Component Two: Data Development

Data Development began in February 2008 and is ongoing.

	Archaeologists and other professionals from the Department of Antiquities of Jordan (DoA) in Irbid, learn various methods to electronically capture the boundaries of archaeological sites. In February 2008 work began to prepare data for eventual incorporation into MEGA-J. Photo: Alison Dalgity

A previous Jordanian GIS used at the DoA called JADIS (Jordan Antiquities Database and Information System) was developed in the early 1990s by a team led by Gaetano Palumbo and later enhanced by Stephen Savage of Arizona State University. JADIS contained a total of 10,408 records on archaeological sites. Although each of these records had numerous fields of information regarding a given site, the location of each site was only identified by a single geographic coordinate (e.g., longitude/latitude) and contained no information on the boundaries of the site. The JADIS location data also needed to be verified for accuracy using new and more accessible technologies that were not available when JADIS data was collected, such as GPS and Google Earth™.

The location of site boundaries is essential information for the DoA when confronted with protecting archaeological sites from, among other things, development (e.g., urban sprawl, roads, pipelines). The new system, therefore, will require polygons (i.e., three or more points) to identify each site boundary. It will also benefit from the ability to record the location of elements within site boundaries, including points (for smaller elements such as wells); lines (for such elements as roads or walls); and polygons (for elements like mosques, churches, theaters).

	Ancient roads are another common form of archaeological site found in Jordan, in this case a Roman road in the city of Madaba. Photo David Myers

Recognizing that recording site and element boundaries would entail a significant amount of work for DoA staff, the process was begun early in the project and is running parallel with development of the new system. Two laptops, specially configured for a new data collection and processing system, have been installed at DoA offices in Amman and Irbid, and several DoA staff members were trained to begin completing and correcting the existing JADIS data so that they will be ready for incorporation into the new GIS once it is complete. The Amman and Irbid offices will also be used for pilot implementation of the prototype system.

The data collection and processing system developed by Farallon Geographics and installed on the two laptops allows DoA staff to digitize the location and extent of archaeological sites using three different methods: 1) based on aerial images; 2) using the Google Earth™ interface, or 3) importing GPS coordinates collected in the field. PostGIS software, an open source relational database that supports GIS processing natively, is used to validate and store the site information. QuantumGIS (QGIS) software, an open source desktop GIS, allows DoA staff to enter site information into the database and review existing site and element boundaries.

Inspectors from the Jordan's Department of Antiquities (DoA) using a GPS device and a draft version of the site card to collect coordinates of the boundary of a site and simultaneously review the suitability of the draft site card. Photo: Mario Santana	A draft site card has been developed for recording new archaeological sites and site elements in MEGA-J. It will be reviewed and adjusted as it is used in the field. Additional forms are under development for recording information in the office and for monitoring the condition of sites over time.

Last updated: June 2008