The Xeros data model: tracking interpretations of archaeological finds

At an archaeological dig, interpretations are built around discovered artifacts based on measurements and informed intuition. These interpretations are semi-structured and organic, yet existing tools do not capture their creation or evolution. Patina of Notes (PoN) is an application designed to tackle this, and is underpinned by the Xeros data model. Xeros is a graph structure and a set of operations that can deal with the addition, edition, and removal of interpretations. This data model is a specialisation of the W3C PROV provenance data model, tracking the evolution of interpretations. The model is presented, with operations defined formally, and characteristics of the representation that are beneficial to implementations are discussed

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Exploring novel technologies for archaeological fieldwork

The thesis takes a novel approach to the design and evaluation of technologies for archaeological fieldwork. As digital technologies are often developed or appropriated by archaeologists for the purpose of acquiring or improving the management of archaeological data, the thesis instead explores how digital technologies can benefit fieldwork teams by supporting communication and awareness. The thesis begins by demonstrating how the development of archaeological computing has resulted in a focus on developing or appropriating digital technologies that support the acquisition and management of archaeological data. Following this, the results of ethnographic field studies conducted at four excavation sites are discussed. These studies explored how archaeologists communicated on-site, their awareness of one another’s activities, and their work practices around existing and novel technologies. The results of the ethnography are followed up with a technology probe conducted at a field school at Itchen Abbas, UK. The findings from these studies were subsequently used to derive design implications for a novel technology aimed at improving archaeologists’ awareness and communication when working in the field. A prototype technology was then built, deployed in the field, evaluated and iterated upon, with a final evaluation conducted in the field. The first deployment promoted conversation, however some archaeologists found the visualisations complicated and difficult to interpret. A second deployment was therefore designed to address this. When re-deployed, archaeologists spent a large amount of time discussing the intervention, and also re-appropriated it for playful interaction

Authority and authenticity in future archaeological visualisation

Increasingly, archaeologists are using virtual reconstruction as a method for visualising archaeological data. Whilst these visualisations have improved the way archaeologists create interpretations and present their data to the public, they also pose a number of problems. One of these is associated with the authority of virtual visualisations. Archaeologists often create visualisations based on a single interpretation of the archaeological data, or only present a single outcome from the varied interpretations they considered. However, by presenting a single view of the past, there is concern that a viewer's faith in an interpretation is increased, denying them the right to think for themselves. Another concern is with the transparency of visualisations. Most archaeologists consider it important that a viewer is made aware of the data used to create a visualisation, yet despite a host of technologies and policy documents there remains little consensus on how this can be achieved. Despite numerous attempts by archaeologists, these problems have remained largely unresolved. However, based on the application of several innovative techniques for visualising and recording the provenance of archaeological data, it is suggested that we have made a significant step forward in addressing them. This suggestion is based on involvement with a larger research project, RCUK PATINA. The PATINA project aims to revolutionise research spaces, through the use of wearable prototypes which will enhance research objects by bringing the digital into the physical world, through projection and other interfaces. The PATINA project is also interested in capturing, recording and replaying a researcher's activities in order to support the sharing and publication of research. Early research for PATINA has highlighted that there are likely to be significant implications resulting from the way archaeological data could be visualised in the near future. For example, the use of an augmented reality interface combined with gestural input might transform the act of interpretation into one of performance. Another possibility is that archaeologists could simultaneously and collaboratively create virtual visualisations. Wearable technologies also permit data to be visualised anywhere, which has numerous implications for fieldwork practice

‘Tangible pasts’: user-centred design of a mixed reality application for cultural heritage

Within the research communities of archaeological computing and museum studies there has been vivid discussion concerning the virtual imagery produced in archaeological research, as well as the technologies and modes employed for public engagement and outreach. A significant number of collaborative projects are exploring the potential of Mixed Reality (MR) applications for interpretive archaeology, cultural heritage sites and museums. User evaluation is one of the methods typically used by these projects, either for assessing the interpretive value of such applications, -especially in museum contexts- and/or the development of the technologies employed. However, these evaluations are often conducted at the later stages of the development cycle when there is little time available to make amendments to the project based on user feedback. In contrast, researchers from disciplines such as CSCW and Human-Computer Interaction design applications iteratively, with user evaluation conducted throughout the design process.Our work builds on previous research into MR tangible interfaces and interactive museum installations by attempting to explore alternative modes of engaging the public with archaeological information. For the purposes of this project we designed ‘Tangible Pasts’, a prototype tangible interface in the form of physical book augmented with digital information. ‘Tangible Pasts’ combines text, 3D models, animations and sound, enabling users to experience the featured case studies in an intuitive way by seamlessly moving between physical and virtual content.The initial design was presented in the ‘Open Exhibition’ at the Visualisation in Archaeology (ViA) international conference and was evaluated by a group of visualisation specialists who attended the event. The prototype was also evaluated by non-experts from other disciplines in order to limit the bias of people related to cultural heritage studies. Based on the suggestions and comments received the application was developed further. This paper will present the concept of ‘Tangible Pasts’ and the results of the user evaluation study, highlighting the importance of a user-centred, iterative design approach for the cultural heritage secto

'Evaluating 'tangible pasts': a mixed reality application for cultural heritage

In this paper we are presenting a tangible prototype interface for Cultural Heritage dissemination in Mixed Reality (MR) environments. Drawing from previous work on MR (Billinghurst et al. 2001), this study aims to explore alternative and interactive modes of engaging the public with archaeological information and suggests that early stage user evaluations can significantly inform interpretive desig

‘Tangible Pasts’: user-centred design of a mixed reality application for cultural heritage

Tangible Pasts is a Mixed Reality (MR) prototype that combines a tangible interface with virtual content. The physical object, a book, enables users to manipulate the virtual models in real time by their actions performed in the physical world. This paper presents an overview of designing the prototype, and the evaluation of this application by participants who tested its usability and interpretive value. It also presents some preliminary results of the second round of design and evaluation. The attention is stressed on the importance of performing constant user evaluations in parallel to the design of the prototype in order to produce an application that is usable and of benefit to archaeological research and interpretation of cultural heritage knowledge