University of Southampton OCS (beta), CAA 2012

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Simulated paths, real paths? The study case of the Iberian Cessetania (iron age society). POSTER
Joan Canela Gràcia

Last modified: 2011-12-16

Abstract


In this poster we show two different ways of studing the ancient communication in the Iberian Cessetania (Tarragona, Spain. 6th century – 2nd century bC), and how we will finally compare both results. This research has some problems such as the big changes in the landscape after thousands of years, or the fact the traditional paths have been substituted for modern roads. It will be a big effort but we think it is important to go on in archaeological research of Iberian societies, because nobody has done this kind of studies yet and it surely will open new horizons in the research.

We decided to focus our investigation between 5th and 3rd century bC, because this was the period when the Cessetanians developed completely their principal sites, and the settlement was definitely organized into a hierarchy. For trade, paying tributes or war there might have been paths which communicated all these sites.

We will conduct the first part of research with GIS. The use of this technology for spatial archaeological studies is well known, we will work with it to calculate the possible paths using Arcgis software.

On the other hand, we will do the second part of research with archaeomorphological methodology, working with historical and modern cartography, ancient and current aerial photography and field work, looking for paths or its parts that we can consider ancient ways.

When we will have done this two preliminary researches, we will share them and we will look for coincidences and differences. Our aim is to compare the results of virtual reality with the real world, in order to check if it is worth to work with it. With these elements, we will try to answer the initial question of this poster.  


Keywords


paths; proto-history; Cessetania, settlement