was considered and attention turned to the
International Committee for Documentation of the International Council of
Museum’s Conceptual Reference Model, in short the CIDOC CRM (Crofts et
al..2003) as a tool for producing an ontological model.
An ontology is an explicit formal declaration (with a standardised vocabulary)
of how to represent object concepts and other classes assumed to exis t in
some area of interest (a domain) and the relationships between them. In this
sense an ontology is a specification of a conceptualization.
Ontologies provide a shared and common understanding of data and, in some
cases, services and processes that exist within a domain (in this case the
Centre for Archaeology). This facilitates communication between people and
information systems and an enhanced ability to search for information across
different knowledge repositories. The common understanding allows mapping
of the concepts within an ontology to information and processes within the
organisation being represented. Using the terms defined in ontologies enables
application designers to understand fully the meaning and context of the
information being modelled. This helps represent data in a meaningful and
consistent way, enabling better integration of data across applications.
The CIDOC CRM ontology is an emerging international standard, created in
the first instance for the museums world (via ICOM), but which has found
4
applications across the broader heritage sector. As the CRM ontology is
event-based, rather than data-driven, it appeared well suited to modelling the
core of the archaeological process, by which archaeologists attempt to record
and document the results of past events through a series of events or
activities in the present.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This project is an investigation into the spatial relationships associated with the Beckhampton Avenue, Avebury, Wilts. through the Neolithic period; The study region comprises the Beckhampton avenue and its environs. Notably, the study... more
This project is an investigation into the spatial relationships associated with the Beckhampton Avenue, Avebury, Wilts. through the Neolithic period; The study region comprises the Beckhampton avenue and its environs. Notably, the study will attempt to investigate dynamic spatial relationships, i.e. those associated with moving around/through a landscape rather than from static viewpoints, as a means to shed light on the position and development of the Beckhampton Avenue, which can be seen as a formalised route, influencing movement. These relationships are to be investigated by means of the concept of intervisibility using both the analytical approach afforded by GIS techniques and a more subjective, reflexive approach facilitated by an interactive three-dimensional model.
Research Interests:
The concept of using geospatial information within Semantic Web and Linked Data environments is not new. For example, geospatial information was very much at the heart of the CRMEH archaeological extension to the CIDOC CRM a decade ago... more
The concept of using geospatial information within Semantic Web and Linked Data environments is not new. For example, geospatial information was very much at the heart of the CRMEH archaeological extension to the CIDOC CRM a decade ago (Cripps et al. 2004) although this was not implemented; a review of the situation regarding geosemantics in 2005 commented “the semantic web is not ready to provide the expressiveness in terms of rules and language for geospatial application” (O’Dea et al. 2005 p.73). It is only recently that Linked Geospatial Data has begun to become a reality through works such as GeoSPARQL (Perry & Herring 2012; Battle & Kolas 2012), a W3C/OGC standard, and the emerging CRMgeo standard (Doerr & Hiebel 2013). This paper presents some real world, practical examples of creating and working with archaeological geosemantic resources using currently available standards and Open Source tools.
The first example demonstrates a lightweight mapping between the CRMEH, CIDOC CRM and GeoSPARQL ontologies using data available from the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) digital archive and Linked Data repository. The second example demonstrates the use of Ordnance Survey (OS) Open Data within a Linked Data resource published via the ADS Linked Data repository. Both examples feature the use of Open Source tools including the STELLAR toolkit, Open Refine, Parliament, OS OpenSpace API and custom components developed and released under open license.
The first example will also be placed in the context of the GSTAR project which is using the approaches described to produce Linked Geospatial Data for research purposes from commonly used platforms for managing archaeological resources within the UK heritage sector. These include the Historic Buildings and Sites and Monuments Record (HBSMR) software from exeGesIS, used by UK Historic Environment Records (HERs), and MODES, used by museums for managing museum collections. As such, the outputs from the GSTAR project have wider applicability in moving geosemantic information from interoperable to interoperating in the UK.
The first example demonstrates a lightweight mapping between the CRMEH, CIDOC CRM and GeoSPARQL ontologies using data available from the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) digital archive and Linked Data repository. The second example demonstrates the use of Ordnance Survey (OS) Open Data within a Linked Data resource published via the ADS Linked Data repository. Both examples feature the use of Open Source tools including the STELLAR toolkit, Open Refine, Parliament, OS OpenSpace API and custom components developed and released under open license.
