Archaeology on YouTube: 2025.06.01

Join the AIA for a fascinating evening with Mark Aldenderfer presenting "Archaeology and the Tibetan/Himalayan Afterlife" This presentation was given live at 8pm Eastern/on April 9, 2025. Description: Although historians and Tibetologists since the early 20th century have collected and interpreted religious documents describing in general terms rituals of death and safe passage to the afterlife among the early peoples of the Himalayas, the archaeological record offered little insight into them. But recent research by archaeologists across the region have made extraordinary discoveries that both challenge and corroborate current understandings as well as identifying previously unknown traditions for both commoners and kings.

Join the AIA as Rosemary Joyce (University of California, Berkeley) presents Complex Society Without Rulers. This lecture was given live at 8pm Eastern on March 19, 2025. Description: For many people, the word "archaeology" conjures up images monuments, traces of the lives of powerful rulers who can seem to be inevitable parts of any urban, agricultural society. But there are other stories archaeology can tell about societies where there is no apparent ruler, but where many of the hallmarks of "complex society" are found. This lecture explores one such society, the ancient Ulúa culture of northern Honduras, neighbors to Classic Maya states where people used religion to reinforce social relations in a society of wealthy farmers who enjoyed artworks of extraordinary beauty.

Society Sunday 2025 - March 9, 2025 Find your local AIA Society and see what they're up to: https://www.archaeological.org/programs/societies/find/ Join us as the AIA Societies Committee presents a virtual presentation and Q&A with Iyaxel Cojtí Ren presenting “Communal Government and Forms of Dependency in the K'iche' State” This presentation was be given live at 1pm Eastern on March 9, 2025. In the Maya highlands during the Late Postclassic period (1250-1524 CE), the K'iche' created an expansive state able to subdue various nations and form a network of dependent polities. Join archaeologist Iyaxel Cojtí Ren as she explains how the key to this lies in the K'iche' forms of local community organization and how they were integrated into the larger K'iche' political unit. Learn about the most common forms of community organization: chinamit and amaq'. Their members practiced communal solidarity and forms of communal government, which were vital for reproduction, problem-solving, and territorial defense. The K'iche' state’s strength resulted from incorporating these communities, chinamit and amaq', and adopting some of their values and forms of government. For example, in the Colonial-period K'iche' texts, the term tzuq “to sustain, to feed” appears frequently to describe the relationship of mutual dependence that existed between rulers and K’iche’ communities. This means that the rulers also had obligations to take care of the population under their authority. And while reciprocity between rulers and those they ruled was far from equal, the communal form of government employed by the K'iche' allowed representatives of the people to exert sufficient influence to prevent oppressive rulers and defend the people’s interests.

