GIS in archaeology

The book is an example of the ability of Czech archaeologists to harness,in their scientific work, the wide possibilities offered by up-to-date computer support. It should be a valuable Czech counterpart to important international publications such as proceedings from the Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology or Archäologie und Computer – Kulturelles Erbe und Neue Technologien conferences. Today it can provide an impetus for the further development of the methodology of archaeology and in the future it can serve as evidence of the state-of-the-art nature of technology achieved by Czech archaeology at the beginning of the 21st century.

Osada jest położona około 3 km na północ od wsi Zawada, po prawej stronie starej szosy prowadzącej z Zielonej Góry do Sulechowa. Stanowisko jest ulokowana na terasie zalewowej Odry, na niewielkim wyniesieniu, na prawym brzegu Zimnego Potoku, który na tym odcinku Pradoliny Warszawsko-Berlińskiej (Doliny Środkowej Odry) jest jej głównym lewobrzeżnym dopływem, płynąc do niej równolegle w odległości 3-6 km (ryc. 1).
Stanowisko odkrył w 1960 roku Edward Dąbrowski (1969, s. 292; 1975, s. 75, przyp. 12). W 1963 roku odkrywca obiektu przeprowadził wstępne badania archeologiczne
(Kołodziejski 1966, s. 42), a dwa lata później, przy udziale Mieczysława Kaczkowskiego, kolejne sondażowe wykopaliska (Kaczkowski 1975, s. 61, przyp. 34). W 1966 roku obiekt został wpisany do Rejestru Zabytków Województwa Zielonogórskiego jako wczesnośredniowieczne grodzisko, z chronologią określoną ramowo na VIII-XII wiek (Kałagate, Magda 1994, s. 329). Wiadomo także, że prace wykopaliskowe były prowadzone w 1968 roku, ponieważ w archiwum MAŚN znajdują się fragmenty naczyń z numerami inwentarzowymi pochodzącymi z tego okresu. Kolejne prace przeprowadzono w ramach akcji AZP w 1984 roku. W tym samym roku wykonano plan warstwicowy stanowiska. W 1998 roku, pod kierownictwem Jarosława Lewczuka, zrealizowano kolejne badania powierzchniowe, podczas których znaleziono 20 fragmentów ceramiki. W okresie od 6 lipca 1992 roku do 7 sierpnia 1992 roku przeprowadzono stacjonarne badania archeologiczne, które poprzedzone były jednodniowym wstępnym rekonesansem stanowiska (27 marca 1992 roku). Badaniami kierowali mgr Marlena Magda i mgr  Sławomir Kałagate, finansowano je z funduszu Wojewódzkiego Konserwatora Zabytków Archeologicznych. Głównym celem przeprowadzonych wówczas badań była próba uściślenia chronologii, a także weryfikacja wcześniejszych przypuszczeń, że odkryte stanowisko może być grodziskiem. Podjęcie wykopalisk było uzasadnione także stałym i postępującym niszczeniem stanowiska na skutek prac rolnych.
W trakcie przeprowadzonych badań założono dwa wykopy i jeden rów sondażowy o łącznej powierzchni około 3,5 ara. Odkryto piętnaście obiektów wczesnośredniowiecznych i trzy skupiska ceramiki pradziejowej (Gruszka 2002).
Badania w 1992 roku nie potwierdziły przypuszczeń Edwarda Dąbrowskiego, który sądził, że w 1960 odkrył relikty grodu (Kałagate, Magda 1994, s. 337-338). 
W publikacji zostały uwzględnione głównie materiały pozyskane w trakcie wykopalisk z 1992 roku, ponieważ dokumentacja badań prowadzonych w latach 60. XX wieku uległa rozproszeniu (w archiwum MAŚN w Świdnicy zachował się jedynie rysunek jednego z profilów). Ponadto dysponujemy mało wartościową, ze względów poznawczych, kolekcją ceramiki, pochodzącą głównie z badań powierzchniowych. Opublikowano także wybrane znaleziska (Dąbrowski 1999, s. 51, tabl. I: 1, II: 12-17).
Z materiałów pochodzących z badań wcześniejszych w opracowaniu uwzględniono wszystkie dostępne zabytki wydzielone, głównie przedmioty kamienne i metalowe oraz fragmenty glinianych talerzy.
Publikacja jest efektem współpracy zespołu kilkunastu specjalistów z różnych dziedzin. Monografia składa się z trzynastu głównych rozdziałów. Pierwsze trzy omawiają zagadnienia związane z rekonstrukcją pierwotnego środowiska oraz opisują na szerszym tle uwarunkowania środowiskowe lokalizacji osadnictwa. W kolejnych rozdziałach zaprezentowano analizy znalezisk odkrytych podczas wykopalisk. Następnie przedstawiono zagadnienia związane z datowaniem osady. Publikację kończą rozdziały przedstawiające wyniki badań specjalistycznych dotyczące wczesnośredniowiecznej ceramiki. Wyniki przedstawionych powyżej analiz posłużyły do sformułowania wniosków dotyczących rekonstrukcji podstawowych zajęć gospodarczych mieszkańców tej wczesnośredniowiecznej osady oraz jej znaczenia i miejsca w systemie osadniczym na szerszym tle porównawczym.
Publikacja ukazała się dzięki finansowemu wsparciu Ministerstwa Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego, w ramach programu Ochrona Dziedzictwa Archeologicznego, Priorytet 5.