The first example will also be placed in the context of the GSTAR project which is using the approaches described to produce Linked Geospatial Data for research purposes from commonly used platforms for managing archaeological resources within the UK heritage sector. These include the Historic Buildings and Sites and Monuments Record (HBSMR) software from exeGesIS, used by UK Historic Environment Records (HERs), and MODES, used by museums for managing museum collections. As such, the outputs from the GSTAR project have wider applicability in moving geosemantic information from interoperable to interoperating in the UK.
Research Interests:
A talk on Geosemantic technologies and geospatial information given at the CBA/FISH/HEIRNET event "Towards a Collaborative Strategy for sector information management (TACOS)"
Research Interests:
Much work has been undertaken over the past decade relating to the application of semantic approaches to archaeological data resources, notably by English Heritage and the University of South Wales. These two organisations, over the... more
Much work has been undertaken over the past decade relating to the application of semantic approaches to archaeological data resources, notably by English Heritage and the University of South Wales. These two organisations, over the course of a number of projects, developed an archaeological extension to the CIDOC CRM ontology through the Ontological Modelling Project (Cripps & May, 2010), then applied this to a number of archaeological resources through the subsequent STAR project (May, Binding and Tudhope, 2011), implementing tools to facilitate integration of other resources through the STELLAR project (May, Binding, Tudhope, & Jeffrey, 2012), and now, in partnership with the Bespoke HER User Group, RCAHMS, RCAHMW and Wessex Archaeology, are implementing SKOS based vocabularies and associated tools to enable the augmentation of these semantic resources through the SENESCHAL project.
From the outset, it was observed that the spatial component of archaeological data would be a key component, archaeological data being inherently spatial in nature. To date, most current applications of spatial semantics in the heritage sector have focussed on place names and named locations for sites and monuments and object provenances. The GSTAR project aims to extend semantic approaches to archaeological data fully into the geospatial domain and is instead focussing on the detailed spatial data emerging from archaeological excavation and survey work and is investigating approaches for the creation, use, management and dissemination of such spatial data within a geosemantic framework, with particular reference to sharing and integration of disparate resources.
This paper will present work to date in the first year of the GSTAR project. This has been centred on the identification of suitable platforms and methods for the integration of semantic and geospatial data including comparisons of different approaches emerging from the Semantic Web and Geospatial research communities. Testing and prototyping has been accomplished using sample data from the Archaeology Data Service, making use of available geospatial and (geo)semantic tools, both FOSS and commercial.
From the outset, it was observed that the spatial component of archaeological data would be a key component, archaeological data being inherently spatial in nature. To date, most current applications of spatial semantics in the heritage sector have focussed on place names and named locations for sites and monuments and object provenances. The GSTAR project aims to extend semantic approaches to archaeological data fully into the geospatial domain and is instead focussing on the detailed spatial data emerging from archaeological excavation and survey work and is investigating approaches for the creation, use, management and dissemination of such spatial data within a geosemantic framework, with particular reference to sharing and integration of disparate resources.
This paper will present work to date in the first year of the GSTAR project. This has been centred on the identification of suitable platforms and methods for the integration of semantic and geospatial data including comparisons of different approaches emerging from the Semantic Web and Geospatial research communities. Testing and prototyping has been accomplished using sample data from the Archaeology Data Service, making use of available geospatial and (geo)semantic tools, both FOSS and commercial.
Research Interests:
The semantics of heritage data is a growing area of interest with ontologies such as the CIDOC-CRM providing semantic frameworks and exemplary projects such as STAR and STELLAR demonstrating what can be done using semantic technologies... more
The semantics of heritage data is a growing area of interest with ontologies such as the CIDOC-CRM providing semantic frameworks and exemplary projects such as STAR and STELLAR demonstrating what can be done using semantic technologies applied to archaeological resources. In the world of the Semantic Web, advances regarding geosemantics have emerged to extend research more fully into the spatio-temporal domain, for example extending the SPARQL standard to produce GeoSPARQL. Importantly, the use of semantic technologies, particularly the structure of RDF, aligns with graph and network based approaches, providing a rich fusion of techniques for geospatial analysis of heritage data expressed in such a manner.
