Burak BELGE
(Mersin University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of City and Regional Planning)
Keywords: Tarsus, Urban Archaeological Database, QuantumGIS
Abstract:
Research project in Tarsus, which has been settled since Neolithic ages in the course of Cydnus River in Cilicia (Turkey), is supported by “The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK-Project No: 113K132)”, primarily aims to develop a method to handle urban archaeological – especially sub-soil archaeological- resources into planning process of multi-layered historic city centres. However, there is no urban archaeological database to evaluate archaeological potential with spatial references in Tarsus similarly many cases in Turkey, where archaeological data are authentically stored in the archives of local museums, local conservation councils, archaeological excavations teams, universities or municipalities. But, in any case, these varying institutions and archaeological teams could not work together to set a synergy to understand overall context of archaeological potential. Archaeological teams have only focused on their specific sites even they have studied in same city. Therefore, research team established an Urban Archaeological Database allowing spatial queries, assessments and visual inspections instead of a static databank, inventory, or archive to evaluate archaeological potential in Tarsus to develop a general national strategy for similar issues. Research team prefer to use Free and Open Source GIS software, QuantumGIS (QGIS), because of widening use and flexibility that allow creating a multiplier effect. Preliminary, varying archaeological, historical and visual datasets in aforementioned institutions are assessed with spatial references by means of GIS supported processes. In details, spatialization of urban archaeological datasets is possible by determination of primary and interpreted secondary data together to evaluate limited field investigations with ongoing or complete archaeological studies and ad hoc findings. Consequently, urban archaeological database allows evaluating geographical changes, archaeological datasets and recent townscape together to define dia-chronic map of each unique period in the historical development of Tarsus and to determine urban archaeological character zones. Recently, the project is seen as a pioneer research to develop an overall strategy by local authorities and forthcoming publications will let to develop a national model for multi-layered cities.
Relevance conference:
Research project is a pioneer for using open source GIS as a tool to evaluate urban archaeological heritage in planning process in Turkey.
Relevance session:
Urban Archaeological Database (Tarsus) is established by varying authentic primary and secondary datasets from differenet archaeological researches. By the way, physical and digital datasets were combined by archaeological traces in modern Tarsus.
Innovation:
Research Method bases on handling urban archaeological heritage within planning process by free and open source GIS tools and Urban Archaeological Database.
References:
BELGE, B. (2012): Handling Sub-Soil Urban Archaeological Resources in Urban Planning, Issues in İzmir Historic City Centre. METU-JFA, 29(2): 331-50.
WILLIAMS, T. (2015): Archaeology: Reading the City through Time. In: F. Bandarin & R. van Oers, eds. Reconnecting the City, The Historic Urban Landscape Approach and the Future of Urban Heritage. Wiley-Blackwell, 19-44