All periods of Egyptian history are represented at Gebelein and it encompasses many kinds of archaeological site found in the Nile valley (that is, cemeteries, settlements, fortifications, temples, rock quarries etc.). The area was a significant centre in the history of ancient Egypt, but its exact role and the reasons for its importance still awaits explanation. That is why the Gebelein Archaeological Project was initiated. The field survey of Gebelein, which started in 2014, aims to recognise the topography of the area and the degree of destruction of the sites and to locate archaeological remains as well as to determine their interpretation and dating. This report outlines the results of work conducted during seasons 2014, 2015 and 2016, which encompassed the archaeological and epigraphic field surveys, geophysical prospection as well as work conducted in the rock-cut chapel of Hathor.

The investigated area was characterized by a great diversity of vegetation. Wetlands were occupied by riparian forests, and in some places by alder forests or small grass communities. The slopes and the moraine plateau were covered by beech forests with admixture of other tree species, while dry sandy hills were grown by coniferous forests. Woodlands provided building and fuel material, and after some adaptation (burning the forest floor and undergrowth) they were used as areas of less intensive grazing, hunting and gathering.
Nutritional needs of the community were met in a variety of ways, combining the use of products derived from crops and livestock, wild plants and possibly wild animals. Excavations carried out at Mozów, site 23 and at other settlements dating to the seventh and eighth centuries have not yielded many faunal remains. Few finds of animal bones, mostly cattle and small ruminants, only confirm the results of pollen analysis indicating the presence of open plant communities which were used as pastures. In the sediments of the discussed layer dating to the beginnings of the Middle Ages disappear heather Calluna vulgaris and common bracken Pteridiumaqilinum, which are the species characteristic mostly of forest communities and peat lands. In addition, after a long absence returns the occurrence of sorrel pollen grains Rumex, typeacetosa/acetosella, the plant associated with grazing. Slightly later appears plantain Plantagolanceolata, which is the indicator of a similar value. Furthermore, the sediments dating to the beginning of the early medieval phase contained rye pollen grains Secale and a single pollen of other grains cerealia, as well as nitrophilous ruderal plants of the goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae. The period after the probable time of functioning of Mozów settlement is characterised by the occurrence of stronger indicators of anthropogenic impact, including mugwort Artemisia, nettle Urtica, or weeds of cereal crops - cornflower Centaureacyanus. Their presence is probably related to younger settlement dated from the ninth to the tenth century, represented by numerous remains recovered in the area of Sulechów and the village of Kije (where two strongholds dated to the same period existed at that time), or at Zawady, site 1.
The occurrence of pollen grains and weeds is the direct evidence of human activity. Although few in number, they point towards people’s presence and penetration of surrounding areas. The transformations described above, as well as the changes in the proportion of particular ecosystems indicate the initial phase of anthropogenic impact on the environment, the process which continues uninterrupted until today.
The settlement discovered at Mozów, site 23 is one of the most comprehensively excavated remains of occupation from the older phases of the Early Middle Ages in the Middle Odra region. In the studied period also two other settlements functioned in Mozów-Sulechów microregion: Sulechów, site 14, which was similar in size to Mozów, site 23, and a slightly smaller one, known as Sulechów, site 10. A relatively high density of occupation indicates that the second half of the seventh century at the latest was already the period of stable settlement structures of a permanent character in the region.
Further development of this and other similar settlement clusters in the area enabled probably the emergence in the second half of the ninth century of many heavily fortified strongholds which served the role of central points for small tribal communities.
The study of the early medieval site at Mozów has provided new data on possible ways of the organization of space within the settlement in the older phases of the Early Middle Ages. Spatial structure of the site, reconstructed on the basis of recovered relics, was strongly influenced by local topography, which has analogies in other nearby well recognized settlements, e.g. Sulechów, site 10 or Jordanowo, site 7.