This paper gives an overview of the ongoing G-STAR research project (GeoSemantic Technologies for Archaeological Resources) with reference to broader sectoral links particularly to commercial archaeology. Particular attention is paid to examining the integration of spatial data into the heritage Global Graph and the relationship between Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) and Linked Data, moving beyond notions of ‘location’ as simple nodes, placenames and coordinates towards fuller support for complex geometries and advanced spatial reasoning. Finally, the potential impacts of such research is discussed with particular reference to the current practice of commercial archaeology, access to and publishing of (legacy, big) data, and leveraging network models to better understand and manage change within archaeological information systems.
This paper gives an overview of the ongoing G-STAR research project (GeoSemantic Technologies for Archaeological Resources) with reference to broader sectoral links particularly to commercial archaeology. Particular attention is paid to examining the integration of spatial data into the heritage Global Graph and the relationship between Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) and Linked Data, moving beyond notions of ‘location’ as simple nodes, placenames and coordinates towards fuller support for complex geometries and advanced spatial reasoning. Finally, the potential impacts of such research is discussed with particular reference to the current practice of commercial archaeology, access to and publishing of (legacy, big) data, and leveraging network models to better understand and manage change within archaeological information systems.
Research Interests:
"A range of 3D data capture technologies are becoming more widely used in heritage contexts. Wessex Archaeology now regularly make use of such technologies in a variety of contexts such as Environmental Impact Assessment, archaeological... more
"A range of 3D data capture technologies are becoming more widely used in heritage contexts. Wessex Archaeology now regularly make use of such technologies in a variety of contexts such as Environmental Impact Assessment, archaeological evaluation and Cultural Resource Management. These technologies can be applied to a range of purposes including but not limited to, for example, wide area prospection for new archaeological features, analysis of landscape structure and development, recording of heritage monuments and structures and monitoring of impacts at a site or landscape scale. Such technologies are opening up different approaches to fieldwork and post-fieldwork operations and also opens up a variety of possibilities for data manipulation, analysis and interpretation.
This paper will use case studies based on recent Wessex Archaeology projects to examine how the use of laser, satellite and photographic based techniques can be incorporated and combined into traditional and digital workflows, benefits and drawbacks and how capturing and working with such sources of data changes the ways in which we can record, analyse, interpret and make accessible our heritage. Furthermore, the paper will present some of the latest developments in hardware, software and methodologies available to support such work and examine the underlying principals of using such technologies in heritage contexts with particular reference to the importance and necessity of specialist archaeological input."
This paper will use case studies based on recent Wessex Archaeology projects to examine how the use of laser, satellite and photographic based techniques can be incorporated and combined into traditional and digital workflows, benefits and drawbacks and how capturing and working with such sources of data changes the ways in which we can record, analyse, interpret and make accessible our heritage. Furthermore, the paper will present some of the latest developments in hardware, software and methodologies available to support such work and examine the underlying principals of using such technologies in heritage contexts with particular reference to the importance and necessity of specialist archaeological input."
"As one of the largest archaeological units in the UK, Wessex Archaeology create and use a significant amount of digital data. As identified in the session abstract, much of this data has a spatial component. In order to make best use of... more
"As one of the largest archaeological units in the UK, Wessex Archaeology create and use a significant amount of digital data. As identified in the session abstract, much of this data has a spatial component. In order to make best use of this data, WA are currently implementing a Spatial Data Infrastructure to underpin much of our work and business processes. This paper presents this SDI as designed, the archaeological processes supported, how it works currently and it will work as modules are added, and how it draws upon and will ultimately provide information to external agencies.
The paper will cover the theoretical and practical aspects of design and implementation with emphasis on requirements, workflow, software and hardware platforms.
Finally the paper will explore some potential avenues for further improving access to information from third parties more generally (APIs, web services, distributed systems, etc), specifically looking at the ways in which SDI principals and technologies could be applied to local Historic Environment Records and the National Monuments Record, Wessex Archaeology being significant consumers of data from such sources."
The paper will cover the theoretical and practical aspects of design and implementation with emphasis on requirements, workflow, software and hardware platforms.
