Professional Documents
Culture Documents
From GPS to
Archaeological Map
for under 500 Euros
Presented at the
International Conference of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture
1. Saving a walked over Minoan enclosure wall trac from a GPS-receiver‘s Log file
(dwelling sites yellow) using a map 1:5000 (GYS). The track looks as untidy as
originally walked (depending on the landscape obstacles, e.g. bushes etc, that had
to be walked around).
2. First simplified draft drawing of all Minoan walls of the same area on the map.
(Note that some walls had been entered on the map by cartographers as walls -
e.g. arrow 1 – others as paths – e.g. arrow 2).
2
1
3. Clean redrawing in colours: Enclosures (enclosed area hatched) around
various neighbouring sites plus tracks of Minoan roads (orange lines, the road
on the map is modern). Note how the site of the cave (green) is also served by
the road system: Minoan use can be suggested.
The same part of the landscape as shown on the map above on a freely available
Google Earth Satellite image. Landuse features: Areas with good fields are
shaded green, medium good fields khaki.
Note: With this it can be suggested that the the site top left (yellow enclosure)
had the best agricultural revenue (of the area) in Minoan times.
Site Site
Site
Site Site
Site
Site
Cave
Site
Two examples of 3-D rendering of
(part of) the satellite image. Left:
20m isoheights (freely available
Dem file,USGS) Below: 4m
isoheights (self-drawn Dem file).
Note: The more detailed contour
resolution gives a clearer
impression of how the field areas
relate to terrain in valleys (with
alluvial soil, good) and terraces
(on rockier slopes, medium).
Minoan field area in an alluvial depression at a Minoan site in modern use (as cereal
field for animal fodder). Terraced slopes are not cultivated now, still farmers of the
area remember cereal cultivation on them until shortly after WW II.
Note: This kind of modern field gives an impression how even in rocky mountain
regions agriculture (i.e. cereal cultivation) is feasible. Possible landuse patterns of
the Bronze Age can be judged by this kind of example.
Example for 3-D rendering of architecture:
Measured were the massive foundation walls of a Middle Bronze Age ruin.
Traces of two round structures are marked by a moderate amount of rubble. An inner enclosure
wall seems to have surrounded a court with a rounded, level area inside (not used as modern
threshing floor).
The same ruin as 3-D image drawn with Google Sketchup based on the drawing (not set in contoured
landscape).
Note: The two round structures (in Minoan archaeology usually called „kouloures“) could possibly have been
granaries as is suggested here. The arable areas within the enclosure wall surrounding this site include
11.700 sqm of good and 12.000 sqm of medium quality fields (here counted with factor ½ of the good ones in
possible production).
Following the Greek encyclopedia Ηλιος 1.000 sqm of Greek field (without artificial fertilizers and irrigation)
produce ca 80-260 kg of barley per year, i.e. for site 33: 1.416 to 4.602 kg. Calculated using a comparative
actual average need of 128kg of cereals per person/year – i.e. 640 kg for a family of 5 - in a Cretan
household of the 1950ies (Allbaugh), thus up to 4.000 kg/year (with 0,6 kg/l of Cretan hulled barley: nearly 7
m3) of surplus could have been produced at this site if it was inhabited by a 5 person household – a good
reason for the existence of two granaries.
Cost of software and equipment used for this project: