Paperless Archaeology on the

Matthew J. Adams

W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in collaboration with

Michael Ashley, Center for Digital Archaeology

Adam B. Prins, Durham University

The Jezreel Valley Regional Project (JVRP)

is a long-term, multi-disciplinary survey and

excavation project investigating the history of

human activity in the Jezreel Valley from the

Paleolithic through the Ottoman period. This

project strives for a total history of the region

using the tools and theoretical approaches of

such disciplines as archaeology,

anthropology, geography, history,

ethnography, and the natural sciences, within

an organizational framework provided by

landscape archaeology. @jezreelvalleyrp

Total Archaeology

Regional scale

Unprecedented

aspirations for total

archaeology

Field work, research,

publication

The JVRP Vision

A central repository for all data concerning the valley.

Historical, Archaeological, Geological,

Environmental data

A suite of tools for research and field work.

Utilizing the latest technology and keeping up with it

going forward.

Publishing data and interpretations online.

Sharing data with stakeholders: from IAA to local

community

Fully digital, adaptable, using off the shelf equipment,

specialist-free and inexpensive.

Fun to use and look cool.

The Challenges

Multiscaler: site > region

100's of sites, scores of excavations,

dozens of surveys

Enormous bibliography

Scattered historical sources in multiple

languages

Variances in disciplinary methods and

standards

Tons of analog data, very little digitized

Analog tools still used in fieldwork

Traditional Analog Tools of the Archaeologist

Notebooks, Sketches, Technical Drawings,

Photographs

Spatial and contextual information from an

archaeological site

Disconnect between the field work and analysis

Digitization vs. born digital

Paperless Archaeology Reinvent archaeological method and recording so that all

data is born digital

Allows on-the-fly data processing, interpretation, and

publication

Analysis can happen in the moment and inform the next

moment of field work.

Paperless JVRP Field Work

Digital acquisition of spatial data

Total Stations

3D Models

Digital recording-keeping

Context Records, notes, etc.

Digital media

Photographs

Audio and Video

Everything must find its way into the database upon birth

Born Digital Spatial Data

UAV

Imagery

Video

Other sensors

Model on Sketchfab

3D Modeling at the Locus Level

“Time lapse”

Excavation

Sequence

Final situation of excavation square CV81 at

Legio, the Roman Legionary Camp of the VI

Roman Legion “Legio VI Ferrata,” Northern

Israel.

Uses of the Digital 3D Models

3D manipulable record of the excavation

High-accuracy representations

Visualizations (hillshades, slope models etc.)

Reconstructed photos

Models for accurate 3D reconstruction

Deriving traditional plan and sections

Public engagement with “real” archaeology

Born Digital Data Needs a Home

Codifi

Codifi is designed to augment/replace paper based recording

and rapidly accelerate data entry while providing a solid ‘born-

archival’ workflow for documents, images, video and geo-spatial

information .

Codifi Configurable for any

organization

Multiple projects, sites

Windows, Mac, iOS

JVRP Tel Megiddo East

( 2013)

Legio (2013, 2015)

Dashboard Modular Code

Actions and Places

JVRP Survey Support

Excavation Process

Selects Clear pop-up for

anticipated entity

(sites, areas)

Legio 2015 Hidden Areas

reduced confusion

and sped up

fieldwork

The Grid Active squares

oriented to real

coordinate space

Touch interface

JVRP Areas B and C

include

orthophotos

generated in field

in near-real time

(same day)

Loci Loci in Area by locus

#

Heads up status

JVRP Provided cross check

with GIS

Locus Sheet Tabbed interface

follows workflow

Controlled

vocabularies, auto-

naming, calculations

reduces errors

JVRP Relations to previous

seasons

Required no training

to use (intuitive)

Soil Science Accommodates

multiple

sedimentology, such

as Munsell

Real time feedback

and color coding

JVRP Streamlined terms

met with JVRP

wide concepts of

sedimentology

Materials New in 2015, touch

interface for artifacts

and samples

2 click mantra

JVRP Experimentation and

User Experience

testing results in 80-

90% time savings and

dramatic reduction in

errors

Materials Programmable to

specific materials

of site or research

objectives

JVRP Ordered by most

found

Materials Easy to read label

creator forges

exactly what to write

on the physical tag

Auto numbering by

locus

JVRP Experimentations with

QR codes and

label printers show

major potential

Media Field media recording on

iPad

Document

Photos

Audio

Video

Auto geo-location

Drag/Drop dSLR and other

media on PC/Mac

JVRP Field recorders created

daily videos, working

shots, opening and

closing photos

Full Archival Workflow in

lab for ca. 10,000 items

Workflow

and

Archiving Add any media

Auto geo-location

Drag/Drop dSLR and

other media on

PC/Mac

JVRP Orthophotos, drawings,

reports, archival

photos added and

archived

3D Web

Viewer 3D HTML-5 viewer via

SketchFab

Works on all platforms

(PC/Mac, iOS)

