Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (18.2006(2008))

MtoM - MEROWE SHERIQ, TANQASI, ZUMA

SUDAN

LISTING ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES WITH
A TOTAL STATION TACHOMETER
DATA PROCESSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SURVEYED SITES
Wieslaw Malkowski

A geodetic survey and mapping of three
sites in the vicinity of modern Karima in
Sudan was carried out as part of the 2006
spring archaeological field work of the Early
Makuria Research Project (MtoM) directed
by Prof. Dr. Wlodzimierz Godlewski from
the Polish Center of Mediterranean Archae-
ology of the University of Warsaw. The
survey covered topographical measurements
of the fortifications at Merowe Sheriq and
the sites in the immediate vicinity of the
fortress, as well as of a tumulus cemetery at
Tanqasi; at el-Zuma, an existing plan of
the tumulus cemetery at the site, prepared
in 2004, was now supplemented with

contour measurements. Digital maps were
prepared subsequently for all three sites.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the
usefulness of the planimetric digital
method, hence the following remarks on
the method and on the theory behind
a broader application of digital maps in
archaeological research.
Geodetic site surveying with total
station equipment and the resultant digital
mapping can be done directly on the site,
providing that the essential input for data
processing is arranged and a multi-layer
digital model of a given archaeological site
is developed.

DIGITAL MAP

In principle, digital maps are computer
vector drawings (in two or three
dimensions) reflecting a specific fragment
of measured surface. The process is largely
dependent on computer systems drawing
data from a variety of measuring
instruments (tachimeters, GPS) and
photogrammetric images, like adjusted
aerial and satellite photos. Digital
technology in current instruments for
direct measurements and data processing
technology have increasingly facilitated and
accelerated the process of obtaining precise
field or archival data. In archaeology, the
application of digital cartographic methods

has offered a different and frequently new
approach to archaeological sites, the key
benefit being a digital data model, best
imagined as a multi-layer interactive
presentation that is near in origin, as well as
evaluation to the GIS system. Listing all
potential data is of key importance for
digital models of archaeological sites,
followed by placing the obtained data on
a digital platform, meaning a graphically
uniform environment, and subsequent
processing in order to generate the
maximum amount of information about the
area. Field data computer processing is
accomplished usually through the addition

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