Wessex Archaeology
I’m on the train; shall I email
you my coordinates…?
Mobile Geographic Information
Systems in Archaeology
Paul Cripps
•Geomatics Manager, Wessex Archaeology
•PGR student, University of Southampton, Archaeological Computing Research Group
Tom Goskar
•Web Manager, Wessex Archaeology
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
Overview
• History 2000-present
• Hardware
– PDA’s
– Tablets
– Smartphones
• Software
– Googlemaps
– MScape
• The bigger picture
– Access to information
– User generated content
• Case Study
– Stonehenge Landscape Tour
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
In the beginning…
• Expensive hardware • No mobile internet
– PDAs costing hundreds of – Simply didn’t exist!
pounds • Windows CE
– Survey grade kit costing – First incarnation
thousands of pounds
– Less than perfect…
– Low resolution digital cameras
• Limited comms
– Low accuracy GPS costing
£100+ – Wireless via infra-red serial
only
• Battery life (or not)
– Cables
– Seriously limiting
• No integration
– Separate units and cables for
GPS
– Camera integration virtually
impossible
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
Moving forward…
• Miniaturisation • Integration: the
– Smaller devices SmartPhone
– Single chip GPS – GPS built in
• Better batteries – Phone built in (3G, GPRS,
HSDPA)
– c. 8hrs with Windows
Mobile Device – Cameras
– Days with a Nokia • New devices and
SmartPhone, even with interfaces
GPS turned on! – Touch screens
• Better comms – (Ruggedised) Tablets
– Bluetooth – Netbooks
– Wifi – Dedicated survey units
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
The present day
• Range of devices, fully integrated
– Higher accuracy GPS
– High resolution (video) cameras
– High quality audio
• Cheap yet powerful
– SmartPhones free with mobile contract
• Mobile Internet everywhere!
– Subject to network coverage…
– Fast broadband access (up to 7.2 Mb/s)
• Operating Systems
– Symbian
– Windows Mobile
– Android
• Range of free and commercial software
– Full blown GIS eg PocketGIS, ArcPad
– Lightweight GIS applications eg GoogleMaps Mobile
– Offline dedicated ‘e-trail’ platforms eg mScape
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
So what is being done with it all…?
• Location based services
– Social Networking:
• FireEagle, Twitter, Dopplr, BrightKite, Google Latitude, etc
– Location based searches:
• where’s the nearest Chinese takeaway rated 4/5 or better…?
• Field recording
– Data capture and validation
• Tours and trails
– E-trails and mobile tours
– Links to online resources via GPS location, VR tags,
Wireless Hotspots, etc
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
and cultural heritage…?
• Tours and E-Trails
– eg RCAHMW Blaenavon E-Trail (mScape)
– eg NT Coastal Walks (pdfs to download or print)
• User generated Google Maps
– eg Stonehenge Landscape Tour
• QR tags
– eg the PowerHouse Museum, Sydney
• Demand for location-based content:
– Heritage Gateway mobile…?
– ADS mobile…?
– NT mobile…?
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
Case Study
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
The Stonehenge Landscape Tour
• Built using ArcGIS & • Shows selected sites around the World
Google Earth Heritage Site
• Distributed using Keyhole • Includes links to associated resources
Markup Language (KML) – Wikipedia
– Accessible to mobile – Wiltshire SMR online
devices (PDAs and
SmartPhones) via
GoogleMaps Mobile using
Mobile Internet
– Accessible to larger
devices (Tablets and
NetBooks) via
GoogleEarth (using Mobile
Internet) and GIS (offline)
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
On the phone…
• Works on Symbian,
Windows Mobile,
Android, iPhone, etc
• GPS location ideal but
can use cell tower
triangulation
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
Finding out more…
• Links to more info
– Wikipedia
– SMR online
• Aerial photography
– Built in to GoogleMaps
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
Getting there…
• Browse list of stops
• View map of stops
• Directions to stops
– Walking, driving, even
public transport (where
available)
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
For larger devices…
• Mobile Internet
enabled netbooks,
laptops and tablets can
run Google Earth
• Support
external/internal GPS
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
And in Google Earth…
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
Work in progress
• Currently ‘proof of concept’
• More content to be added
– More full descriptions
– Images and video
– More links to external resources
• More stops to add
• It is publicly accessible in current form
– Has been tested by us and other users
– Feedback
– www.tinyurl.com/shenge
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
Conclusions
• Now pretty straightforward to • Hardware now cheap and easy
provide mobile tours, e-trails to use
and access to information – Smartphones by the millions
– Online (Symbian, Windows Mobile,
– Offline Android, iPhone)
• Location based – Most include camera + GPS +
high speed internet
– GPS
– Free on £20 contracts,
– Cell-tower including 1Gb data allowance
– QR tags • Growing online infrastructure
– Bluetooth of cultural heritage info to
• Lots of software options make use of
– Many are free! – eg Heritage Gateway, ADS,
online SMRs
• So let’s build!
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009

Wessex Archaeology
fin
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/ I’m on the Train!’ - New Technologies and the Historic Environment: A Practical Guide for Geeks, Nerds and Technophobes. IFA, 2009