New directions with digital archaeology and spatial analysis in the jezreel valley

Abstract

The Jezreel Valley Regional Project (JVRP) is a long-term multidisciplinary project investigating human activity in the Jezreel Valley through all periods through the modern era. This research incorporates extensive and intensive archaeological survey and excavation at several spatial scales, and utilizes a number of methodological approaches to documentation and spatial analysis. One of the major challenges of this project has been coping with a high volume of data, and integrating cutting-edge technology into our workflow to solve the problems that many archaeologists face. This paper will present an overview of our field-based methods of data acquisition, particularly by means of 3D photogrammetry, remote sensing, and high-precision ground control. When integrated through our data management system and used in GIS applications, these data not only produce plans and imagery far more precise than conventional approaches, but the methods used are incredibly time-efficient, cost-effective, and produce archival digital data. Furthermore, we will report on results of spatial analysis of archaeological activity in the Jezreel Valley in conjunction with digital terrain and hydrological modelling of the landscape. These digital techniques allow us to study human and environmental changes in the landscape like never before.