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Space and Time: Methods in Geospatial Computing for Mapping the Past

23rd and 24th July 2007

This symposium will be a conjoining of the Arts and Humanities e-Science Theme lecture on Space and Time (external link: http://www.nesc.ac.uk/esi/themes/theme_06/index.htm) and a workshop funded by the AHRC ICT Methods Network (external link: http://www.methodsnetwork.ac.uk) entitled 'Space and Time: Methods in Geospatial Computing for Mapping the Past'. Many geospatial mapping technologies come under the headings of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), although this term means different things to different specialists. For this reason, and although GIS will doubtless feature prominently in the discussions, we have deliberately avoided its use in the title.

Many excellent case studies exist of application of geospatial technologies in the archaeological and historical domains, and particular aspects of the subject have been examined in cross-regional and cross-methodological ways. These have been stimulated by - and stimulate - rapid technological change, and a deeper embedding of that technology in research, as scholars from across the humanities become progressively more aware of the immense enabling power offered by approaching, managing and analyzing their resources geospatially. As this agenda moves beyond the traditional 'magic circle' of so-called 'Spatially Aware Professionals' to production-level services and methods in the wider humanities communities, we feel that the time has come for a domain-wide overview of the methodologies; how their different aspects are defined; and how, once defined, those aspects can inform and provoke research-led development in one another.

Over two days, an international and interdisciplinary group of experts will come together to address this. We have identified three high-level aspects:

   * Scale
   * Heterogeneity
   * Standards and Metadata

Places are limited, and registration will be essential. More information on registration will be posted here shortly. For any other information, please contact Leif Isaksen (l.isaksen@oxfordarch.co.uk) or Stuart Dunn (stuart.sunn@kcl.ac.uk).