For more than twenty years, the whole Nord-Picardie region has been the subject of deep soundings with a view to discovering Paleolithic sites preserved in depth. Many excavations have followed. The amount of data now available is significant, from both a stratigraphical and an archeological point of view. 

Thus, over the last few years, within the “INRAP Nord-Picardie” [Institute for preventive archaeological research], a tool of the SIG type has been developed in order to make the most of this corpus. In the case of the most recent excavations, the SIG was used from the very early stages of the operations.

The tools for the descriptive and the spatial data make it possible to work on different scales, whether on the geomorphological or the archaeological data: mapping the surface formations (presence/absence at a regional level, transects covering several dozen metres or kilometres, modelling by the interpolation of diverse characteristics of a stratigraphic unit on a given site), site plans, analyses of reassemblings, comparisons between sites (general spatial distribution, or limited to one single element…).

The examples above highlight the importance of methodological reflection upstream of any scientific project concerning the recording and ordering of data, based on close cooperation and continuous exchanges between prehistorians, geologists, geomorphologists, topographers and geomaticians.


Traduction : Margaret & Jean-louis CADOUX