3.1. Cástulo in the 21st Century: A Test Site for a New Digital Information System

Abstract

The site of Cástulo, located near Linares (in the province of Jaén, Andalusia, Spain), was continuously occupied from prehistory through the sixteenth century c.e. The site offers a rich archaeological history, and it is currently under study by the Institute for Iberian Archaeological Research’s interdisciplinary project, Forvm MMX. Wanting to incorporate traditional archaeological excavation and recording methods with new technology, the project created a new system of archaeological documentation, called Imilké. The system was created with several concepts in mind, including the immediate transmission of archaeological data from the site to a database and the ability to allow the simultaneous work of several teams. The tools used are simple: paper forms with a pattern of micro-dots; a microscanner in a digital pen that allows the device to recognize the field being completed in the database; a smartphone connected to the pen via Bluetooth to receive data; and a server/database connected via a data connection to the smartphone. By applying GIS to the information gathered in the Imilké system, it is possible to create 3D models of buildings and artifacts, which can be used by both researchers and the public to visualize the data collected during excavation.