Sandra RIEKE
(FIAK, Cottbus, Germany)
Outline: Combining different plans and the problems in correlating them.
Abstract: Based on examples from Cherchel , the antique Caesarea Mauretaniae in North Africa and Großkrotzenburg, a Roman fort with associated vicus in the German State of Hesse, the possibilities and limitations offered by the digitalisation of historical plans will be discussed.
Plans and drafts in the French military archive in Vincennes were used for a composite plan containing both the antique and modern Cherchel, as well as numerous excavation drawings to be found in the Centre Camille Jullian, Université d’Aix-en-Provence, where many original excavation plans of various French excavation teams have been digitalized. In addition aerial photos of excavations, antique engravings, published illustrations and modern town maps were used. All of this material was combined into a composite overall plan.
Excavation plans from various excavation campaigns from the beginning of the 20th century up to today were used to compile an overall plan of Großkrotzenburg. Cadastral plans, town maps and published reconstructions were employed. A new cadastral plan of Roman Großkrotzenburg is planned for the near future, despite all the problems facing the correlation of such varied material.
Despite careful rectification, an accurate fit was not always possible. In some cases dimensionally unstable photocopies of excavation drawings can shake the foundations of the whole reconstruction.
How might one recognise these sources of error? How should they be treated? Should they be mentioned or silently interpolated?
Keywords: Digitalisation, rectifying historical plans and combining Plans