CODIFI:

Total paperless recording

at Legio Matthew J. Adams

W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in collaboration with

Michael Ashley, Center for Digital Archaeology

Adam B. Prins, Durham University

The Jezreel Valley Regional Project (JVRP)

is a long-term, multi-disciplinary survey and

excavation project investigating the history of

human activity in the Jezreel Valley from the

Paleolithic through the Ottoman period. This

project strives for a total history of the region

using the tools and theoretical approaches of

such disciplines as archaeology,

anthropology, geography, history,

ethnography, and the natural sciences, within

an organizational framework provided by

landscape archaeology. @jezreelvalleyrp

The JVRP Technology Vision

A central repository for all data concerning the valley.

Historical, Archaeological, Geological,

Environmental data

Tools for research and field work

Utilizing the latest technology and keeping up with it

going forward.

Publishing data and interpretations online.

Sharing data with stakeholders

Fully digital, adaptable, using off the shelf equipment,

specialist-free and inexpensive.

Ingenuity in the field

The Challenges

Multiscaler: site > region

100's of sites, scores of excavations,

dozens of surveys

Enormous bibliography

Scattered historical sources in multiple

languages

Variances in disciplinary methods and

standards

Tons of analog data, very little digitized

Analog tools still used in fieldwork

Step 1: Born Digitial Data from the Field

Paperless Archaeology Disconnect between the field work and analysis

Digitization vs. born digital

Reinvent archaeological method and recording so

that all data is born digital

On-the-fly data processing, interpretation, and

publication

Analysis can happen in the moment and inform the

next moment of field work. Once Paperless is in

place, digitization of backlog

JVRP

Legio

2015

Paperless JVRP Field Work

3D Modeling at the Locus Level

Codifi

Model on Sketchfab

3D Modeling at the Locus Level

Error 8.212 millimeters

Uses of the Digital 3D Models

High-accuracy 3D record of the excavation

Visualizations (hillshades, slope models etc.)

Reconstructed photos

Deriving traditional plan and sections

Public engagement with “real” archaeology

Orthophotos

from 3D

Model

“Time lapse”

Excavation

Sequence

Final situation of excavation square CV81 at

Legio, the Roman Legionary Camp of the VI

Roman Legion “Legio VI Ferrata,” Northern

Israel.

Legio Area B

Codifi

Codifi is designed to replace paper based recording and rapidly

accelerate data entry while providing a solid ‘born-archival’

workflow for documents, images, video and geo-spatial

information.

Codifi Configurable for any

organization

Multiple projects, sites

Windows, Mac, iOS

JVRP Tel Megiddo East

(2013)

Legio (2013, 2015)

Dashboard Modular Code

Actions and Places

JVRP Survey Support

Excavation Process

Selects Clear pop-up for

anticipated entity

(sites, areas)

Legio 2015 Hidden Areas

reduced confusion

and sped up

fieldwork

The Grid Active squares

oriented to real

coordinate space

Touch interface

JVRP Areas B and C

include

orthophotos

generated in field

in near-real time

(same day)

Loci Loci in Area by locus

#

Heads up status

JVRP Provided cross check

with GIS

Locus Sheet Tabbed interface

follows workflow

Controlled

vocabularies, auto-

naming, calculations

reduces errors

JVRP Relations to previous

seasons

Required no training

to use (intuitive)

Soil Science Accommodates

multiple

sedimentology, such

as Munsell

Real time feedback

and color coding

JVRP Streamlined terms

met with JVRP

wide concepts of

sedimentology

Materials New in 2015, touch

interface for artifacts

and samples

2 click mantra

JVRP Experimentation and

User Experience

testing results in 80-

90% time savings and

dramatic reduction in

errors

Materials Programmable to

specific materials

of site or research

objectives

JVRP Ordered by most

found

Materials Easy to read label

creator forges

exactly what to write

on the physical tag

Auto numbering by

locus

JVRP Experimentations with

QR codes and

label printers show

major potential

Metal Let’s look at another

example

Metal Object interpretation

in field takes time

Expert is usually not

on site

JVRP Reduction of

interpretive

categories guides

excavator to high

level category

Sent to field or off site

lab for further

analysis

Next Stop next processing ‘stop’

helps clarify in field

where to sort

important objects

JVRP Coins assessed,

pottery sent for

team ‘reading’,

labs separated for

post-ex processing

Coordinates Manual, TLS and GPS

capable

Automagical

processing of TLS

XML to point data

by Locus (or other

entity)

