Computer technologies in archeology. Archaeological news Expert systems in archaeological research
The use of DBMS and GIS in archeology
The task of structuring archaeological data for the purpose of searching and analyzing information has existed since the emergence of archeology as a science. Paper catalogs at a certain stage were replaced by electronic databases. DBMS made it possible to operate with large amounts of information, search and sort data according to a large number of criteria. This, in turn, led to the creation of databases of various profiles: administrative and research registers of monuments, museum catalogs, databases on excavations (finds with attributes, relative positions in layers, etc.), databases on clothing material, inscriptions, analysis results, bibliographic and library catalogues, etc.
The binding of archaeological data to the area stimulated the widespread use of geographic information systems (GIS). As a matter of fact, GIS is an automated system for processing spatial and temporal data, the integration of which is based on geographic information. According to the GIS structure, it is a DBMS that has geo-referenced data to a specific point on the ground and a built-in spatial analysis system. With the help of GIS, it is possible to create archaeological information systems of individual geographic regions, plans for excavation of archaeological sites, study ancient maps, etc.
The use of GIS makes it possible not only to fix the spatial location of archaeological finds, but also to predict the location of monuments in areas that have not yet been explored, based on their distribution trends. For example, a map of finding artifacts allows you to map out the location of settlements.
An interesting example of the use of GIS in archeology is the reconstruction of landscape changes based on ancient maps. To do this, maps are scanned, digitized, converted into vector format and superimposed on modern digital maps. After identifying certain objects present on the maps, the old map is linked to the new one. The analysis of combined maps allows you to interpret changes in the landscape over time. The structure of settlements on ancient maps often correlates with the structure of settlements on early medieval maps. This means that it is possible to obtain a map of the distribution of ancient settlements without carrying out archaeological excavations.
An example is the work of Swedish archaeologists. Sweden has preserved a unique collection of maps dating back to the 15th-16th centuries, covering large areas of the country. On fig. 1 shows a scanned map of the 18th century with ancient settlements, fields and meadows and a modern economic map with an image of the old map overlaid.
Expert systems in archaeological research
A very promising direction in the application of computers in archeology is the use of various types of expert systems in the analysis of archaeological information. Most of these systems are designed to determine the type of artifact or material. As an example, let's take a very interesting project "Numismatics and Computer Methods", a description of which can be found at http://liafa.jussieu.fr/~latapy/NI/ex_eng.html . The purpose of this project is to create software for the analysis of ancient coins. The main purpose of the developed programs is to classify large batches of coins in order to highlight the most interesting exhibits according to a number of criteria (rarity, images of historical figures, etc.). Archaeologists and specialists in the field of computer methods of pattern recognition took part in the work on the project. The main task was to identify coins based on the recognition of image elements on the coin.
The principle of operation of the system is illustrated in Fig. 2 , . The first stage of processing is the use of conventional filters that allow you to highlight the characteristic element of the pattern on the coin. After that, algorithms for recognizing pattern elements are applied, which make it possible to select individual zones (primitives), which may refer to images of certain objects. Such primitives on a coin can be a text, a diadem, wheels, horses. Identification occurs on the basis of comparison of the image with a database element of known primitives.
The computer recognition system is combined with an expert system that allows you to analyze the found primitives. For example, in the above example, the easily recognizable diadem allows us to conclude that the portrait of the king is depicted on the coin. Therefore, it is further necessary to recognize the elements of the face (eyes, nose, mouth, etc.). The fact that a king is depicted on the coin tells the program that the name of the king should be recognized in the text with a high degree of probability (at this stage, the database of king names is connected). On the other side of the coin, the system easily reads the profile of the horse and wheel. Based on these elements, the expert system most likely concludes that a chariot is depicted on the coin. Then a search can be made for coins from the database that have a similar image of a chariot, and so on.
