Spatial Humanities

At the i3mainz we perceive Spatial Humanities as the application of information- and surveying-technology in the humanities. The focus is put on the acquisition and the processing of spatial data, applying methods from geoinformatics and 3D-object documentation in the domains of archaeology and cultural as well as art-history.

Since years supported by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate as “Competence Centre for Spatial Information-Technology in the Humanities”, i3mainz has established comprehensive competences, distinguished human resources and appropriate technical infrastructure.

We consider “Spatial Humanities” a subdiscipline of “Digital Humanities” (also called “e-humanities”), in which the i3mainz introduces its specific technological capabilities into the establishment of this innovative research field.

Contact Person

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Boochs

Tel.: +49 6131-628-1432
Fax.: +49 6131-628-91432

Prof. Dr. phil. Kai-Christian Bruhn

Tel.: +49 6131-628-1433
Fax.: +49 6131-628-91433

Projects

other projects »

Publications

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COSCH - Vier Jahre interdisziplinärer Dialog zum Nutzen des kulturellen Erbes.

2017

RTF

KulturBetrieb - Magazin für innovative und wirtschaftliche Lösungen in Museen, Bibliotheken und Archiven

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book review: M. Maříková, Ch. Zschieschang (Hrsg.), Wassermühlen und Wassernutzung im mittelalterlichen Ostmitteleuropa. Forschungen zur Geschichte und Kultur des östlichen Mitteleuropa 50 (Stuttgart 2015)

2017

RTF

Zeitschrift für Ostmitteleuropa-Forschung

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Katastrophenmanagement: Die geflutete Stadt

2017

RTF

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Ontology-based Knowledge Representation for Recommendation of Optimal Recording Strategies - Photogrammetry and Laser Scanning as Examples.

2017

RTF

gis.Science

Experts’ knowledge about optical technologies for spatial and spectral recording is logically structured and stored in an ontology-based knowledge representation with the aim to provide objective recommendations for recording strategies. Besides operational functionalities and technical parameters such as measurement principles, instruments, and setups further factors such as the targeted application, data, physical characteristics of the object, and external influences are considered creating a holistic view on spectral and spatial recording strategies. Through this approach impacting factors on the technologies and generated data are identified. Semantic technologies allow to flexibly store this knowledge in a hierarchical class structure with dependencies, interrelations and description logic statements. Through an inference system the knowledge can be retrieved adapted to individual needs.

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Terrain difficulty as a relevant proxy for objectifying mobility patterns and economic behaviour in the Aurignacian of the Middle Danube region: the case of Stratzing (Austria)

2017

RTF

The Exploitation of Raw Materials in Prehistory: Sourcing, Processing and Distribution

This paper addresses the factors that conditioned the choices in lithic resource procurement for tool making at the Late Aurignacian site of Stratzing-Galgenberg (Austria), based on the lithic assemblage from the main area of the site. The raw materials used in the analysed assemblage are varied and partly relate to various local and non-local proveniences. The importance of non-local flint in the assemblage contradicts the distance decay model according to which the amount of a given raw material decreases with the increasing distance from its source. Drawing on the approach developed recently by Lucy Wilson, we examine the predictive ability of “source attractiveness” with respect to terrain difficulty and energy expenditure to understand why some sources were used more than others, using a Geographic Information System (GIS). Our results indicate that terrain difficulty and mobility costs matter and have a better predictive ability than Euclidean distance alone to explain assemblage variability in the Aurignacian of the Middle Danube region.

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How to optimally record cultural heritage objects? Decision support through connected knowledge.

2017

RTF

EVA Berlin 2017. Elektronische Medien & Kunst, Kultur und Historie 24. Berliner Veranstaltung der internationalen EVA-Serie Electronic Media and Visual Arts, 2017

Optical recording of material cultural heritage (CH) is a multidisciplinary activity where the understanding of cross-disciplinary semantics is vital for a successful completion. In many cases, a lack of understanding of transdisciplinary semantics slows this process down. The end users who are mostly humanities experts lack the technical knowledge of spatial and spectral recording and could therefore demand more than what is actually required or sufficient for the intended CH application. The negotiations between technical experts and the end users are a tedious process. We present a semantic-based decision support system, COSCH^KR, that employs reasoning and recommends optimal recording technology(ies) according to the application requirements of the recorded and processed data. COSCH^KR is an ontology-based knowledge model that implies the development of semantic technologies within the Semantic Web framework. It represents formalized knowledge of the disciplines involved in the process of optical recording of material CH. The paper describes the applicability of the model in spatial, spectral, and visualization applications and summarises current possibilities and challenges.

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Digital 3D reconstructed models: Using semantic technologies for recommendations in visualization applications

2017

RTF

Studies in Digital Heritage

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An Interdisciplinary Discussion of the Terminologies used in Cultural Heritage Research

2017

RTF

A. Bentkowska-Kafel, L. MacDonald (eds), Digtial Techniques for Documenting and Preserving Cultural Heritage.

Accuracy, Artefact, Feature, Precision, Reconstruction, Resolution, Texture, Uncertainty are words central to many discussions of the documentation of CH. This chapter charts the interdisciplinary discussion towards a common understanding of terminologies used in CH. It is a discussion that recognizes critical differences or common misuse, and aims to contribute to a shared understanding that may be useful for all knowledge domains in the field.

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