Join the AIA as Zainab Bahrani (Columbia University) presents Towards an Archaeology of Preservation. This lecture was given live at 8pm Eastern on February 26, 2025. Description: The history of archaeology as a scientific discipline has received a great deal of attention in recent years. As a result of extensive archival research and the reading of archives against the grain, alternative or indigenous archaeologies and earlier forms of relationships to the past—such as antiquarianism—have also begun to receive more serious scholarly attention. Since the 1990s, Zainab Bahrani’s scholarship has contributed to these historical directions in archaeology. She now augments archival and theoretical work with fieldwork, presenting some of the archaeological evidence of millennia of preservation and conservation practices in the landscape of Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan. Bio: Zainab Bahrani is the Edith Porada Professor of Art History and Archaeology and Chair of the Department of Art History at Columbia University. She writes on ancient art and philosophical aesthetics, the history and politics of archaeology, collecting and the modernist and contemporary art and architecture of Iraq. She has also published widely on the destruction of historical heritage in war and occupation. Dr. Bahrani directs the Mapping Mesopotamian Monuments projects to document and conserve historical architecture and rock reliefs in Iraqi Kurdistan, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. Since 2019 she has been the Director of the Bahdinan-Mosul Gate conservation project in Amadiya/Amedi in Iraqi Kurdistan. Dr. Bahrani is the author of several books including Women of Babylon: Gender and Representation in Mesopotamia (Routledge, 2001), The Graven Image: Representation in Babylonia and Assyria (University of Pennsylvania, 2003), Rituals of War (Zone/MIT, 2008) which won the American Historical Association Prize, and The Infinite Image: Art, Time and the Aesthetic Dimension in Antiquity (Reaktion/University of Chicago, 2014) which won the Lionel Trilling Prize, and Mesopotamia: Art and Architecture (Thames and Hudson, 2018). She is also editor and co-author of volumes written to accompany her co-curated exhibitions: Scramble for the Past: A Story of Archaeology in the Ottoman Empire 1753-1914 (Istanbul, 2011) and Modernism and Iraq (New York, 2009). Her new book is, War Essays, UCL Press, 2025. Distinctions include election to the Slade Professorship at Oxford, and awards form the Getty Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, a 2003 Guggenheim, and a 2019 Carnegie award. In 2020 she was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Join the AIA as Uzma Rizvi (Pratt Institute) presents Caring for MohenjoDaro Description: How do we understand care in the ancient world? This talk will focus on current archaeological research conducted in the city of MohenjoDaro (a World Heritage Site) located in contemporary Pakistan (Sindh Province). Archaeological excavations at MohenjoDaro document hundreds of dwelling-houses and large buildings built along streets and lanes oriented towards cardinal points, which index an architectural sophistication of a well-planned city. This talk will focus on the neighborhood of DK-G South, and look for indicators of care in the many ways the ancient inhabitants maintained their lived environment over generations. Bio: Uzma Z. Rizvi is Professor of Anthropology and Urban Studies at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY; and Visiting Faculty in the Department of Archaeology, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, Pakistan. Dr. Rizvi holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Bryn Mawr College, and a postdoctoral fellowship from Stanford University. She is an anthropological archaeologist specializing in the archaeology of the first cities. She teaches classes focused on anthropology, ancient urbanism, critical heritage studies, decolonizing methodologies and the postcolonial critique. She is the PI for the Laboratory for Integrated Archaeological Visualization and Heritage (liavh.org), and is currently working at MohenjoDaro. She has published widely and has presented her work to many different audiences, both domestically and internationally. With nearly two decades of work on decolonizing methodologies, intersectional and feminist strategies, and transdisciplinary approaches, Dr. Rizvi’s work has intentionally pushed disciplinary limits, and demanded ethical decolonial praxis at all levels of engagement, from teaching to research.

UPDATE: Please note the following updated information for this meeting that was rescheduled for May. Costa Rica has been added to the docket for this meeting.The letter submission deadline is May 13, 2025 and the new docket number is [DOS-2025-0003]. If you previously submitted a letter for the February you need not resubmit. More info: https://www.archaeological.org/preserving-chile-costa-rica-italy-morocco-and-vietnam/ If you’ve traveled to Chile, Italy, Morocco, or Vietnam and/or appreciate their cultural heritage, your experience and passion can help the U.S. Cultural Property Advisory Committee with their upcoming deliberations. Watch this short video to find out how you can join the AIA to speak up for threatened archaeological sites. Visit www.archaeological.org/preser... for letter templates and more information. Submit your comments on regulations.gov on the docket: [DOS-2024-0048-0001] and follow the prompts!

Join the AIA as Solange Ashby (UCLA) presents Ancient African Queens This lecture was given live at 8pm Eastern on October 16, 2024. Description: This lecture focuses on a sequence of queens of the ancient kingdom of Meroe (Kush/Nubia) who ruled contemporaneously with Roman control of Egypt and the authors of the New Testament gospels in the 1st century of the Common Era (AD). Dr. Ashby contrasts the queens’ self presentation with the ways in which New Testament authors and contemporary Greek historians such as Strabo describe the sole-ruling Meroitic queens. Bio: Solange Ashby received her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Dr. Ashby’s expertise in ancient languages, including Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Meroitic, underpins her research into the history of religious transformation in Northeast Africa. Her book, Calling Out to Isis: The Enduring Nubian Presence at Philae, explores the Egyptian temple of Philae as a Nubian sacred site. Her second book explores the lives of five Nubian women from history including queens, priestesses, and mothers. Dr. Ashby is an Assistant Professor in the department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA where she teaches Egyptology and Nubian Studies.