CAD in archeology
A common area for us to use CAD is the development of new products, but CAD programs can just as well be used for the reconstruction of archaeological sites, such as ancient buildings. AutoCAD is very popular among archaeologists, as well as MicroStation, AutoCAD Map, Easy CAD and many others. The main way archaeologists use such programs is the preparation of field drawings and three-dimensional reconstructions of excavations, burial structures and settlements, as well as architectural monuments and archaeological finds (Fig. 4).
Until recently, most of the most important architectural ensembles of the past were documented in the form of photographs and drawings of orthogonal projections of surviving structures, and there were many inconsistencies and errors in this information. Today, 3D reconstruction makes it possible to qualitatively change the picture of documenting ancient architectural structures.
When you build a 3D model, any inconsistency is immediately obvious. In the case of the reconstruction of architectural ensembles of the past, CAD is used to imagine how the once existing structure could look like, and to accurately fit all the elements that have survived to this day. In this case, CAD models can proceed not only from geometric constructions, but also from the conditions of strength, stability, etc.
In addition, three-dimensional models can display both architectural structures and other archaeological objects, access to which is limited primarily to prevent their damage or destruction.
The powerful computing abilities of modern computers have led to the emergence of a new scientific discipline - virtual archeology.
Having a set of three-dimensional models of ancient monuments, they can be combined into a virtual model and the observer can be placed in this virtual archaeological exhibit. Such a model can be interactive, that is, it allows the observer to navigate in the virtual space, examining the once-existing architectural ensembles and entire ancient cities.
At the same time, all associated information (archaeological, historical and architectural data, information about culture) is available at the click of a mouse. Users have a unique opportunity to see the architectural ensemble as it looked in the past, and immediately switch to the model of the current state of the same architectural complex.
For many years, the means of field archeology collected data on once existing cities. Ancient buildings, as a rule, have been preserved in the form of collapsed walls, destroyed by wars, fires, and natural disasters. And only with the advent of powerful computers, the images of past eras began to be recreated by virtual means in their former splendor. In addition, the introduction of virtual reality technology has brought archeology closer to the education and entertainment industries.
The dream of archaeologists is gradually becoming feasible to recreate everything that was ever built by our ancestors: Stonehenge, the Colosseum, Pompeii, the Athenian Acropolis... Many projects have already been implemented. Quite a few reconstructions have already been carried out by various teams. As a virtual model, you can see the Colosseum of the Flavian Dynasty (80s AD), visit the virtual model of the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, find out what Chatal Hoyuk looked like - the oldest city in the world that once existed in the south Central Turkey. English archaeologist James Mellaart excavated it in the 1950s and 1960s. “Since the discovery of Chatal-Khoyuk, we have learned that one of the first urban cultures known to us arose three thousand years earlier than we expected, and did not originate on the banks of the Euphrates and the Tigris, not in Egypt, but in Anatolia, so deserted today,” writes the German archaeologist Heinrich Klotz.
Virtual reconstruction of Fatepur Sikri
One of the most striking examples of the virtual reconstruction of an ancient city is the project to recreate the ancient Indian palace complex Fatehpur Sikri, which should be discussed in more detail. The project was implemented with the participation of the CAD and Graphics Department of the National Center for Software Technology (Bombay, India).
The work was carried out in several stages. First, archaeological material was collected, which provided extensive information: detailed plans of various sections of buildings, photographs, archaeological research, etc. When using orthogonal projections (Fig. 5), it turned out that most of the plans do not fit together, that the drawings are made at different scales with errors, and the height of many objects is indicated incorrectly. All inconsistencies were studied using field measurements and checked against photographs of the area; some of the information has been clarified on the basis of historical archives.
The next step was to choose the right software for translating orthogonal projections into a 3D model. AutoCAD (Fig. 6) became such a program, which makes it possible to easily export data to 3D Studio MAX. The wire model was exported to 3D Studio MAX and optimized, that is, unnecessary polygons were removed (Fig. 7). An important task in this project was to determine the optimal ratio between the power of computers and the details of the model.
Textures were prepared on the basis of surviving photographs. External and internal lighting data were simulated in software. Textures turned out to be the most important and difficult part of the project, as they were what gave the virtual city realism. Many patterns were recreated by hand from the surviving fragments, restored and retouched by artists (Fig. 8).
