Innovative developments in geoinformatics and possibilities in archaeology

In the second half of September 2019, the Gorsium Open-Air Museum hosted a conference and demonstration day presenting some of the most recent geospatial development and their archaeological application. This was the second such meeting and this time the CLIR Research Center was present.

After the First Archaeologcial Geoinformatics Conference and Workshop held in Lakitelek in 2017, the second two-day installment was hosted by the King St. Stephen Museum of Székesfehérvár and took place amidst the Roman landscape of Gorsium. The first day was focused on presentation and discussions and on the second day, the colleagues of the Buda Castle Property Development and Management Non-Profit Co. held their geophysical workshop.

Due to minor organizational slips, fewer professionals attended the first day then intended, yet still many an experts participated and it was indeed fortunate, that not only the archaeological point of view was represented, but engineers gave presentations too. It is praiseworthy on behalf of the organizers that they provided time enough for discussions and talks, thus the conference passed in an animable, informal atmosphere.

The conference was primarily focused on the practical experiences of 3D data recording techniques, which have been booming in the last couple of years. It is clear, that domestic museums and other institutions utilize these opportunities integrally, yet the theoretical background of their application and issues related to increasing data storage raise several questions. However, few presentations elaborated the integrated geospatial development of archaeological surveys, yet these isolated examples presented expedient opportunities for participants. Topics on diverse non-invasive archaeological methods and their application as well as their geospatial interpretations constituted another important element of the meeting.

Máté Szabó PhD represented CLIR Research Center with the presentation “Microtopographical analyses in wake of invisible vegetation marks) and substituting András Balogh (Pazirik Informatics Ltd.) was a session chairman.

On the Friday workshop, under guidance of Máté Stibrány PhD and Gábor Mesterházy PhD presented geophysical hardware and processing methodology behind the results of several presentations from the conference on yesterday. Participants were not only acquainted with the equipment, but had their questions answered.

Alongside the professional venue, by favour of Olivér Loránd Kovács, participants were invited to visit the archaeological park with professional guidance by Olivér, to which the mild September weather provided a perfect setting.

Máté Szabó