Anthropogenic pathways and geoglyphs comprise two of the most recognisable pre- Colombian features of the Peruvian Andes. Although often found in close proximity, there has been no quantitative investigation of the relationships between these types of landscape features. To investigate, the authors performed spatial analysis and simulation modelling on a combination of unmanned aerial vehicle and surface reconnaissance data from the Sihuas River Valley pampa in southern Peru. The results suggest that these pathways and geoglyphs were closely tied, forming part of travellers’ rituals to propitiate local deities and ensure  successful journey.

Artem Borysov, Olga Manigda

EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION THE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES DATABASE FOR SETTLING SYSTEMS STUDY

In the process of PhD research concerning the creation of the archaeological map of Galician and Volhynian lands and system of medieval dispersal in annalystic Porossya (the Ros’ river area), the idea of creating a joint database of archaeological sites appeared. The development of this project was done due to the needs of document automation and data management. The continuation of this developed database is an archaeological map, based on a common geographic data. The paper describes a conceptual level in architecture of the database. Three modules (packages) contain seven clusters, grouped in 16 tables. Such structure took into account main needs in information concerning the settlement system in Old Rus’ period. The successful integration of data created in a unified system is exemplified. The possibility of joint work in the direction for the analysis of large corpus of data mapping and the archaeological sites in the national scale opens

Analysis of pottery is one of the best methods for the functional and chronological interpretation of archaeological sites. By applying Geographic Information System (GIS) onto Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), it has provided new opportunities in field prospection in the form of Comprehensive Field Survey (CFS). As a multidisciplinary approach, it offers good results in terms of data acquisition and proves to be an inexpensive and accurate solution for complex, non-invasive research.

Archaeology, like several other disciplines studying the physical landscape, is inherently about three-dimensional data; that is, about physical objects and volumes and their associated properties. Yet our records of this 3D reality have traditionally perforce been reduced to two dimensions, restricting the subsequent analysis to 2D, or at most 2.5D, as well. GIS have been the tools typically used to manage and analyse these 2D/2.5D spatial data sets since the early 1990s. Within the last decade, technological developments in data capture (such as laser scanning and image based modelling) have begun to generate large quantities of 3D data, giving rise to '3D' as the new buzzword. However, such data can be visually inspected but not spatially analysed in this form. We believe that what is lacking is a software infrastructure that can encompass both 'traditional' 2D and 'new' 3D archaeological data in the same 3D environment, and can allow for analysis in three dimensions. We propose here to construct such an infrastructure from pre-existing FOSS4G components, and to create a number of additional bespoke query and report functions in order to achieve the functionality required by archaeological researchers.

The study deals with description of hill-top sites of Želetavka river basin. Afterwards the description is confronted with known settlement strategy of Lengyel hill-top sites of the south-western (SW) Moravia.
The river basin of Želetavka lies in the most western part of Moravia which was continuously settled during Lengyel culture (Bartik 2012; 2013) and provides an ideal opportunity for reconstruction of relations between the centres and its peripheries. 8 sites was discovered or revised over the years 2010–2014 (Fig. 1). These 8 sites differ from lowland sites by geomorphological characteristics. This detachment was verified by statistical comparison in the broader context of the SW Moravia.
Almost all of the sites are likely to classify as the younger stages of Lengyel culture. The observed information correlates with the previous knowledge about the development and intensity of settlement in this region (Bartik 2012). The finer chronological classification was due to bad preservation and limited quantity of material impossible (Table 1).
Nowadays, 29 sites of Lengyel culture in SW Moravia are recorded (Koštuřík 1983-1984; Rakovský 1990; Bíško 2011; Bartík 2012). A significant increase in the number of new sites requires a revision of old settlement models based on the analysis of modern data. The new data were analysed by GIS tools.
The hill-top sites of Lengyel culture in the SW Moravia are concentrated into the three geographically distinct areas (Fig. 15). The cost distance analysis allowed to determinate boundaries of these areas (sites are distanced at least 4 hours on foot, Figure 16). The detailed analysis, through a number of variables which were applied to spatial analysis, demonstrated not only geographic diversity, but the geomorphological and landscape differences between individual areas as well.
Very specific is concentration of sites in the Želetavka river basin. It is characterized by high altitude and open field position (promontories, elongated ridges, large hills and the edges of terraces). Hill-top sites are located outside the network of large rivers (Chart 1 A-F).
The chosen positions are distinctly different on the Dyje /Jevišovka and Jihlava /Oslava. Sites are located on sharp ridges with high elevation and close to large rivers (Chart 1 A-F).
The entire surveyed region has relatively the same natural conditions (except altitude). Based on the statistical procedures established on comparing derived values of the point samples of each area can be inferred that this situation is not only caused by the different natural characteristics of the regions, but by targeted selection of sites with specific (preferred) characteristics (Chart 2 A-E) as well.