The final parameters of the model were very impressive: about 600 thousand triangles and about 44 MB of textures.
Several working groups participated in the work on the project:
Group of archaeologists - collection of archaeological, historical and cultural information;
Modeling group - converting 2D data into a 3D model, wire model optimization, lighting modeling, etc.;
Group of artists - preparation of textures and their retouching;
A group of animators - preparing a virtual tour of the architectural complex (walkthrough engine);
Programmers - preparing a walkthrough engine for PC;
Sound specialists - editing and synchronization of national music accompanying the virtual tour;
Designers - preparing the user interface.
The following software products were used in the project:
AutoCAD - for converting 2D data into a 3D model;
3D Studio MAX - for texture mapping, lighting simulation;
Adobe Photoshop - digital texture retouching;
Adobe Premiere - editing audio and video materials;
Sound Forge - audio editing;
Visual C++ - Development of a walkthrough engine.
The results of the work are presented in fig. nine . The demonstration is possible on a PC running Windows with the following specifications: Pentium III; 128 MB RAM; 8 MB AGP card; CD-ROM; Windows 98; DirectX 6.1; DirectX 6.0 media.
Virtual reconstruction of Trajan's Forum
Trajan's Forum was erected in 107-113 AD. designed by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus. It included many masterpieces of ancient Roman architecture; the Basilica of Ulpia was especially famous, the ceiling of which was lined with plates of pure gold.
Today, only Trajan's 38-meter column, erected in honor of the emperor's victories over the Dacians, has survived from the forum. Unfortunately, almost all the remains of the forum buildings are today hidden under Via dei Fori Imperiali (Fig. 10).
Despite the fact that the architectural ensemble has not survived to this day in all its splendor, its virtual model has been created - the result of a collaboration between the Getty Education Institute, the J. Paul Getty Museum (www.getty.edu/museum) and the School of Fine Arts and UCLA architecture (School of the Arts and Architecture) (http://www.arts.ucla.edu). You can find a description of the project at http://www.getty.edu/artsednet/Exhibitions/Trajan/Virtual/index.html . The details of this virtual model can be judged from the fragments depicted in Fig. 11 and .
Virtual reconstructions made by Infobyte
A description of a number of archaeological projects for the creation of virtual reality can be found at http://www.infobyte.it.
Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi
In September 1997, a strong earthquake hit the Umbrian city of Assisi. Its consequences for the famous basilica were catastrophic. Parts of its vault, decorated with frescoes, collapsed. Some of the magnificent works of Giotto (1267-1337) and Cimabue (1240-1302) were completely destroyed. However, after the virtual restoration, you can visit the basilica and admire the masterpieces of the Proto-Renaissance (Fig. 13).
The project was supported by CNR (Italian National Research Center) based on SGI IRIX - Linux.
The model is built on the basis of archaeological and historical research. The virtual reconstruction of the Colosseum (Fig. 14) is an example of a virtual archaeological model. You can see the architectural monument as it was 2000 years ago.
The project is based on SGI IRIX.
Tomb of Nefertiti
A virtual reconstruction of the tomb of Nefertiti was made for the exhibition "Nefertiti - the light of Egypt", organized by the Getty Conservation Institute.
The tomb was discovered in 1904 and closed in 1950 to prevent the destruction of the frescoes. After the restoration, carried out in 1986-1992, the tomb was partially open to the public.
For a long time, the problem of restricting access in order to better preserve the unique complex was very relevant. Now it is solved thanks to the creation of a virtual model (Fig. 15).
The project is based on SGI IRIX - Linux.
Archaeological Museums on the Internet
In order to walk around the three-dimensional virtual model of the Colosseum using Internet access, you will need too much traffic, which is not yet available to many Web users, but viewing numerous photographs of the exhibits, as well as seeing the panorama of the excavation or the ruins of the ancient city is not difficult. For example, armed with the QuickTime plugin and accessing www.compart-multimedia.com/virtuale/us/roma/romana.htm, you can look at the ruins of ancient Rome (
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Necropolis of Kobyakovo settlement
Archaeological rescue excavations for the project: "Construction of the shopping complex METRO Cash and Carry"
Scientific editor Larenok P.A.