Finally the paper will explore some potential avenues for further improving access to information from third parties more generally (APIs, web services, distributed systems, etc), specifically looking at the ways in which SDI principals and technologies could be applied to local Historic Environment Records and the National Monuments Record, Wessex Archaeology being significant consumers of data from such sources."
"Archaeological information is by its very nature complex and uncertain. Typically, databases (when used) are used to record a 'perfect' and simplified version of the available archaeological information; there is little room for... more
"Archaeological information is by its very nature complex and uncertain. Typically, databases (when used) are used to record a 'perfect' and simplified version of the available archaeological information; there is little room for multivocality, uncertainty is reduced to a value qualifier and fundamental concepts are semantically indistinct. It is time for archaeological information systems to move forward with respect to the core concepts of subjectivity, multivocality, temporality and uncertainty.
There have been significant works in the last decade attempting to tackle some of these issues. This paper will focus on the specific concepts of subjectivity, multivocality, temporality and uncertainty and will examine how these concepts can successfully be modelled and made explicit within archaeological information systems, such theoretical constructs being independent of any particular modelling language or structure or implementation platform."
There have been significant works in the last decade attempting to tackle some of these issues. This paper will focus on the specific concepts of subjectivity, multivocality, temporality and uncertainty and will examine how these concepts can successfully be modelled and made explicit within archaeological information systems, such theoretical constructs being independent of any particular modelling language or structure or implementation platform."
The technology of laser scanning is becoming more widely used in heritage contexts. English Heritage have now produced guidelines to assist with the deployment of such technologies and a growing number of service providers offer a range... more
The technology of laser scanning is becoming more widely used in heritage contexts. English Heritage have now produced guidelines to assist with the deployment of such technologies and a growing number of service providers
offer a range of related services. Wessex Archaeology now regularly make use of this technology for the capture of data in a variety of contexts such as Environmental Impact Assessment, archaeological evaluation and Cultural Resource Management for a range of purposes including but not limited to wide area prospection for new archaeological features, analysis of landscape structure and development, recording of heritage monuments and structures and monitoring of impacts at a site or landscape scale. It is however, more than just a new technique for capturing data; its use
requires different approaches to fieldwork and post-fieldwork operations and also opens up a variety of possibilities for manipulation, analysis and interpretation. This paper will use case studies based on recent Wessex Archaeology projects to examine how the use of terrestrial and airborne laser scanning can be incorporated into traditional and digital workflows, benefits and drawbacks and how its use changes the ways in which we can record, analyse, interpret and make accessible our heritage. Furthermore, it will look at the latest developments in hardware, software and
methodologies available to support such work and examine the underlying principals of using such technologies in heritage contexts with particular reference to the importance and necessity of specialist archaeological input.
offer a range of related services. Wessex Archaeology now regularly make use of this technology for the capture of data in a variety of contexts such as Environmental Impact Assessment, archaeological evaluation and Cultural Resource Management for a range of purposes including but not limited to wide area prospection for new archaeological features, analysis of landscape structure and development, recording of heritage monuments and structures and monitoring of impacts at a site or landscape scale. It is however, more than just a new technique for capturing data; its use
requires different approaches to fieldwork and post-fieldwork operations and also opens up a variety of possibilities for manipulation, analysis and interpretation. This paper will use case studies based on recent Wessex Archaeology projects to examine how the use of terrestrial and airborne laser scanning can be incorporated into traditional and digital workflows, benefits and drawbacks and how its use changes the ways in which we can record, analyse, interpret and make accessible our heritage. Furthermore, it will look at the latest developments in hardware, software and
methodologies available to support such work and examine the underlying principals of using such technologies in heritage contexts with particular reference to the importance and necessity of specialist archaeological input.
With increasing use of digital technologies, the need for standards and people who understand available technologies is paramount; standards are vital but are not an end in and of themselves. They must be workable, effective and designed... more
With increasing use of digital technologies, the need for standards and people who understand available technologies is paramount; standards are vital but are not an end in and of themselves. They must be workable, effective and designed for the constituencies being served. Whilst some standards meet these criteria, many do not and thus hamper progress. Furthermore, whilst digital technologies have much to offer, their effective use is dependent on having suitable skill bases and support structures in place.