CAA 2018 Krakow call for papers; DEADLINE 10.10.2018

Have you ever wondered if it is possible to create field documentation using only your mobile phone? Can you imagine that you have just one tool to measure coordinates, take photos, create 3D models, plan your drone path and fill in the artefact database? Well, it seems that we are on the edge of a technological revolution: in the next few years, we are going to face a breakthrough in the GNSS technologies. In April 2018, India successfully launched its eighth satellite (IRNSS-1I), Galileo should have reached its full capability soon. The first GPS 3 satellite will be sent to the orbit. This next generation satellite is thought to introduce a fourth GPS signal (L1C). As David A. Turner – Deputy Director Office of OES/SAT-has pointed out, one of the key topics discussed in the modernization of GPS is to " encourage compatibility and interoperability among global and regional systems ". There is already a response to this in the smartphone industry as well: The BCM4775X is stated to be the first GNSS chip designed for smartphones to provide dual L1 and L5 frequency. Moreover, Android 7 OS has been equipped with tools to measure the carrier phase, which is a major ingredient in differential GPS. This capability is not available in every type of smartphone yet, but it is possible that future non-professional hardware could have better performance in GNSS. We are facing changes in the professional hardware as well, as the current operating system used for most PDAs is being withdrawn from the market and replaced by others. GPS signals are going to change from codeless into a modernized civil-coded transmission, which is not going to be usable by all equipment currently used by archaeologists. A new era of modernized GNSS is approaching. We can face it when it is there in the 2020s or we can start preparing for it now. This is the question behind this session in which we will discuss both technical and methodological problems of field surveys which exists today and might occur tomorrow.

Abstract: A new archaeological project, targeted on the archaeological heritage of the At-Tafileh Directorate (southern
Jordan) has recently got underway. It is conducted by the Jagiellonian University1 in cooperation with the Department of
Antiquities (Jordanian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism) and thanks to this cooperation, it was possible to verify or
identify a huge amount of not entirely documented or completely undocumented sites.
The project is concerned on the documentation and exploration of the sites located in the area in question. The main
scientific objective of the works is to determine the chronological phases and nature of human presence in the upper part
of the Wadis in the periods from the Stone Age to Medieval times and, in particular, to determine the scale and nature
of human presence in the micro-region. Additionally, thanks to the field prospection, many archaeological items were
collected and submitted for further analysis. This activity is also aimed at protecting Jordanian heritage against natural or
anthropogenic threats. During the field works, a large amount of lithic and ceramic artefacts were discovered along with
a collection of interesting structures of as yet unknown functions.

The application of technologies in humanities and specifically in Archaeology over the past recent years has yielded important expertise that can be successfully exploited by both Archaeological Research and Cultural Heritage Management. This study presents a general methodology for designing, developing and implementing predictive modelling for identifying sites of archaeological interest. The methodology is based on documented archaeological data and geographical factors, geospatial analysis and predictive modelling into one consistent workflow. The model was tested extensively and was validated using a commonly used predictive gain. The results and the evaluation of the model proved the efficiency of its predictive ability in providing answers to a series of questions related to Archaeological Research issues and Cultural Heritage Management.

would like to share our program, created on the basis of pedagogical principles for higher education. Also we would like to show our experience in connecting GIS theory, methodology and work in the office with archaeological field survey. We explain to the students how to prepare themselves for such research, how to proceed and collect data in the field and digitize results of their work. Part of the program is to explain and perform statistical analysis and present it as proper, cartographic and digital maps.
We would like to highlight problems connected with preparing exercises for different levels of students, with and without theoretical knowledge. Also we would like to point out problems connected to data copyrights that might occur just as well as problems of obtaining data form national sources.

