RGZM Archaeological Data Processing Web Service

IT and Archaeology in the RGZM

History
During the last decade, the RGZM has developed several unique internet based research databases (Navis I, Navis II, Navis III, Samian, Tomba, Foreigners).
Aditionally, new techniques for geometrical measurements and documentation have been adopted and are partially presented online as well. Other work was focused on new research methodologies concerning mapping tools. The starting point for this work was the unsatisfying situation concerning the existing archaeological software tools, which caused us to develop these software enhancements. The mapping tools resulting from this work are nowadays in the RGZM widely used.

Examples
GMT maps with different conversion tools, e.g. to create colored distribution maps used in the RGZM, online correspondence analysis, weighted averages distribution maps, Mócsy coefficient distribution maps, Chi² distribution maps, GeoNames database with administrational tools for findspot management etc.

All these applications cannot be bought as a software package, but are especially developed in our institute for archaeological purposes, based on archaeological expertise and existing software standards.

In general, these tools are enabling an interdisciplinary approach in the RGZM, which in several cases has resulted in enhanced research methodologies.

Guido Heinz / Allard Mees