Join the AIA as Chip Colwell (SAPIENS) presents On the Origins of Stuff. This lecture was given live at 8pm Eastern on September 25, 2024. Description: Over three million years ago, our ancient ancestors realized that rocks could be broken into sharp-edged objects for slicing meat, making the first knives. This discovery resulted in a good meal—and eventually changed the fate of our species and our planet. In this talk, Chip Colwell shares his thrilling and accessible new book, So Much Stuff: How Humans Discovered Tools, Invented Meaning, and Made More of Everything published by the University of Chicago Press. An archaeologist, public anthropologist, and former museum curator, Colwell traveled the world to investigate how humanity took three leaps that led to stuff becoming inseparable from our lives—inspiring a love affair with things that made humans who we are and may also lead us to our downfall. Bio: Chip Colwell is an associate research professor at the University of Colorado, Denver, and the editor-in-chief of SAPIENS, a digital magazine of the Wenner-Gren Foundation about anthropological thinking and discoveries. He is the author and editor of 13 books including Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits: Inside the Fight to Reclaim Native America’s Culture, which received six major book awards.

Live presentation recorded on May 17, 2024. Letter deadline is May 28, 2024. More info: https://www.archaeological.org/preserving-ecuador-jordan-and-ukraine/ Visit (or revisit) some incredible archaeological highlights from these three countries and learn more about how to compose a letter to the Cultural Property Advisory Committee during our webinar. Join the AIA for brief presentations by experts who have traveled, lived, and worked in Ecuador, Jordan, and/or Ukraine and learn how you can advocate for the protection of archaeological sites in these three countries. The countries of Ecuador and Jordan recently requested that the U.S. renew the bilateral agreements that protects their cultural resources from being illegally imported into the United States and Ukraine has requested that a similar bilateral agreement with the United States be put into place for the very first time. After a whirlwind virtual trip across the globe with cultural heritage professionals Sarah Rowe (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), Morag Kersel (Depaul University) and Roksolana Makar (Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab), make sure you join AIA VP for Cultural Heritage Ömür Harmanşah in writing a letter in support of preserving the cultural heritage of Ecuador, Jordan, and Ukraine to the U.S. Cultural Property Advisory Committee!

Letter deadline: May 28, 2024 If you’ve traveled to Ecuador, Jordan, or Ukraine and/or appreciate their cultural heritage, your experience and passion can help the U.S. Cultural Property Advisory Committee with their upcoming deliberations. Watch this short video to find out how you can join the AIA to speak up for threatened archaeological sites. Visit https://www.archaeological.org/preserving-ecuador-jordan-and-ukraine/ for letter templates and more information.

This week’s Heritage Staff Pick takes you deep into the mountains of southwest China, where tradition meets mystery. Follow an American art professor and her students as they apprentice with Kam artisans to uncover the secrets of ancient, eco-friendly indigo dyeing—only to find that one key detail keeps the mystery alive. Watch now on Heritage Broadcasting Service! 📽️ #IndigoDyeing #KamCulture #HeritageBroadcasting #DocumentaryLovers #TextileTraditions ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/yt/1672-heritage-broadcasting-service) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/)

“Bidla” explores the fusion of traditional Maltese Għana and hip-hop, capturing the debate between artists who see it as a way to keep heritage alive and traditionalists who fear it dilutes cultural authenticity. Watch this amazing film and more on Heritage today! #heritage #culture #DocumentaryFilm #film #FilmHistory #musichistory #musicculture #amandaeke

Born in small-town Oklahoma, Te Ata (meaning "Bearer of the Morning") became a trailblazer, captivating audiences around the world with her powerful performances. As a proud Chickasaw woman, she used her art to challenge stereotypes and preserve Native culture. 🪶🎭 Her legacy as a performer and cultural ambassador opened doors for Native Americans in the arts, leaving a lasting impact on the world. Watch this inspiring film on Heritage to learn more about her incredible journey. ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #HeritageSaturday #TeAta #IndigenousArt #ChickasawPride #NativeAmericanLegacy #CulturalExpression #Trailblazer #FilmPick

Go to: (https://heritagetac.org/yt/1672-heritage-broadcasting-service) to sign up with your Youtube Account! or (https://heritagetac.org/) We do not have any ads! The background film is our film Beloved. You will find films on history, culture, heritage, and more to enjoy! We are a small non-profit organization located in Eugene OR.