We are pleased to present the first volume of a new book series entitled Monographs in Early Medieval Studies. Our intention is that this and subsequent publications, which are aimed to examine a broad range of topics related to the Early Middle Ages, will be made available under Creative Commons licence to enable easier access to the presented issues and facilitate the exchange of knowledge. We invite you to read the book and to download it in PDF format at www.projektyarcheologiczne.pl or www.fundacjalunula.pl.
***
Mozów, site 23 is located in the Lubuskie Province, about 3 km west of Sulechów. It is situated on the slope of a small hill, between a railway line (Sulechów-Czerwieńsk) and county road 278.
Archaeological excavations were carried out at this site in 2009 in connection with the planned construction of expressway S3. The research was conducted by the Foundation of the University of Łódź under the direction of dr Seweryn Rzepecki.
The excavations covered a total area of 186.35 ares divided into five major sectors (hectares) within which 233 features were registered. Cultural attribution was determined for 109 features containing mostly potsherds. Archaeological sources recorded during the research included the material dating to the Stone Age (unspecified chronology), the Neolithic (including the Linear Pottery and the Funnel Beaker cultures), the Jastorf culture and the Roman Influence period (mixed elements of the Wielbark and Pomeranian cultures), as well as the older phases of the Early Middle Ages and the Post Medieval period.
The publication presents the results of research on the archaeological material dating to the Early Medieval period. They are discussed against a wider background of Mozów-Sulechów microregion including several large settlements and less recognised settlement points. Apart from description and analysis of archaeological sources (mainly pottery and remains of building structures at Mozów, site 23), the monograph focuses on issues related to the reconstruction of the natural environment.
The studies on the most abundant archaeological material – pottery, as well as thermoluminescence and radiocarbon dating analyses were carried out within the framework of the project Interdisciplinary research on the early medieval pottery workshop (7-10 c.) in the borderland of Lower Silesia - Great Poland - Lusatia financed by the National Science Centre (agreement no. UMO-2012/05/N/HS3/01425).

The Gebelein archaeological site complex is located 28 km southwest of Luxor, on the western bank of the Nile in the Qena Governorate in Egypt. Practically all kinds of archaeological sites known in Egypt are represented in the site complex, dating from the Paleolithic through the Islamic Period.
Modern expansion of the cultivation zone and settlement development is threatening the survival of many of the sites, hence the project proposes to investigate the site complex with a new form of comprehensive field survey.
The novelty of the method depends on combining the results of gathering, managing, storing, post-processing and interpreting different types of individual data from the field. The team has carried out a magnetic prospection of selected parts of the site and combined the
results with an analysis of data coming from a number of other research and survey methods, including most recently an anthropological and ceramological survey.

This session continues ongoing discussion of the changes that are happening in archaeological field prospection today, specifically further development of GNSS that helps to navigate in the landscape, and the possibility to bring your GIS into the field via Mobile GIS. During the session, we will continue prior discussion of the contemporary role of Mobile GIS in archaeological field prospection. The aim of the session is a critical discussion about new tools used in the field, supported by examples/case studies presented by the participants. This session will also incorporate a broader discussion of contemporary methodology of field surveying. We need to get to know and use past examples. We also need to establish a common approach to field survey method, which would allow our datasets to be comparable. Encouraged by new tools, applications, and a developing GPS precision, we believe that the introduction of Mobile GIS, and particularly applications available on smartphones, require a deeper reflection on good practice in field data collection. Since field surveying is deeply rooted in British archaeology and already has well-established guidelines on field data collection, this session aims to continue and enlarge the discussion. This session invites short 10 minute presentations, followed by 5-minute discussions. The session will conclude with a roundtable discussion about tools and methods we use in field prospection, how they have changed and are changing currently, influencing our methods before, during and after survey.

Have you ever wondered if it is possible to create field documentation using only your mobile phone? Can you imagine that you have just one tool to measure coordinates, take photos, create 3D models, plan your drone path and fill in the artefact database? Well, it seems that we are on the edge of a technological revolution: in the next few years, we are going to face a breakthrough in the GNSS technologies In April 2018, India successfully launched its eighth satellite (IRNSS-1I), Galileo should have reached its full capability soon. The first GPS 3 satellite will be sent to the orbit. This next generation satellite is thought to introduce a fourth GPS signal  (L1C). As David A. Turner – Deputy Director Office of OES/SAT - has pointed out, one of the key topics discussed in the modernization of GPS is to “encourage compatibility and interoperability among global and regional systems”. There is already a response to this in the smartphone industry as well: The BCM4775X is stated to be the first GNSS chip designed for smartphones to provide dual L1 and L5 frequency. Moreover, Android 7 OS has been equipped with tools to measure the carrier phase, which is a major ingredient in differential GPS. This capability is not available in every type of smartphone yet, but it is possible that future non-professional hardware could have better performance in GNSS. We are facing changes in the professional hardware as well, as the current operating system used for most PDAs is being withdrawn from the market and replaced by others. GPS signals are going to change from codeless into a modernized civil-coded transmission, which is not going to be usable by all equipment currently used by archaeologists. A new era of modernized GNSS is approaching. We can face it when it is there in the 2020s or we can start preparing for it now. This is the question behind this session in which we will discuss both technical and methodological problems of field surveys which exists today and might occur tomorrow.