These observations apply to a range of fields within archaeology including, but not limited to, databases and GIS, metric survey, geophysics, photography and image processing, publication and dissemination, right through to archiving. Moreover, the arrangements of organisations involved in the archaeological sector and the impact of politics play a part, including the natures of contractors, consultants and other professional and statutory bodies and their inter-relationships; despite the main focus of this presentation being technological, it must be recognised that the use of digital technologies sits within a broader socio-political context.
This paper will discuss some of the issues surrounding these inter-related topics and hopefully contribute to a broader discussion aimed at identifying where steps can be taken to improve the current situation. Examples will include the nature of local Sites and Monuments Records and Historic Environment Records, the position of the National Monuments Record; the workings of the planning process and development control will be considered, along with published documents, reports and guidelines from the Digital Preservation Coalition, the Institute for Archaeology, local authorities, the Archaeology Data Service and English Heritage.
The CAA conference, being the main forum relating to archaeological computing in the UK, with a diverse membership, is an ideal platform for such discussions from the point of view of heritage technologists.
These observations apply to a range of fields within archaeology including, but not limited to, databases and GIS, metric survey, geophysics, photography and image processing, publication and dissemination, right through to archiving. Moreover, the arrangements of organisations involved in the archaeological sector and the impact of politics play a part, including the natures of contractors, consultants and other professional and statutory bodies and their inter-relationships; despite the main focus of this presentation being technological, it must be recognised that the use of digital technologies sits within a broader socio-political context.
This paper will discuss some of the issues surrounding these inter-related topics and hopefully contribute to a broader discussion aimed at identifying where steps can be taken to improve the current situation. Examples will include the nature of local Sites and Monuments Records and Historic Environment Records, the position of the National Monuments Record; the workings of the planning process and development control will be considered, along with published documents, reports and guidelines from the Digital Preservation Coalition, the Institute for Archaeology, local authorities, the Archaeology Data Service and English Heritage.
The CAA conference, being the main forum relating to archaeological computing in the UK, with a diverse membership, is an ideal platform for such discussions from the point of view of heritage technologists.
Wessex Archaeology have been using mobile computers equipped with GPS to undertake survey work since 2000 but recently this technology has been made considerably more widely available. Rather than requiring expensive specialist equipment,... more
Wessex Archaeology have been using mobile computers equipped with GPS to undertake survey work since 2000 but recently this technology has been made considerably more widely available. Rather than requiring expensive specialist equipment, the latest range of GPS equipped smartphones are more than capable of running mobile GIS applications. Furthermore, the freely available GoogleMaps platform allows anyone to create and disseminate spatial information quickly and easily. As these devices also include a mobile phone and internet connection, it is also possible to integrate any resource on the internet. So now, as we take our train journeys, we can use these mobile digital maps to see where we are and view aerial photos of the landscape around us, all on a mobile phone. And of course, we can turn on the archaeology layers and see which sites are nearby, how to get to them and find out more about them from relevant webpages.
This paper describes the recent history of mobile computing in archaeology, changes in the social nature of computing in general, and how we have now reached a point where the technology facilitates user-generated content to such a degree that it is arguably overtaking content from recognised authorities such as English Heritage or the National Trust. As a case study, we shall look at the creation of mobile GIS applications, in particular we shall examine the Stonehenge Tour, a mobile Googlemap application for exploring the Stonehenge landscape constructed by Wessex Archaeology. The possibilities for taking this further will be discussed as will the potential for other mobile resources such a mobile Heritage Gateway portal.
This paper describes the recent history of mobile computing in archaeology, changes in the social nature of computing in general, and how we have now reached a point where the technology facilitates user-generated content to such a degree that it is arguably overtaking content from recognised authorities such as English Heritage or the National Trust. As a case study, we shall look at the creation of mobile GIS applications, in particular we shall examine the Stonehenge Tour, a mobile Googlemap application for exploring the Stonehenge landscape constructed by Wessex Archaeology. The possibilities for taking this further will be discussed as will the potential for other mobile resources such a mobile Heritage Gateway portal.