A sound is heard from the depth of the soil, as the archaeological exploration of the Shahr-e Sukhteh (The Burnt City) goes on. While following the archaeologists, the film at the same time seeks out the sound coming from the depths of the soil and steps deep into history to accompany the ancient citizens of the city. The film depicts this wonderful city, near Zabol in Iran, which was home to one of the highest civilizations at the dawn of history, lasting for over 1,400 years. Shahr-e Sukhteh had no central government or leadership. It was administered by a matriarchal group, meaning that power was in the hands of women. It may be for this reason that we witness no trace of violence or war in this city. This quality is something that the world desperately needs today. FIND US ON: ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/)

Season 11 Episode 8 Strata: Portraits of Humanity, May 2025 (Making spear-throwers) “Crook Hat and Camphoo”: Crook Hat and Camphoo are Alyawarr Elders, from central Australia, both concerned about the survival of traditional skills and culture. In this film, they pass on knowledge and skills relating to making spears and spear-throwers (woomeras). The two Elders go into the bush to find suitable tree branches. As they make their spears and woomeras, they reflect on the ingenuity of the old ways, and remember being taught by their fathers. This short film is a moving and eloquent reflection on the transfer of knowledge from Elders to a new generation of Aboriginal people and to a wider world. Watch on The Archaeology Channel (https://www.archaeologychannel.org/index.php/video-guide/strata-portraits-of-humanity) or Heritage Broadcasting Service. ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #heritage #strata #archaeology #archeology #anthropology #history #culturalheritage #strataportraitsofhumanity #culture #film #documentary

Heritage Broadcasting Service ( https://www.heritagetac.org ), or just plain Heritage, launched on January 1, 2021. Developed by the nonprofit Archaeological Legacy Institute (that’s us, the people who created The Archaeology Channel at archaeologychannel.org), Heritage features more than 300 outstanding film titles from many countries on familiar subjects. As of May 15, 2025, new films include: “intin & the Mystery of the Rascar Capac Mummy,” "Pearl" and “Strata: Portraits of Humanity Season 11, Episode 8,” featuring “Crook Hat and Camphoo.” ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #archaeology #archeology #heritage #anthropology #history #culture #heritagebroadcastingservice #film #documentary

Happy Mother's Day with Heritage Broadcasting Service! We recommend these two films to enjoy this weekend. Both films, Cedar: Tree of Life and Six Generations explore how knowledge and stories are passed down generation to generation through motherly figures. What is something culturally significant to you that you learned from a motherly figure in your life? To enjoy these films sign up for your free trial or purchase a subscription at: ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #culture #history #heritage #indigenous #anthropology #documentary #archaeology #archeo #mother #mothersday

Happy Saturday! It's time for a Heritage Staff Pick! This weekend we recommend watching Beloved. This film documents the day to day of an Iranian elder, Firouzeh. She was married and widowed young and raised 11 children that no longer visit her in the Iranian mountains. Follow along while she tends to her beloved cows and works hard everyday to survive. Watch now and other amazing films on Heritage! ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #film #films #iran #beloved #cows #herder #culure #history #education #documentary

Join Heritage this Cinco De Mayo by enjoying these suggested films that highlight how food is a form of resistence and holds stories from our collective past. Enjoy by subscribing on Heritage today! ► HERITAGE: (https://heritagetac.org/) ► INSTAGRAM: / (https://www.instagram.com/heritagebroadcastingservice/) / (https://www.instagram.com/archaeologychannel/) ► FACEBOOK: / (https://www.facebook.com/TheArchaeologyChannel/) #culture #heritage #cincodemayo #5may #mexico #maize #corn #culturalheritage #resistence

There are a lot of archaeological news stories every month, so we wanted to round up three stories from May 2025 that you don't want to miss. Check out our news shorts for weekly archaeology news updates. Check out Dr. Cargill's Online Class 'Cities of the Bible' patreon.com/bibleandarch/shop Become a patron for bonus content and early access: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu Visit the Bible & Archaeology website: http://www.uiowa.edu/bam Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bible-and-archaeology/id1753393688 Find us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3tbe91wqMwkHcudArRi1ue?si=d483a9f54bf94753 0:00 Herculaneum Scrolls Update 1:38 New Tombs at Luxor 3:28 Banias

