Thinking beyond the Tool. Archaeological computing and the interpretive process

Edited by Angeliki Chrysanthi, Patricia Murrieta Flores & Constantinos Papadopoulos

City: Oxford

Year: 2012

Publisher: Archaeopress

Series: BAR International Series 2344

Description: Paperback, v & 214 p., illustrated throughout, 29,5x20,8 cm

Abstract

The idea of putting together this book was inspired by the session Thinking beyond the Tool: Archaeological Computing and the Interpretive Process’, which was held at the Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) conference in Bristol (17-19 December 2010). The session, as well as the regular format of paper presentations, included a round table discussion at the end of the session, to provide a debate forum for the participants, and encourage the development of the dialogue which emerged from the various presentations. This format not only facilitated the discussion on a better theorised approach to computer applications in archaeology, but also allowed delegates with diverse backgrounds to elaborate on common concerns from different perspectives. The overarching theme of the session, which revolved around how the various computational tools affect the ways we practice archaeology and interpret and disseminate aspects of the past, generated a series of stimulating debates, some of which we will attempt to highlight during the course of this introduction.

Contents

Angeliki Chrysanthi, Patricia Murrieta Flores & Constantinos Papadopoulos, ‘Introduction: Archaeological Computing: Towards Prosthesis or Amputation?’ [7-13]

1. Alice Watterson, ‘The Value and Application of Creative Media to the Process of Reconstruction and Interpretation’ [14-23]

2. Tom Frankland, ‘A CG Artist’s Impression: Depicting Virtual Reconstructions Using Non-photoreal-istic Rendering Techniques’ [24-39]

3. Paul Cripps, ‘Little by Little, One Travels Far’ [40-50]

4. Markos Katsianis, ‘Conceptual and Practical Issues in the Use of GIS for Archaeological Excavations’ [51-71]

5. Cesar Gonzalez-Perez, ‘Typeless Information Modelling to Avoid Category Bias in Archaeological Descriptions’ [72-87]

6. Mu-Chun Wu & Gary Lock, ‘The Spatial Construct of Social Relations: Human Interaction and Modelling Agency’ [88-102]

7. Hannah Pethen, ‘The Old and the New in Egyptian Archaeology: Towards a Methodology for Interpreting GIS Data Using Textual Evidence’ [103-122]

8. Philip Verhagen and Karen Jeneson, ‘A Roman Puzzle. Trying to Find the Via Belgica with GIS’ [123-130]

9. Jose Ignacio Fiz Fernandez, Eva Subias & Rosa Cuesta, ‘Deconstructing and Reconstructing The Landscape of Oxyrhynchus Using Textual Sources,Cartography, Remote Sensing and GIS’ [131-154]

10. Andrew Dufton & Corisande Fenwic, ‘Beyond the Grave: Developing new tools for Medieval Cemetery Analysis at Villamagna, Italy’ [155-167]

11. Elaine Massung, ‘Visitor Reception to Location-based Interpretation at Archaeological and Heritage Sites’ [168-190]

12. Tom Brughmans, ‘Facebooking the Past: a Critical Social Network Analysis Approach for Archaeology’ [191-203]

Jeremy Huggett, ‘Commentary: What Lies Beneath: Lifting the Lid on Archaeological Computing’ [204-214]