Once upon a time, computers were at best peripheral to the archaeological process. This may seem strange to younger members of the audience but this was not actually that long ago. Computer applications in archaeology were largely... more
Once upon a time, computers were at best peripheral to the archaeological process. This may seem strange to younger members of the audience but this was not actually that long ago. Computer applications in archaeology were largely restricted to the sorts of tasks computers did best, predominantly quantitative methods. Attempts to get outside this quantitative box were met with accusations of reductionism, equating computational approaches with the kinds of approaches advocated in processual archaeology. Today, with the rise of the internet and associated technologies, archaeological computing has become core to what we as archaeologists do: Databases and GIS are in many cases the norm for handling data and undertaking analysis, multimedia and the web are core to dissemination and community activities and our ontologies are being formalised using semantic tools. If contemporary computing is typified by its social aspects and the democratisation of technology, then the impact on archaeological theory is apparent in some of the themes of this conference: Abundance of useful technology combined with the ease with which much of it can be deployed is changing the face of archaeology and archaeological theory. Online mashups allow anyone to present data in novel ways. Online mapping tools allow anyone to create and use digital maps. Online places to store and reuse data allow anyone to get involved. Online collaborative spaces provide new opportunities for discourse and formal ontologies are laying the foundations for a semantic web of archaeological information. This paper will examine how computing, particularly archaeological computing, and the broader social context in which it resides has developed in recent years and the impact this is having on archaeological theoretical discourse using examples such as the development of formal ontological models, changes in understandings of space and time, the growth in social networking and the rise in web-based applications and portals, particularly those which make use of web-based mapping.
The use of computer based technologies within archaeology has blossomed over the past decade with databases, GIS, 3D applications and survey and statistical tools all being regularly deployed on archaeological projects. Over the same... more
The use of computer based technologies within archaeology has blossomed over the past decade with databases, GIS, 3D applications and survey and statistical tools all being regularly deployed on archaeological projects. Over the same period, the internet has come of age as a platform offering many opportunities. Meanwhile, the trend in mainstream archaeological theory has been away from so-called reductionist, scientific approaches, including computational ones, and towards multi-vocal narrative modes of description, with much less emphasis on rigorous scientific analytical methods. This has resulted in a divide whereby theoreticians have criticised computational or scientific approaches per se and yet regularly apply them: At the same time the archaeological computing fraternity often fail to tackle adequately the philosophical nature of their work, preferring instead to concentrate on technical aspects. As such, we as archaeologists generally go to TAG or special interest group conferences to talk about theoretical issues and CAA to discuss technological aspects with little cross-talking between the two constituencies. Using examples including the nature of data itself and (structured) approaches to it, phenomenological approaches to landscape studies using computational methods and also the nature of cartography and map reading, this paper will propose that increased engagement between computer specialists and non-computer specialists is vital for the propagation of meaningful interpretations of the past in this age of technology and that any barriers, real or imagined, are detrimental to archaeological discourse.
This paper follows on from one given at TAG (York, December 2007) which aimed to explore this issue and the possibility of a middle way, encompassing the strengths of each whilst minimising potential issues arising.
This paper follows on from one given at TAG (York, December 2007) which aimed to explore this issue and the possibility of a middle way, encompassing the strengths of each whilst minimising potential issues arising.
Computer based landscape studies provide an interesting intersection of supposedly opposing theoretical viewpoints; on the one hand is the scientific method, using computer based techniques to explore the past, and on the other,... more
Computer based landscape studies provide an interesting intersection of supposedly opposing theoretical viewpoints; on the one hand is the scientific method, using computer based techniques to explore the past, and on the other, phenomenological theories of archaeology. Can this coming together of discourses form a phenomenologically informed methodology, the existence and nature of which this session seeks to examine; the scientific method providing the basis for rejuvinated and robust phenomenological theories, which can be seen to be different from the bulk of what could be described as post-processual hypotheses or assertions, to use the scientific terminology...?