This week, Dr. Tate Paulette joins Jordan to discuss beer in ancient Mesopotamia! What do we know about the origins of beer? Do we know who drank beer or what it tasted like? Did ancient Mesopotamia have a beer culture? And what's the deal with straws? Looking for more? Check out Dr. Tate Paulette's book "In the Land of Ninkasi: A History of Beer in Ancient Mesopotamia." https://global.oup.com/academic/product/in-the-land-of-ninkasi-9780197682449 Or this essay: https://aeon.co/essays/mesopotamians-found-beer-celebratory-intoxicating-and-erotic Join Dr. Cargill for his new online course Cities of the Bible: patreon.com/bibleandarch/shop Become a patron for bonus content and early access: http://www.patreon.com/bibleandarch Send us your questions: bible-archaeology@uiowa.edu Visit the Bible & Archaeology website: http://www.uiowa.edu/bam Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bible-and-archaeology/id1753393688 Find us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3tbe91wqMwkHcudArRi1ue?si=d483a9f54bf94753 Guest: Dr. Tate Paulette, Associate Professor in the Department of History at North Carolina State University https://chass.ncsu.edu/people/tpaulet/ Hosted, Produced, and Edited by Jordan Jones Additional Contributions by Mary Kathryn Lichty The Bible & Archaeology podcast is made with support from Amanda Stone 0:00 Intro 3:30 Experimental Archaeology 9:12 Beer in Mesopotamia? 12:56 Archaeological origins of beer? 16:11 Beer culture 26:50 Drunkenness 30:24 Beer and Sex 33:26 The role of beer in daily life 39:02 Future research

Check out the podcast for our full conversation. Available now on Patreon.

Is Genesis 2:24 a definition of marriage?

Check out our podcast for the full conversation.

Diego Jiménez-Badillo The project seeks to solve the problem of differentiating cultural heritage objects based on shape characteristics. This is a pervasive challenge in disciplines such as Archaeology and Art History, where researchers routinely face the need to establish or test the validity of artefact typologies through a careful analysis of their formal characteristics, as a means to determining their place of provenance, chronology or position in certain artistic style. The proposal consists in applying a combination of computer vision, machine learning and digital humanities techniques to highlight formal differences and similarities within a set of objects, which can then lead to an automatic recognition of meaningful classes within the collection. After acquiring 3D digital models of the collection under study, the method consists in subjecting every pair of objects to 3D morphing algorithms. The purpose is creating hundreds of artificial 3D models whose forms lie in-between the shapes of the original pair of real artefacts. This process is repeated for every combination of objects, resulting in hundreds of thousands of models, which represent an “atlas” of all possible shape variations expected for such set. Finally, the geometric characteristics of all these models are classified with deep-learning techniques to highlight the main shape-patterns defining that cultural heritage collection in particular. Based on the findings of this automatic, save-timing method, professionals in cultural heritage would be able to use their time and intellect more rationally, dedicating their best efforts to answer research questions related to the meaning of form variations in their collections.

Martin Hinz, Caroline Heitz Since 2016, in the SNSF-project 'Mobilities, entanglements and transformations in Neolithic societies on the Swiss Plateau (3900-3500 BC)', we have been using a computer-aided classification of vessel shapes to investigate completely preserved Neolithic pottery of Swiss wetland sites and neighbouring regions from the 4th M BC beyond classical typologies and cultural assignments. We follow a holistic approach in which the entire vessel body is understood as a rotational body. One side of the rasterized, filled and equally scaled profile is extracted, and via a simple transfer of the image information into a matrix, the profile line is converted into 400 measuring points. The profile information, enriched with nominal as well as metric values, can be evaluated using various multivariate methods. We opted for a combination of t-sne as ordination and dimension-reducing method and HDBSCAN as cluster algorithm for this analysis. This approach was accompanied by a impressionistic classification by hand. We found that both methods complement each other meaningfully: While computer-aided classification was able to work out more general, cross-cultural trends, which can be interpreted with regard to the function of the vessels and a consumer perspective, impressionistic classification leads to an identification of different styles, which rather open up a producer perspective. The juxtaposition of both methods on the same material can be used to overcome existing stereotypes in the ceramic classification. Furthermore the results also serve to identify yet unresolved shortcomings of the computer-based approach, which will be addressed in the future.