Rostov-on-Don,
CJSC NPO Heritage of the Don, 2008
RRO VOO "VOOPIiK", 2008
Chapter VI
Chapter IV
ROBBERS
The necropolis of Kobyakovo settlement is the most studied cemetery of the Don Meotian settlements. To date, most of it has been excavated, in total more than two thousand burials have been found. However, archaeologists are often disappointed - about 70 percent of the burials are robbed. There are several types of robbery. The first - "barbaric" - when the grave pit is completely emptied, as they say, "under the sieve", not even fragments of human bones and objects remain. Apparently, all the contents of the burial rose to the surface of the earth and were viewed there.
But more often, the robbers seemed to know which part of the funerary structure they needed to penetrate. The predatory hole was located in such a way that it fell on the entrance to the underground chamber, then the carcasses of the sacrificial animals in the well remained untouched. Observant thieves saw on the surface of the earth a subsidence of soil above a hollow underground chamber, and they dug a passage here. So the robbery took place until the moment when the vault of the chamber fell. Inside, only that part of the burial, in which there were objects that interested the robbers, was destroyed. Most often, these were the head and chest of the deceased, the bones of which were moved or pulled out along with objects. It was here that objects made of gold could be found - earrings, hryvnia, bracelets and rings. The rest of the body remained untouched. This type includes such a robbery, when only the legs and those things that stood nearby were left in the burial, everything else was seized.
This is a "neat" way to rob. The third way is “destructive”, when all the bones are turned over, moved from their place, moved from the burial chamber to the well, where they are mixed with the bones of sacrificial animals and fragments of things. It seems that the thieves did not know where to look for gold and examined everything that came to hand, throwing away and breaking unnecessary things and the bones of the deceased.
There is no doubt that the robbery of graves took place not only during the existence of the settlements, but also later, apparently, up to the present time. Perhaps, in ancient times, the cemetery was robbed by the same people who dug grave pits, it was they who were well acquainted with the construction of burials and where the grave goods were located. Judging by what the thieves took with them, the jewelry was in demand, and their sale did not present any difficulties.
LITERATURE
1. Barbaro Iosophat “Journey to Tana”, translation and commentary by E.Ch. Skrizhinsky, Sat. Caspian transit, v.2, M., 1993.
2. Sharafutdinova E.S. "Kobyakovo settlement of the Bronze Age", Sat. Archaeological excavations on the Don, Rostov-on-Don, 1962.
3. Larenok V.A. and P.A. "Excavations of the necropolis of Kobyakov settlement", Donskaya archeology, No. 3-4, Rostov-on-Don, 2000.
4. Reader on the history of the Don and Azov regions, Rostov-on-Don, 1941.
5. Ilyin A.M. "Forward Trading Post of Tanais", Sat. "Reflection of the Past", Rostov-on-Don, 2000.
6. Larenok V.A. "New studies of the necropolis of Kobyakovo settlement", Sat. Historical and archaeological research in Azov and the Lower Don in 2002, issue 19, Azov, 2004.
7. Larenok V.A. “The ancient settlement named after Vasily Kobyakov”, ACCA magazine, No. 1/9, Rostov-on-Don, 2004.
8. Miller A.A. “A brief report on the work of the North Caucasian expedition of the State Academy of the History of Material Culture in 1924 and 1925, SGAIMK, I, 1926. SGAIMK, II, 1929.
9. Steppes of the European part of the USSR in the Scythian-Sarmatian time. Archeology of the USSR, M, 1989.
10. Ancient states of the Northern Black Sea region. Archeology of the USSR, M, 1984.
11. Larenok V.A. "Kobyakovo settlement", Sat. "Treasures of the Don Steppes" (from the collection of the Rostov Regional Museum of Local Lore), Rostov-on-Don, 2004.