GIS has undoubtedly made a significant impact on the archaeological discipline; its use in cultural resource management, development control, and research contexts in the public and private sectors in the last decade has greatly improved... more
GIS has undoubtedly made a significant impact on the archaeological discipline; its use in cultural resource management, development control, and research contexts in the public and private sectors in the last decade has greatly improved quality of and access to data whilst at the same time providing new opportunities for researchers and other end-users, including the general public. In the field of prehistoric landscape studies, considerable work has been successfully undertaken, demonstrating the benefits of such techniques as visibility analysis. At the same time, there has been an improvement both in availability and quality of source data combined with an increase in available computer processing power to work with such increasingly large and complex datasets. Having said this, the use of GIS in archaeological scenarios is often limited by its two-dimensional Cartesian, predominantly static view of the world. This paper will examine some of the ongoing developments in the broader field of spatial technologies in archaeology aimed at tackling some of these issues as relating to landscape studies. This will include applications of novel forms of GIS-based visibility analysis including dynamic and probabilistic viewsheds, use of laser-scan data for landscape analysis, the use of three-dimensional applications such as 3D Studio for analytical purposes in the field of visibility analysis and the potential for back-end database structures and middleware which facilitate temporal reasoning about spatial objects in all of our cultural heritage systems.
This paper considers computed means for constructing and interrogating prehistoric architectures. We ask where the 'landscapes' created through points and arcs divide us from the prehistory we seek and whether in fact these virtual... more
This paper considers computed means for constructing and interrogating prehistoric architectures. We ask where the 'landscapes' created through points and arcs divide us from the prehistory we seek and whether in fact these virtual landscapes offer new prehistoric places in which to dwell. Taking as a starting point the formulation of models of prehistoric space the paper considers how habitual computed action, constrained as much by technological systems as by archaeological information, and informed by analytical approaches to such 'architectures', defines places usefully from which to consider dwelling choices and dwelling experiences. By considering the development of landscape as a complex cultural continuum, incorporating both prehistoric architectures and natural features reinterpreted through the environmental experience of successive generations, it becomes possible to produce parallel dwelling places in virtual worlds which we can inhabit, and from which we can develop novel narratives of the past.
Visibility analysis has been used to assess the visual characteristics of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site since the WHS GIS was set up in the nineteen-nineties, primarily being used to support planning applications in a... more
Visibility analysis has been used to assess the visual characteristics of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site since the WHS GIS was set up in the nineteen-nineties, primarily being used to support planning applications in a management context. This paper describes an application of fuzzy techniques in a research context to develop updated versions of the visual sensitivity maps used in the management of the WHS, in which the previous cumulative viewshed analysis (Batchelor, 1997) was repeated at a higher resolution using a fuzzy viewshed function for 13 key sites in the Stonehenge study area and 6 in the Avebury study area. Combined with the addition of a number of new datasets over the past few years, the WHS GIS now offers increased potential for archaeological investigation in addition to its function as a management tool.
Archaeological computing can now be seen as an integral part of the archaeological process, being used routinely on a variety of archaeological projects. Indeed, it is becoming rare to see a project design that does not include even a... more
Archaeological computing can now be seen as an integral part of the archaeological process, being used routinely on a variety of archaeological projects. Indeed, it is becoming rare to see a project design that does not include even a token reference to GIS, databases or a website. Innovative applications of archaeological computing are facilitated by specialist conferences aimed at the archaeological computing community, such as CAA and VAST, while conferences such as TAG no longer engage with archaeological computing, instead catering solely for archaeological theorists. This paper proposes that the result of this is a broadening of the divide between archaeological theory and computational theory as related to archaeology. Archaeological computing practitioners are becoming more specialised, dealing with the latest generation of technological advances such as XML, the semantic web, and three-dimensional data capture and visualisation, with many necessarily coming from computer science, having limited archaeological experience despite a wealth of computing experience. At the same time, databases, GIS and web technologies have become tools of the archaeological masses rather than the preserve of specialists. As such, we have a position where archaeological theorists can be said to view archaeological computing as atheoretical, something purely practical which can be done with basic technological training, while at the same time computer scientists are increasingly getting involved with archaeological computing to showcase their technological advances in a publicly popular domain without reference to broader theoretical corpora. Both groups have active communities which have their own sub-communities, but there is a real danger of these communities becoming ghettos due to their lack of engagement with each other. This is especially so with the foundation of virtual communities, where often the foundation of the community is it’s own raison d’etre. The communities which we are building may well befall the same fate as the modernist tower-blocks of the 1950s and 60s; all bright and shiny to begin with, but quickly becoming slums in which no-one wants to live. This paper does not propose a solution to this complex issue, but rather hopes to provoke discussion on some of the issues involved.