Erik Gjesfjeld The emergence of big data across the sciences has renewed interest in the conceptual and methodological tools for classification and clustering. Archeological data, while not often "big" in volume, is often characterized by a substantial degree of variability in the quality of data collected. This disparity in data has become accentuated in recent years with the emergence of digital data repositories and the challenges associated with integrating datasets together. This paper will focus on evaluating the various classification schemes associated with categorical data. Nominal or categorical data is a common source of data for archaeologists but has limitations in its usage with common classification or clustering techniques, such as principal component analysis. The data used in this research will derive from two large digital databases: 1) the Southwest Social Networks Database, curated by Archaeology Southwest, comprising nearly 4.4 million ceramic artifacts, and 2) typology data associated with Jomon pottery in Japan. These databases are representative of many digital archaeological data sets which consist of discrete typological designations and few if any continuous variables. Results of the work aim to high light the advantages and disadvantages of classification approaches from traditional chi-square approaches to more advanced methods such as support vector machines. The broader outcome of this research is to contribute to the emerging methodological discussion surrounding the classification of categorical data and the influence of different classification schemes on the development of archaeological narratives.

When the first archaeological data was deposited to the Swedish National Data Service (SND, www.snd.gu.se/en) in late 2011, we were not prepared at all. Our management system, built for social science survey data, could not handle the new types of metadata that were required to make the archaeological data searchable, findable, and visible in our data catalogue. The management system was partially adapted in late 2012 when data for almost 400 archaeological surveys had been deposited and processed. However, the online catalogue and the search functionality had to be expanded and that took time. In 2013 the ARIADNE project was launched with SND as one of the technical partners. One of our tasks was to help develop and implement the services for the ARIADNE portal. Technical knowledge acquired during the project meant that the search system and the catalogue at SND could be developed to a basic level so that the archaeological data finally could be found and accessed. SND’s new portal search engine based on the same technology as ARIADNE’s portal, has been operative since early 2017, with new filters, map search, and a lot more. The ARIADNEplus project starting in 2019 will provide for further services, tools and a better catalogue. As a technical partner, we are looking forward to implement some of these as well… This presentation will show that the exchange of technical knowledge between project partners in international and national collaborations has the potential to raise the quality and service level in research infrastructures.

This session invites papers reflecting on the direction of development for research infrastructures in archaeology at the project, local, regional, national or international level. The successful completion in 2017 of the first phase of ARIADNE, an EC Infrastructures-funded project spanning 23 partners in 18 European countries, produced a greater understanding of how large-scale infrastructures can contribute to the development of archaeological knowledge (www.ariadne-infrastructure.eu). This spanned a variety of deliverables, and featured the ARIADNE Portal (portal.ariadne-infrastructure.eu). It also resulted in a better understanding of how project-based, local, regional and national infrastructures can work together to support and strengthen their own internal efforts, and participate in cross-border initiatives. The lessons learned within ARIADNE have informed the structure of the next phase of the ARIADNE infrastructure (ARIADNEplus), which will focus on broadening participation across Europe, and understanding best-practice worldwide. This session will be an opportunity to reflect on the results of the first phase of the ARIADNE project, to provide context with contributions from local, regional, national, or project-based infrastructures to discuss ongoing challenges, accomplishments, and wishes for the future. It will introduce the next phase of ARIADNE, and create a forum for ongoing discussion of the role, and direction of development of archaeological infrastructures in coming years.

Bart Vissers 3D-analysis and manipulation tools are increasingly available within GIS-software. Building an archaeological (intra site) 3DGIS-model may still involve working within different environments (GIS, modeling software, CAD). A small tool is presented, that directly transfers selected 3D-features and their attribute data between these environments, similar to copy-paste-func tionality. This allows a more iterative workflow. The code has been written in C# and maxscript. For each feature in the selection, the 'transmitting' add-in stores vertices, edges, faces in a temporary buffer on disk, together with attribute data. Coordinates are transformed to a local coordinate system. The 'receiving' plug-in then translates the data from the buffer using platform-specific primitives and attaches the attributes. The tool is used as one of several auxiliary scripts for a 3DGIS of the stratigraphy of the Rokin-site in Amsterdam.

