The Remote Access to Archaeological Data (RAAD) is an online GIS application that lets authorized users view and download spatial and tabular data about B.C.'s archaeological sites for the purposes of land use planning, development approval processes, or archaeological assessments and studies.
Full Answer
How is remote sensing transforming the practice of Archaeology?
One type of remote sensing that is transforming the practice of archaeology is Ground Penetrating Radar or GPR.
How is technology used in archaeology today?
Advances in everything from computing power to satellite imagery and global positioning systems (GPS), to drones and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) have revolutionized how we do archaeology. These new technologies help archaeologists in identifying and investigating archaeological sites both on land and underwater.
How is GPR used in archaeology?
When GPR data are collected in a grid pattern, these lines, or transects, can be stitched together to create a 3-dimensional map of the site which can be sliced horizontally at different depths to visualize what is below the ground. OSA archaeologist using GPR equipment to locate underground features.
What are some of the most important advances in archaeology?
Some of the most significant innovations to archaeology have been in the realm of remote sensing. Remote sensing refers to the ability to collect information about places or objects at or under the surface of the ground, usually without having to disturb the ground.
Where do you find archaeological data?
tDAR is your online archive for archaeological information.
What does a digital archaeologist do?
Digital archaeology is the application of information technology and digital media to archaeology. It includes the use of digital photography, 3D reconstruction, virtual reality, and geographical information systems, among other techniques.
What is a data set in archaeology?
These records include information on archaeological excavations and finds, historic buildings, historical details associated with particular locations (for example battle sites or possible now disappeared castle and other historical sites), and environmental information such as peat deposits and historic woodland.
How many archaeological sites are there in BC?
There are over 55,000 archaeological sites recorded in B.C.'s Provincial Heritage Register including the remains of village and other habitation sites, as well as resource procurement activities such as fishing weirs and culturally modified trees.
What is digital excavation?
Website allows archaeologists to dig from home In practice, relics are exhumed, then often hidden again, carefully piled up in storerooms, while theories about them are buried in one of hundreds of archaeology journals.
What is the name of the technology that allows artifacts to be virtually reconstructed?
Through augmented reality, travelers can virtually “handle” artifacts and view archaeological features in their exact locations even after the sites' excavations have been completed. Archeologists work to reconstruct the historical development of mankind.
How do archaeologists collect the data?
Archaeologists use a statistical sampling method to select which squares or units they will excavate. To begin, they will collect surface artifacts, then remove any ground vegetation. Archaeologists screen all soil removed from a unit to recover small artifacts and ecofacts.
What are the four types of archaeological evidence?
All archaeological materials can be grouped into four main categories: (1) artifacts, (2) ecofacts, (3) structures, and (4) features associated with human activity.
How do archaeologists use statistics?
Archaeologists don't just dig in the dirt – statistics are often used to find trends in the data and reveal trends that weren't visible with just excavation.
What to do if you find Indian artifacts on your property?
First, you should immediately stop the activity that exposed the remains. Secure the location of the remains to ensure that they are not further disturbed or damaged. Coroner. The Coroner will examine the remains within 2 working days of this notice.
What to do if I find an artifact in BC?
Report finding possible human remains If you think you have discovered human remains, please contact us immediately and do not disturb the remains. We'll notify the Coroner's Office and the local policing authority. The Coroner's Office will determine if human remains are of archaeological significance.
What do I do if I find an ancient artifact?
Leave the artifact where you found it. Please don't pick it up, move it, throw it, put it in your pocket or your bag, or bury it.
How much money do archaeologists make?
American archaeologists are inevitably rather better paid: no overall average is quoted; perhaps the most tangible figure is that 61% of male archaeologists earn over $40,000(= £25,000).
What do archaeologists not study?
DON'T DO: Archaeolgists do not study dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were extinct long before humans and ancestral humans began to roam the earth. DO: Archaeologists are specialists, they are trained experts in the treatment and handling of archaeological materials in their particular field.
What would you have to study to be an archaeologist?
To become an archaeologist you usually have to complete a degree at university with a major in archaeology, followed by a postgraduate qualification in archaeology or cultural heritage. To get into the degree courses you usually need to gain your Senior Secondary Certificate of Education with English.
What type of tools do archaeologists use?
Generally during an excavation, an archaeologist's tool box consists of some basic tools regardless of the type of excavation. Shovels, trowels, spades, brushes, sieves, and buckets are some of the more obvious or common tools that an archaeologist may carry with them to most digs.
What is APTs in archaeology?
The Archaeology Permit Tracking System (APTS) is an online portal used by professional consulting archaeologists and Archaeology Branch employees to manage archaeological applications and permits throughout their lifecycle. It is not available to the general public.
What is the Archaeology Branch?
The Archaeology Branch is responsible for sharing the archaeological data in the Provincial Heritage Register with eligible parties. To do so, the branch administers the 3 systems described below, moderates their access, and provides news and updates about their upgrades, features, and service outages.
How can I get systems access?
To obtain access to our systems or data, you will have to submit a signed form to the Archaeology Branch.
What systems are available?
Read the summaries below and click a hyperlinked system name to learn:
What is remote sensing archaeology?
Some of the most significant innovations to archaeology have been in the realm of remote sensing. Remote sensing refers to the ability to collect information about places or objects at or under the surface of the ground, usually without having to disturb the ground. While many remote sensing technologies are mounted on aircraft or rely on ...
Why do archaeologists use GPR?
Archaeologists often use GPR to map cemeteries where some of the graves may not be well marked or easily visible from the surface . In other cases, GPR can help figure out where buildings once stood or how deep a site is buried below the ground.
What are the instruments used by underwater archaeologists?
