Spatial Data Management Aspects in Archaeological Excavation Documentation1

Archaeological excavation documentation poses several challenges to spatial data management. This work gives a data model, respective query functionality and the description of the resulting prototype system for recording and analyzing the data produced during the course of an excavation. Based on a requirements analysis, we develop a data model that not only captures georeferenced finds (pottery sherds, bones, etc.) and their properties, but also excavation diaries and the particularities of the excavation space. Towards an effort of analyzing the collected data and constructing a virtual excavation space, we describe spatial query capabilities providing access to the data in two and three-dimensional space. The system also captures uncertainty with respect to position, which is quite common due to either missing information and/or approximate measurements. Finally, we will give a complete overview of “Arxaiorama,” the system prototype that was developed during the course of a research project and that is currently being used at the excavation site of Dispilio in Kastoria, Greece.