GAHIS
Projektvorschlag Ulli Herbig
Die Erschließung einer Region für den Tourismus bringt eine Veränderung der Natur- und Kulturlandschaften derselben mit sich. Die Grundlage für eine sinnvolle Planung und Beobachtung der notwendigen Interventionen ist in jedem Fall eine umfassende Bestandsaufnahme des natürlichen und kulturellen Erbes der Region. Die Erstellung eines umfangreichen Inventars ist aber mit hohem ökonomischen Aufwand verbunden, wodurch diese Maßnahme in vielen Fällen nur vereinzelt oder gar nicht durchgeführt wird. Gerade in Entwicklungsländern geht dadurch vieles and Kultur- und Naturgut unwiederbringlich verloren.
Eine Region in der dieser Prozess in der nächsten Zukunft stattfinden wird liegt in dem jungen indischen Bundesstaat Uttaranchal. Uttaranchal wurde nach langen Kämpfen am 9. November 2000 aus dem Bundesstaat Uttar Pradesh geformt. Das Ziel des Staates für die Zukunft ist eine unabhängige Entwicklung und die Forcierung des wirtschaftlichen Wachstums. Der wichtigste Faktor dafür ist die Erschließung der Region für den Trekking-Tourismus.
Mit Hilfe des Projekts GAHIN soll ein Informationssystems entwickelt werden, das als Basis für die Erstellung eines umfassenden Inventars des natürlichen und kulturellen Erbes der Region Garhwal Himalaya dienen soll.
Das Ziel ist die Erfassung, Verwaltung und Verortung von Daten über das kulturelle und natürliche Erbe der Region mit möglichst einfachen, aber effizienten Mitteln und mit Einbindung der Bevölkerung in diesen Prozess. Auf der Basis von Satellitenbildern und vorhandenem Kartenmaterial der Region soll die Kulturlandschaft, Siedlungen und deren Strukturen dokumentiert in einem Geographischen Informationssystem werden. Mit Hilfe der Methoden der Bauaufnahme werden Einzelobjekte dokumentiert. Die Dokumentation soll sowohl die textliche Beschreibung, wie auch die Bilddokumentation in Form einer photogrammetrie-gerechten Aufnahme umfassen. Ebenso sollen archäologische Fundstätten und deren Beschreibung in das System eingespeist werden. Die Verwaltung der Daten erfolgt über eine Datenbank, die zur einfachen Verfügbarkeit über das Internet abrufbar, aber auch administrierbar sein soll. Mit Hilfe von geeigneten Anleitungen soll es der interessierten Bevölkerung vor Ort ermöglicht werden, sich an dieser Arbeit zu beteiligen. Die Datenbank wird für die Eingabe dieser Daten offen sein.
Mit Hilfe eines solchen, offenen Systems kann innerhalb kurzer Zeit in Zusammenarbeit von Experten und interessierten Amateuren ein umfassendes Inventar der Kultur- und Naturgüter erhoben werden. Dieses kann als Ausgangsmaterial für ein Monitoring der Region und als Planungsgrundlage für Maßnahmen zum Ausbau der Infrastruktur dienen.
Nur durch eine effiziente und sinnvoll verwaltete Dokumentation von Kultur- und Naturgütern ist es möglich, diese auch für zukünftige Generationen zu erhalten.
Prof. Vinod Nautiyal , Professor an der Universität in Garhwal Himal ist anllässlich der [Enter the Past] (siehe unten) in Wien un würe sich über ein koorinatives Treffen bezüglich des Projekts GAHIS freuen.
Veranstaltungshinweis
[ Enter the Past ] Vienna, City Hall – Austria, 8-12 April 2003
Our cultural heritage is intersected by many interests, including those of the arts, sciences, resource planning and development and monument preservation, and is exposed not only to the danger and even destruction of the building industry and tourism, but also of its own aging process. Since the intensity of these risks is continually increasing due to many different factors, preservation and research are especially urgent.
New technologies, especially the use of computers, are proving a useful and modern tool in helping to preserve and research our valuable culture heritage.
Therefore, [ Enter the Past ]will make it possible for representatives from all of these fields to come together in Vienna to present and discuss new ideas as well as to search for new possibilities for research and cooperation.
