University of Southampton OCS (beta), CAA 2012

Font Size: 
Pompeii and the iPad: an update
Steven Ellis, John Wallrodt

Last modified: 2012-02-10

Abstract


This presentation provides an update on the University of Cincinnati’s highly publicized use of iPads in the archaeological excavations of Pompeii.  Building on the experiences from the 2010 and 2011 field seasons of the ‘Pompeii Archaeological Research Project:  (PARP:PS), the first of which was presented at the latest CAA meetings in Beijing, today’s presentation outlines the various Apps that we have used (and helped develop) to cover every area of recording and analysis in the field.  It will also demonstrate the overall effectiveness of the use of iPads in our own research designs and outcomes, as well as among several other field projects across the archaeological disciplines – and beyond – with which we have collaborated.  Tablet computers have effectively revolutionized archaeological field recording, enabling all forms of fieldwork data to be digitally (and cleanly), dynamically, and immediately recorded and analyzed trench-side; field data has never been more securely gathered or as immediately and widely accessible.  From accessing vital central databases and libraries of reference materials while still in the field, to digitally documenting the research, managing the image files, creating matrices, and producing intricate vector-based drawings of immediate publication quality, the use of iPads in archaeological fieldwork is leading towards an analytically powerful and ‘paperless’ environment in archaeological fieldwork.  And while digital recording is not new in archaeological fieldwork, the vast range of application and relative simplicity and familiarity of their interface means that  members of an archaeological project can adopt the medium regardless of their expertise or experience.  The ways in which this form of technology has enabled a more meaningful integration of our team’s specialists and their emerging datasets while in the field is also considered, as well as its ultimate benefit to the publication process.