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Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies

University of Arkansas

Field Programs

Home » Education » Field Programs

Field and Summer Training Programs

Developing skills in geomatics involves learning concepts, theory, and numeric techniques as well as the practical issues associated with the operation of data capture instruments (scanners, GPS, etc.) and the processing of data they acquire. In addition to the traditional class room programs and short courses described elsewhere on these pages the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies has developed  a series of  intensive multi-week field training programs that combine intensive education in theory with practical experience with data capture and analysis.  These programs are described below.

U of A Field Programs:

The Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) will be offering a field training program that will introduce students to the latest methods in archaeological geomatics and geophysics.

Cyprus:

Archaeological Field School in Cyprus

The Summer 2012 University of Arkansas archaeological field school will work on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus as part of the Kalavasos and Maroni Built Environments Project.  This collaborative project between Cornell University, Ithaca College and CAST is investigating the relationship between the island’s first cities and the revolutionary social changes that took place during the Late Bronze Age (1700-1100 BCE).  Through hands-on field work and occasional lectures, students will learn to use geophysical survey, excavation, and the latest spatial technologies, including 3D scanning, to help reconstruct the urban fabric of the Bronze Age centers of Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios and Maroni-Vournes/Tsaroukkas.  Students will live in a Cypriot village and learn about the island's incredible cultural and archaeological legacy through a series of field trips and presentations. 

United States:

Architectural, Engineering and Historic Geomatics: An NSF Sponsored 3D Recording and Visualization Training Program at the University of Arkansas for High School and College Students 2010 

Students will record significant architectural, engineering, and historic structures/sites using modern geomatics techniques including terrestrial laser scanning, aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, GIS, and GPS (mapping and survey grade). 3D computer visualization and animation technologies will also be used to enhance and re-create these areas. The class will cover the use of these methods across these areas via practical field and lab training in these methods. As a result they will be exposed to the full 3D lifecycle from acquisition (via multiple methods) though processing to visualization and presentation.

University of Arkansas and Arizona State University Field Program: Center for American Archaeology at Kampsville, IL 2010

For more than 40 years the Center for American Archaeology at Kampsville Il. has been one of the premier locations for the field training of American archaeologists. The program there is offered by Arizona State University under the direction of Dr. Jane Buikstra. Dr Buikstra’s is one of the nation’s leading research scholars and is a member of the National Academy of Science and many other prestigious organizations. In 2010 ASU partnered with the U of A in the Archaeo-metrics Field Training Program. UA advanced graduate students offered instruction in GIS and geophysics. The Center’s newly developed ArcaheoMapper software was used in the instruction.

UCLA/U of A Field Programs:

The Cotsen Institute for Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angles (UCLA) and the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) at the University of Arkansas are collaborating in the offering of a series of  field training programs that will introduce students to the latest methods in archaeological geomatics and geophysics.

Greece:

3D Archaeological Recording and Visualization Project at Eleusis (Geomatics) 2010

This field school will introduce students to a broad range of 3D recording, mapping, animation and visualization methods. Students will be given hands-on instruction in these methods in the context of the major Greek archaeological site of Eleusis. Eleusis is world famous as the location of the  Eleusian Mysteries – a significant Athenian religious festival - and is located some 14 miles west of Athens opposite the island of Salamis. The students will record the site’s extensive architectural remains using terrestrial laser scanning, photogrammetry , GIS and GPS.  3D computer visualization and animation technologies will be used to re-create areas of the site.

Israel:

Archaeological Geophysics Project at Tel Bet Yerah, Israel (Geophysics) 2010

This field school will introduce students to archaeogeophysical methods, which allow us to “see” archaeological features buried beneath the ground surface. Students will be given hands-on instruction in these methods in the context of the ongoing Tel Bet Yerah Research and Excavation Project (TBYREP). Dramatically situated on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Israel, Tel Bet Yerah is the site of a large fortified Early Bronze Age town. In 2010 we will explore a large expanse of the site where virtually nothing is known about the subsurface, and image areas where monumental structures and waterworks may be located.
 
The Archaeological Geophysics Field School will be held in conjunction with the Archaeological Field School at Tel Bet Yerah.

Peru:

Computer Modeling of Heritage Resources (Geomatics) 2009

The Geomatics for Archaeology Field School, Computer Modeling of Heritage Resources, focused on the collection, processing, and visualization of spatial data in Cuzco and Machu Picchu, Peru. The field school was offered by the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA and the Archaeology Field Program. CAST researches instructed students in the methods of terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry, GPS data collection and processing, laser scanning, and computer modeling and visualization. Facilities, data, and assistance were provided the Instituto Nacional de Cultura of Peru.

Egypt:

Tell el-Amarna Archaeological Geophysics Project 2011 

Students who enroll in the Tell el-Amarna Archaeological Geophysics Field School will spend six weeks on site using the latest in ground-based remote sensing technologies to reveal the buried secrets of Amarna, Egypt, the sacred city built by Pharaoh Akhenaten for the sun god. Students will explore the well-preserved ruins of the great capital city of New Kingdom Egypt, located halfway between Cairo and Luxor.  During the field program, students will receive hands-on experience using non-invasive archaeological techniques including surface survey and near-surface geophysical prospection.  Our research will concentrate on the North City, where we will map buried archaeological features with prospection technologies such as magnetometry and ground-penetrating radar.

Learn more about Amarna and ongoing research there by visiting www.amarnaproject.com