JVRP Total Station points

read as cross check

in field and recorded

Codifi ‘point shredder’

parsed in lab, sent

to Arc GIS

Workflow

and

Archiving Add any media

Auto geo-location

Drag/Drop dSLR and

other media on

PC/Mac

JVRP Orthophotos, drawings,

reports, archival

photos added and

archived

3D Web

Viewer 3D HTML-5 viewer via

SketchFab

Works on all platforms

(PC/Mac, iOS)

JVRP 3D models per locus to

assist in drawing,

interpretation, visitor

experience

Web based GIS for

survey

Field Report Up to the moment

reporting

Locus status

Checklist

Easy export to

diaries

JVRP Field recorders copies

field reports to

daily diaries and

could finish entry

on 20 min bus ride

to kibbutz

Web

Integration Google Docs for Diaries

JVRP Each supervisor kept

digital diary, shared

with core team via

GDocs

Aggregate of all

information in Codifi

saves time and

provided cross check

Reports Dynamic Outputs as

Reports

Charts

Datasets

XML

Auto geo-location

Drag/Drop dSLR and other

media on PC/Mac

JVRP Field recorders created

daily diaries, working

shots, opening and

closing shots

Full Archival Workflow in

lab for ca. 10,000 items

CIDOC CRM + CODIFI

Doerr, Theodoridou - “CRMdig: A generic digital provenance model for scientific observation"

CIDOC Conceptual model of real

world processed

Powerful but challenging to

implement

Codifi Rooted in CIDOC model

Essential super-class

structure emphasizes

archival practice

Compatible and extensible

Award winning, peer

reviewed model*

*Best Paper, 10th Vast International

Symposium On Virtual Reality, Archeology And

Cultural Heritage, published in 2011, Journal on

Computing and Cultural Heritage (JOCCH)

Codifi Entities Codifi Concepts

People, Media and Things,

encountered in Places through

Events.

Flexible, but structured

Based on archival data standards

that are internationally guided but

locally implemented

Data Model Extreme Separation

Data Layer is extracted

from functions

Media are externally

stored

Extensions

Core features for

regional archaeology

Lean UX

Configure, don’t

Customize Road to productization

Easy to slot project

requirements without

‘breaking’ the app

Codifi Connect: Coming this Year

Secure web platform for Codifi.

Create curated collections of results of archaeological and cultural

heritage projects. and can publish them on your own, secure hosted

platform to share in your terms.

Safe online place for digital cultural heritage

Secure data centers, archival services

Full control over how you share your data, media, results

Available in 2016

Codifi JVRP

Centralizes the entire

archaeological process

of field work, finds

processing, analysis,

interpretation,

publication, data

curation.

JVRP Codfi and Current Projects

Codifi has been developed on JVRP projects:

Legionary Base of the Roman VIth Legion at Legio

JVRP Survey of the Valley

Tel Megiddo East

Developing next level deployment at:

The Megiddo Expedition

Tel Shimron

Tell Abu Shusha Excavations

Needs

Collaborative Environment - more than a website

Should integrate harmoniously with fieldwork

Should be beautiful, enjoyable, personalized experience for each project

Should make it possible to connect content from any project or source

Codifi Connect: Coming this Year

Secure web platform for Codifi.

Create curated collections of results of archaeological and cultural

heritage projects. and can publish them on your own, secure hosted

platform to share in your terms.

Safe online place for digital cultural heritage

Secure data centers, archival services

Full control over how you share your data, media, results

Available in 2016

examples

Collector Donors provide

postcards, photos,

objects for scanning

in ‘Roadshows’

Team digitizes, uses

Codifi to add all key

data and prepare for

publishing online

Two sides to every

story - online, both

sides of cards are

presented (Codifi

can handle any

amount of media)

Connect Unique website

Curated experience

Direct upload from

Codifi

Managed through

differential access

with fine grain

controls

Multi-lingual

Codifi JVRP

Centralizes the entire

archaeological process

of field work, finds

processing, analysis,

interpretation,

publication, data

curation.