Eine Konferenz der CAA-Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology
CAA is an international organisation bringing together archaeologists, mathematics and computer scientists. Its aims are to encourage communication between these disciplines, to provide a survey of present work in the field and to stimulate discussion and future progress. Membership is open to anyone on payment of a nominal fee.
GAHIS Project Proposal
Creation of a comprehensive inventory of the cultural heritage of the region Garhwal Himal
Survey of the actual condition before the beginning of accelerated development
Interdisciplinary cooperation between experts in the disciplines
- Architecture: Architectural survey, structures of settlements, documentation and analysis of single objects
- Remote sensing: GIS as a platform for the spatial referencing and the analysis of structures of settlements
- Photogrammetry: Documentation of single objects with amateur cameras and the search for adequate means to evaluate
- Archaeology: Summarisation and documentation of archaeological sites in a GIS
All partners involved work on the development of a system which iscost efficientsimple to operateenables open access
Raise awareness of the local public to their own cultural heritage and its conservation.
The problem
Cultural and natural heritage values are endangered by numerous factors. Besides self-evident and direct perceptible impacts like destruction of objects in armed conflicts or by natural disasters, there are numerous influences which cause the continuous deterioration. Climatic influences and environmental pollution affect and modify remains of the past in a slow and barely noticeable way. Finally is the cultural and natural heritage often disregarded in the planning of ongoing developments.
To preserve the visible remains and evidences of the history efficient fundamentals have to be prepared. The base for any preservation or conservation work on objects is a comprehensive recording and furthermore an inventory where the information materials of the records are administered. To build up such inventories means the need for high funds. The reason for that is the time consuming recording work necessarily done by experts which often use expensive equipment. Most of the world’s cultural heritage is therefore not documented in a way that makes it possible to restore or reconstruct an object – real or virtual – in the case of damage or destruction. Especially developing countries face the problem of an increasing loss of cultural heritage treasures as there the evident battle with keeping up the infrastructure outweigh the concern of historic objects. This are the reasons for projects like “GAHIN – Garhwal Himalayan Inventory” that will have do concentrate on developing tools and instruments for simple, fast and economic ways to record objects and to enable more people and even laypersons to take part in this work.
Following problems will have to be discussed.
Enable interested laypersons to prepare useful recordings of objects.
A possible way to record an object to prepare plans for renovation works is the photogrammetric documentation. This technique conventionally uses photographs taken with metric cameras for the restitution of the geometry of an object. Results of an photogrammetric processing may be plans, maps, wire frame or virtual models of the object. Researches in this field have proven the use of non-metric cameras for the recording of objects. By following simple rules a non-photogrammetrist can provide a photographic recording of an object which can be used by experts of photogrammetry for restitution. Based on the existing “3×3 minimum rules for the architectural photogrammetry” the manual has to be adapted to regional needs and widen to describe an object textual. It will guide an interested person to prepare an useful recording of an object in consideration of the local historic and social background.
Development of a database for the management of information material about objects
To collect, develop and access the material properly a database has to be developed to enable access through internet. To enter and access existing data can be done from any place.
There are databases which are aiming for the recording of cultural heritage. Although the possibility to enter data through the internet is very rare. In most cases a well defined user group only is allowed to enter, change and access data. The administration of a database accessible for everyone has been developed in the project APIS and has only to be adopted for the use in a region of India. It is necessary to consider local restrains as well as the necessary data structures to describe objects in the region. Research will be considered in future development in the area of description of architectural objects.
Furthermore the integration of data about archaeological sites have to considered when designing the database. To enlarge the database with archaeological context is a step to complete the inventory about the cultural heritage of the region. For this purpose existing archaeological databases will be analysed and considered in the development of the projects tools. Studies of the HNB University of Garhwal will build the base for the adjust the system to the actual facts of the region.