Traditionally, analysis of archaeological landscapes has drawn on two separate theoretical traditions. Functionalist explanation in the tradition of Renfrew (1973) emphasises general patterns in economic and social structures, and the... more
Traditionally, analysis of archaeological landscapes has drawn on two separate theoretical traditions. Functionalist explanation in the tradition of Renfrew (1973) emphasises general patterns in economic and social structures, and the development of formal methods. Approaches informed by phenomenology, such as those by Tilley (1994) or Thomas (1999), emphasise human-scale experience of landscape and the ‘constructed’ nature of space leading to, for example, suggestions of ‘circular landscapes’ in the Neolithic of Britain (Bradley 1998). In the last decade, approaches that draw on both of these have emerged in the context of GIS-based landscape studies. One such area has been visibility analysis (eg Wheatley, 1995; Exon, Gaffney, Woodward & Yorston, 2000) in which formal methods for analysing visual characteristics of landscape build up from an understanding of perception at the scale of individual human actors.
Although successful, most of these have dealt with visibility from static locations and ignored (or minimally considered) the effects of movement. This project centres on the investigation of movement and perception within archaeological landscapes; intending to study dynamic changes in visual envelope afforded active, mobile agents. By comparing archaeological features with these changing patterns of visibility, the aim is to form hypotheses regarding potential modes of interaction with and hence development of the continually evolving cultural continuum that is landscape.
Patterns of changing visibility are being further investigated by incorporating some elements of three dimensional visualisation in order to take account of (for example) colour, lighting and atmospheric models; key factors which affect human perception of space. These issues are particularly significant in the context of later Neolithic Britain, in which a series of monumental forms seem to have developed that formalise aspects of movement through landscape (e.g. cursus monuments, avenues). Consequently, the research focuses on later Neolithic landscapes including Avebury and the Dorset Cursus complex.
This paper presents some of the methodological and technological developments to date, including the development of a computational framework for the investigation involving the fusion of a Geographic Information System and three-dimensional technologies. In addition to the development of approaches to viewshed analysis within the GIS, the use of a three-dimensional modelling package to produce rendered views from the GIS will also be discussed and some preliminary results will be presented. Image processing techniques for the analysis of these views with also be discussed. Another aspect of the proposed framework is the use of a gaming engine to provide an interactive, dynamic three-dimensional interface linked to the GIS and rendering suite.
Although successful, most of these have dealt with visibility from static locations and ignored (or minimally considered) the effects of movement. This project centres on the investigation of movement and perception within archaeological landscapes; intending to study dynamic changes in visual envelope afforded active, mobile agents. By comparing archaeological features with these changing patterns of visibility, the aim is to form hypotheses regarding potential modes of interaction with and hence development of the continually evolving cultural continuum that is landscape.
Patterns of changing visibility are being further investigated by incorporating some elements of three dimensional visualisation in order to take account of (for example) colour, lighting and atmospheric models; key factors which affect human perception of space. These issues are particularly significant in the context of later Neolithic Britain, in which a series of monumental forms seem to have developed that formalise aspects of movement through landscape (e.g. cursus monuments, avenues). Consequently, the research focuses on later Neolithic landscapes including Avebury and the Dorset Cursus complex.
This paper presents some of the methodological and technological developments to date, including the development of a computational framework for the investigation involving the fusion of a Geographic Information System and three-dimensional technologies. In addition to the development of approaches to viewshed analysis within the GIS, the use of a three-dimensional modelling package to produce rendered views from the GIS will also be discussed and some preliminary results will be presented. Image processing techniques for the analysis of these views with also be discussed. Another aspect of the proposed framework is the use of a gaming engine to provide an interactive, dynamic three-dimensional interface linked to the GIS and rendering suite.
The landscape around Avebury bristles with prehistoric archaeology, and this paper presents an approach used in an attempt to enhance the understanding of the experiential nature of this landscape in terms of the changing patterns of... more
The landscape around Avebury bristles with prehistoric archaeology, and this paper presents an approach used in an attempt to enhance the understanding of the experiential nature of this landscape in terms of the changing patterns of visibility afforded a moving subject. This approach involved the fusion of the analytical viewshed capabilities of a Geographic Information System with more subjective visualisations facilitated by three-dimensional modelling in order to study not only static spatial relationships inherent in the landscape but dynamic spatial relationships between an active observer and their environment.