Fanet Göttlich As part of a ceramics study of Iron Age amphorae from the site of Tell el-Burak (southern Lebanon), it was tested how three-dimensional recordings of the ceramic fragments can be included in their documentation and analysis. This pilot project aims at increasing the available data and therefore to improve the analytical procedures by adding 3D data. Compared to the standard drawing method these data are objectively recorded, can be used non-invasively and can be shared worldwide. During the campaign 2018, a trial setup was tested and several studies were conducted on the best recording technique. Subsequently, the parameters for the most successful processing path were tested and determined. The objective was initially based on the results of conventional ceramic documentation. Thereby, the method structure-from-motion was chosen for the three-dimensional documentation because of financial as well as organizational reasons. For optimal resolution and accuracy, many parameters of the method have been evaluated and adapted. The processing workflow has been adapted effectively by using appropriate software and its features. The calculated single 3D model represents the entire sherd, since finally the original find must remain in the country of origin. For foreign campaigns an uncomplicated, effective and cost-effective solution is important. Thus, only a serial and therefore fast and, above all, economic method meets the demands of documentation procedures abroad. This project is made possible by the cooperation of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Dr. Aar on Schmitt) and the center for digital cultural heritage in museums (ZEDIKUM) - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.

Allard Mees, Florian Thiery Alligator and the Academic Meta Tool (AMT) are two prototypical little minions which in combination allow for establishing relative chronologies according to Allen’s interval algebra as Linked Open Data. Starting with a correspondence analyse, this combination of tools achieves temporal reasoning with vague edge information in RDF graphs. The semantical structure of Alligator and AMT is described in ontologies to provide reproducible, interoperable and comprehensible research results. Alligator is developed at the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz (RGZM). It consists of an ontology and a web app for transforming correspond ence analyses with fixed and floating time intervals into a relative chronology and Resource Description Framework (RDF) representation using Allen's interval algebra. The Academic Meta Tool is developed at the Mainz Centre for Digitality in the Humanities and Cultural Studies (mainzed), the RGZM and the i3mainz - Institute for Spatial Information and Surveying Technology at the Hochschule Mainz University of Applied Sciences. AMT allows for creating ontologies and provides a JavaScript framework for modelling vagueness in graphs, including reasoning, particularly modelled as RDF. This minion talk focuses on a short technical insight into the little minions Alligator and AMT. The tools are demonstrated with an example of Limes 218 dating with Samian.

Ronald Visser The Valletta treaty has led to an increase of archaeological research during the last decades. This has lead to an avarage of 7000 archeological reports per year over the last ten years (data:https://www.narcis.nl/search/coll/publication/Language/NL/meta_repositorygroupid/rce). To synthesize these results the Cultural Heritage Agency has started a program called the Oogst van Malta (The Yield of the Valletta treaty). The subject in one of the projects within this program is agriculture within cities. Due to the large number of reports that we had to analyse within this project, we decided to apply text mining to all reports to select the most useful reports. For this purpose only open source tools were used, with Arch Linux (https://www.archlinux. org/), R (https://www.r-project.org/, including several libraries) and PostgreSQL (https://www.postgresql.org/) being the main tools. The help of these minions saved an enormous amount of time and made the whole process more replicable. The digital workflow will be presented and shared during the session

Martina Trognitz Currently I am working with Aegean seals, which are all documented in the „Corpus der Minoischen und Mykenischen Siegel“ (CMS). The CMS is a long term project existing since 1958 which aims at documenting and publishing all known Aegean seals. The major part of this publication is done in 25 printed volumes and nine supplements which represent a fundamental research tool for the Aegean glyptic. Some of these volumes were digitised and are freely available (http://books.ub.uniheidelberg.de/propylaeum/catalog/series/cms). Amongst these “A Bibliography for Aegean Glyptic in the Bronze Age” by John G. Younger is included (http://dx.doi.org/10.11588/propylaeum.367.518). This bibliography provides an ideal starting point into this research area, by not only providing references but also by grouping them thematically and geographically. The volume was published in 1991 and does not contain references later than 1990. Very recently a small project funded by the German Wikimedia Foundation Based was started in order to create an online interactive and easily extensible bibliography. Its initial content will collect all information available from the published bibliography. Data will be stored in Wikidata which allows anybody to collaborate, correct andextend information. The references will be pulled together via an API and presented to end users in a dedicated web interface (possibly based on Open Knowledge Maps) with filtering and exporting options. The whole project and its source code will be openly documented from its beginning throughout its process and end. Final results aim to be generic enough to allow creating bibliographies for other subjects