Teaching and Researching with the GIS: an archaeological story

Authors

  • Paolo Carafa Sapienza Università  di Roma

Abstract

Since 1992, the Chair of Archaeology and History of Greek and Roman art, University of Rome "La Sapienza", has promoted or has been involved in systematical large scale analyses (wide area stratigraphical excavations as well as archaeological surveys) of urban and rural landscapes in selected cities and areas of ancient Italy, including major archaeological centers such as Rome and Pompeii. We had to face a twofold challenge: to recover, collect and analyze large amounts of very detailed, rapidly increasing data-sets on the one hand, integrate the fragmented framework emerging from field collected evidence aiming at wider historical interpretation/reconstruction and cultural evaluation of archaeological and cultural heritage under investigation on the other. In 1998, thanks to more substantial funding opportunities provided by the Ministry of Education University and Research, we could turn to IT tools. GIS applications, in particular, seemed to us the only way of preserving high quality standards for graphical geographical and spatial representations and analyses. Over the last fifteen years, the use of Information Systems has gradually become our standard operating procedure in field and lab research and the core of our teaching programs for undergraduates and graduates students, fellows in the School of Archaeology and PhD candidates.

Author Biography

Paolo Carafa, Sapienza Università  di Roma

Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Antichità , Associate Professor

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Published

2013-07-02

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Articles