Development of an Geographic Information system
Changes of socio-economic and political conditions transform the patterns of urban and rural landcover to a great extent. Historical maps at local and regional scales are – besides topographic descriptions and work of fine art the earliest spatio-temporal documents of landcover and landuse change. These documents preserve historical descriptions of rural as well as of urban landscapes both geometrically and thematically. Comparative methods of GIS-based cartographic analysis are effective tools for building topochronological data bases of the state and the dynamics of change of cultural/natural heritage sites. Time series of historical maps traditionally have been analysed by visual comparison, generalisation and analogue mapping of specific features. Overlays of extracted information can be merged to thematic maps of urban/rural landcover and landuse change. Nowadays GIS provides the tools for scanning, georeferencing and analysing time series of topochronological data. Interactive methods of collecting, controlling, selecting and connecting multi-temporal cartographic information support the analogue/digital processes of analysing and visualising local to regional urban and rural landcover change of cultural and natural heritage sites.
The development of GIS for the region of Garhwal Himal and the spatial referencing of the data about objects of the cultural heritage of the region will provide an efficient instrument for the planning and the monitoring of the region for upcoming changes following the opening of the region for tourism.
Realisation
· Design and development of a database and a GIS for the recording of the cultural heritage in the region of Garhwal Himal
· Evaluation of existing collections and documentations
· Survey of objects in the region
· Integration of existing data as well as collected data in the database and referencing in a GIS
· Development of an understandable desktop to simple administration and access to the data
· Training of people in the region
· Implementation of the system at the HNB Garhwal University
Timetable
· 01 07 2004 Start of project
· Summer 2004 Preliminary studies
· triage and analysation of available material and data of the region
· Fall 2004 First visit to the region of Garhwal Himal
· Survey of available collections of recording material about objects of the cultural heritage of the region
· Advancement of exiting manuals for the preparation of useful monument recordings by amateurs in cooperation with local University Institutes and authorities
· Search for interested people and institutions for cooperation to train people in recording of buildings
· Winter/Spring 2004/2005 Triage and processing of the collected material
· Development of pilot systems for the database and the Geographic Information system
· Summer 2005 Excursion to Garhwal Himal
· Recording of objects in collaboration with students
· training of locals
· integrate existing material into the pilot system of the database and the GIS
· Fall 2005 – Winter 2005 Processing of material and development of systems
· processing of the collected material
· submitting the information into the database and the GIS
· search and development for the use of photographic documentations for photogrammetric restitution
· using photographic recordings for photogrammetric restitution
· tuning of the pilot systems of the database and the GIS
· development of an user interface for the access to the system
· Spring 2006 Visit to Garhwal Himal
· installation of the system at the HNB University of Garhwal
· testing of the system in cooperation with local interested authorities and private persons
· refinement of the systems and official presentation
· Summer 2006 Final work
· revise the material
· integrate the results of India into the project
· prepare final publications of project results
Co-operation Partners
Institute for Comparative Research in Architecture
Projectposition and Partners within the Institute have to be defined.
University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
Prof. Csaplovics is working with his team on Geographic Information Systems for regions from National parks in Europe to regions in Western Africa. The research work of his institute is focussed on using GIS for the monitoring and modelling of cultural and natural landscapes of endangered areas.
The aim of the co-operation within the project “GAHIN- Garhwal Himalayan Inventory” is the development of a Georgraphic Information System for the spatial referencing of the elements of the inventory. It will be the instrument for the presentation and the access to the database which administers the assembeled datamaterial.
By using different topographic and spatial information available of the region the GIS will provide the fundamentals for the survey and analysation of the structure of the cultural and natural landscape of the region. Further it enables the modelling of conceivable influences and provides a helpful tool for the planning of essential infrastructural interventions. The creation of test models with the compiled material and parameters is also a target of this part of the research group.
Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology
HNB Garhwal University
Prof. Dr. Nautiyal is head of the department of Ancient Indian History culture and Archaeology at the HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar Uttaranchal, India. The scientists at this institute are specialized in different branches of Himalayan Archaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Ethno archaeology, Living and folk traditions and related fields.
The institute is situated in Srinagar, Uttaranchal within the area of investigation for the project GAHIN – Garhwal Himalayan Inventory.
The first aim for the co-operation is to acquaint the research team with facts and figures about the region of Garhwal Himal and to make contact with local authorities.
Second, and major aim within the project is the co-operation in the design of the database and the Geographic Information system. The records of the database have to be defined in a way that take the cultural, ethnological, historical and archaeological background of the region into consideration.
And finally the department can provide a collection of information about archaeological sites in the region of Garhwal Himal which will be integrated into the inventory.