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The Prehistoric Sites At Atapuerca Incorporate Sophisticated Technology Developed By IBM

July 12, 2002

An innovative IT system and a world-wide pioneer in this type of project - set to facilitate on-site data taking

Atapuerca, Burgos, 10 July, 2002: IBM and the Fundaci'³n Atapuerca today unveiled a sophisticated IT system at the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos) sites that will allow archaeologists to carry out data-taking and investigative work on-site at the camp at much faster speeds than with manual methods. The system - the first in the world for this type of project - is a turning point in archaeological research and makes it possible for prehistory and modern technology to appear together at the digs UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 2000.

Until now, archaeologists have used a manual data registration system, writing all the data of the remains they found on paper. The data-taking lasted five-ten minutes for each find. They would also write the features of each part found on blank labels that would later be pasted onto a container bag for classification purposes. The data was then entered into the computer back at the lab.

Using these manual methods, scientists were able to excavate around 15cm of sediment in each annual campaign. Now, with the system specifically developed for this project by IBM and given to the Fundaci'³n Atapuerca, researchers will use a mobile wireless system that allows them to carry out their excavation work, data-gathering and subsequent analysis much more quickly and efficiently. The system is estimated to produce time savings of 50 per cent for field work and halve the time spent in the lab and will enable archaeologists to excavate around 40cm per annual campaign. These advances will also impact the quality of the field and laboratory work, as data registration and verification tasks will become more simple and systematic.

The application of this system has been possible due to a sponsor agreement between the Fundaci'³n Atapuerca and IBM which sees the IT company become the technological sponsor of the sites.

Mobile, wireless system

The computer system for data taking includes PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) that the researchers use to gather all the information needed on-site. Each team of archaeologists will have a PDA connected by wireless cards to a signal repeater incorporated in the unit. The repeater can connect the PDAs to a portable computer that works as a server (IBM ThinkPad A31p). All the information the teams have gathered will be recorded in both the portable computer and the PDAs and will be accessible to all the scientists on the dig.

The data will then be transferred and consolidated on a database (IBM DB2), which will facilitate analysis work on the remains.

The platform that IBM has developed for the Atapuerca archaeologists also includes a sophisticated label-printing system which the archaeologists can use to classify the remains. To that end, instead of writing labels by hand as has traditionally been done on digs around the world, the Atapuerca scientists will send the data collected on their PDAs through to a printer located on-site. The printer also works with a wireless connection and, once printed, the labels will show data such as the exact co-ordinates of where the classified remains were found, the type of find, its physical properties and so on, greatly increasing the importance of location analyses and the context in which each individual remain was found.

"The system we have developed for the Atapuerca sites involves a merger between the prehistoric and the cutting-edge. These two concepts, which had until now seemed to oppose each other, come together with IBM's mobile, wireless technology," said Amparo Moraleda, president of IBM Espa'±a and Portugal. "We are proud of once again being able to demonstrate the ground-breaking nature of our technology systems, as well as IBM's commitment to scientific and cultural developments in our country."

Eudald Carbonell, co-director of excavations at Atapuerca, said: "This project is the first of its type in the world and is a turning point for the future of archaeological and palaeontological research. There is no doubt it will make it quicker for us to write down and transmit data, giving us more time for analysing the data gathered on-site. Once again, the Sierra de Atapuerca sites have become the international reference point for this type of project."

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Ketchum