JVRP 3D models per locus to

assist in drawing,

interpretation, visitor

experience

Web based GIS for

survey

Field Report Up to the moment

reporting

Locus status

Checklist

Easy export to

diaries

JVRP Field recorders copies

field reports to

daily diaries and

could finish entry

on 20 min bus ride

to kibbutz

Web

Integration Google Docs for Diaries

JVRP Each supervisor kept

digital diary, shared

with core team via

GDocs

Aggregate of all

information in Codifi

saves time and

provided cross check

What happens after fieldwork?

Reports Dynamic Outputs as

Reports

Charts

Datasets

XML

Auto geo-location

Drag/Drop dSLR and other

media on PC/Mac

JVRP Field recorders created

daily diaries, working

shots, opening and

closing shots

Full Archival Workflow in

lab for ca. 10,000 items

Codifi Core Principles

Codifi allows everyone to work the way you

want .

Do archaeology the way you think it should

be done.

Codifi bends to accommodate human

processing while maintaining archival data

standards.

– I s r a e l f i n k e l s te i n

“ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION DATA DO

NOT FIT NEATLY INTO THE FRAMEWORK OF

ANY STANDARD DATABASE MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM )DBMS)”

CIDOC CRM + CODIFI

Doerr, Theodoridou - “CRMdig: A generic digital provenance model for scientific observation"

CIDOC Conceptual model of real

world processed

Powerful but challenging to

implement

Codifi Rooted in CIDOC model

Essential super-class

structure emphasizes

archival practice

Compatible and extensible

Award winning, peer

reviewed model*

*Best Paper, 10th Vast International

Symposium On Virtual Reality, Archeology And

Cultural Heritage, published in 2011, Journal on

Computing and Cultural Heritage (JOCCH)

Codifi Entities Codifi Concepts

People, Media and Things,

encountered in Places through

Events.

Flexible, but structured

Based on archival data standards

that are internationally guided but

locally implemented

and the web?

Barriers to Web Publishing

Cost

Web publishing generally requires high levels of technical skill in order to do well

Centralized tools and platforms often “homogenize” individual projects and research objectives in order to create

a consistent, often branded experience

Web publishing is often a huge amount of effort

perceived low value of digital publishing in contrast to traditional, paper publishing in peer-reviewed journals

Requirements for differential access to data - governmental/agency reporting, protection of sensitive information

(site locations, for example), embargo for scholastic advancement, personal/private content

Fiduciary responsibility for long term preservation and access to content

Needs

Collaborative Environment - more than a website

Should integrate harmoniously with fieldwork

Should be beautiful, enjoyable, personalized experience for each project

Should make it possible to connect content from any project or source

Codifi Connects Culture

Welcome to Codifi Connect

Introducing Codifi Connect, the secure web platform that adapts to

you. With Codifi connect, you create curated collections of results

of your archaeological and cultural heritage projects and can

publish them on your own, secure hosted platform to share in your

terms.

Finally, there’s a platform designed for and by cultural heritage

professionals that empowers us to share our rich data, media and

stories by understanding the complexities of real world

permissions and negotiations.

examples

Collector Donors provide

postcards, photos,

objects for scanning

in ‘Roadshows’

Team digitizes, uses

Codifi to add all key

data and prepare for

publishing online

Two sides to every

story - online, both

sides of cards are

presented (Codifi

can handle any

amount of media)

Connect Unique website

Curated experience

Direct upload from

Codifi

Managed through

differential access

with fine grain

controls

Multi-lingual

Codifi Connect is in private beta

Safe online place for digital cultural heritage

Secure data centers, archival services

Full control over how you share your data, media, results

Available in 2016

Codifi JVRP

Centralizes the entire

archaeological process

of field work, finds

processing, analysis,

interpretation,

publication, data

curation.