Α Historical Mortars Study Assisted by GIS Technologies

Abstract

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have a vital role on broadening the understanding of the relationship of space, place, and culture. In recent years, a steady increase in the use of GIS in the fields of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Management can be attested [1]. GIS has nowadays become one of the most versatile and comprehensive analytical tools in Archaeology in terms of handling archaeological data and exploring human space [2]. In this paper we will present the contribution of GIS in the study of the historical mortars of one of the most important castles in the Peloponnese, the castle of Androusa in Messenia. GIS was used in the documentation of the fortification of the castle and in the organization and archiving of the analyses of mortars. An interactive database was created, including the fortification ground plan, photographs and the results of the analytical study of eleven mortar samples. This database offers an easy access platform of the archiving data, with the potential of continuous update, while maintaining the historical and archaeological data in the same time.