The most common instruments used by underwater archaeologists are marine magnetometers and side-scan sonars. Both instruments are usually towed behind a boat by a cable connected to a computer onboard.
What are the tools archaeologists use today?
Though archaeologists tend to focus on people and their technologies from the distant past, the cutting-edge tools we use today are anything but ancient. Advances in everything from computing power to satellite imagery and global positioning systems (GPS), to drones and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) have revolutionized how we do archaeology. These new technologies help archaeologists in identifying and investigating archaeological sites both on land and underwater.
How does remote sensing work?
GPR works by transmitting tiny pulses of high-frequency radio waves into the ground and then recording precisely, in nanoseconds, the time it takes for those signals to reflect off objects or contrasting layers in the soil and return to the antenna. The longer it takes the signal to bounce back, the deeper the item or feature is. As a GPR system is pushed across a site, all the different reflections are recorded and displayed as vertical slices of the ground. When GPR data are collected in a grid pattern, these lines, or transects, can be stitched together to create a 3-dimensional map of the site which can be sliced horizontally at different depths to visualize what is below the ground.
What is VR in archaeology?
This paper describes a Virtual Reality (VR) prototype developed to help archaeologists and other stakeholders explore and analyse archaeological data in a more immersive context. We describe a VR reconstruction of Pleito Cave, a fragile world class rock-art site with accessibility limitation. Key stakeholders are identified and a prototype is described that provides a VR platform for visualizing and interacting with complex archaeological data (gathered from techniques such as decorrelation stretch and X-ray fluorescence) virtually ‘ in situ ’, in a way that would not be possible at the real site. The prototype allows multiple remote users to interact with the cave together remotely providing opportunities for collaborative interpretation and analysis of archaeological data. We also present a survey-based evaluation in which both archaeologists and Native American stakeholders indicate positive responses for measures of both engagement and value.
What technique do archaeologists use to study rock art?
When analysing rock art, archaeologists often photograph the areas of interest and use image process ing techniques such as Decorrelation Stretch ( Harman, 2006) on the image to reveal or enhance detail that is difficult to see with the naked eye. By applying this technique to the photogrammetry models, high-resolution textures archaeologists are able to immerse themselves within and interact with the cave in a way they would not be able to do at the real site.
How many people completed the Wind Wolves survey?
In total, 22 people completed and returned the survey. There was a mix of eight archaeologists, six Native Americans, four students and four general members of the public. No respondents identified themselves as staff of the Wind Wolves Preserve, though it is possible general members of the public, or students may have interacted with the VR app at the Wind Wolves Preserve visitors centre.
What is the purpose of the interactive platform?
Perhaps one of the most striking aspects of the interactive platform developed is the ability to augment real archaeological data ‘ in situ ’ onto the virtual cave walls retaining a location dependant context that is lost during the initial archaeological data collection process. This enhanced method of data visualization has promising implications for exploring, interpreting and analysing archaeological data. The remote-user support also allows collaborators and experts from around the world to immerse themselves in the prototype to bring their own expertize to exploring and interpreting the data presented.
Introduction
- Archaeologists commonly use reality capture techniques such as Photogrammetry and laser scanning to capture, and keep a record of archaeological sites and the artefacts found in them (Barsanti et al., 2015). Since the release of Virtual Reality (VR) headsets at consumer level they have become an attractive tool for museums and heritage organization...
Background and Related Work
- Designing virtual heritage spaces is a well-researched area (Bekele et al., 2018). While the majority of virtual museum exhibits are solitary experiences for the user, Li and Zhou (2016) describe a multi-user virtual exhibit. The work describes a re-creation of an aircraft carrier using popular 3D modelling tools. While there is novelty in facilitating a multi-user experience, the models used ar…
Prototype Design
- A photogrammetrically generated mesh and texture of the cave site and rock art was produced as illustrated in Fig. 2. The photogrammetry model of Pleito was constructed from 896 images taken with a Nikon D810 and a Nikon AF-S FX 20 mm f/1.8 G lens, mounted on a Manfrotto tripod. The camera was set to raw (.nef), base ISO of 64, and lens at f13. Photographs were taken at night, …
Co-Location
- One of the difficulties with inaccessible, fragile archaeological sites is that it is often difficult for key stakeholders to visit a site together. This could be because they are unable to physically get to the location of the site, or because the site itself will not support a large number of simultaneous visitors. The platform supports virtual co-location of users through use of the Oculus Avatar SDK…
Enhanced Reality
- When analysing rock art, archaeologists often photograph the areas of interest and use image processing techniques such as Decorrelation Stretch (Harman, 2006) on the image to reveal or enhance detail that is difficult to see with the naked eye. By applying this technique to the photogrammetry models, high-resolution textures archaeologists are able to immerse themselv…
User Evaluation
- As the different user groups were geographically dispersed, for this study, a survey methodology was deemed suitable to ascertain feedback on user engagement. The survey tool was e-mailed to representatives of each user group and participants who had interacted with the Pleito VR application were asked to complete a survey.
Conclusions and Further Work
- Using a technique known as ‘Portable X-ray Fluorescence’ combined with advanced imaging processes, it is possible to analyse the various layers of overpainting that have occurred at the Pleito cave site (Fig. 1) over the years. Using data already gathered from the site (Bedford et al., 2016, 2018; Gandy and Robinson, 2018; Kotoula et al., 2018), we are able to reconstruct not only …
Acknowledgements
- The authors wish to thank the Tejon Tribe, including Mark Sanchez, Sandra Hernandez and Colin Rambo for their involvement and support of this research. We also thank Dan York and all the staff at the Wind Wolves Preserve for their permission and support for this work. Thanks to Julie Bernard, Gloria Brown, Joshua Roth, Colin Rosemont, Allison Hill, and the entire field work team. …