AISCA

Archaeological Information System of Central Asia

In 1991 Trifonov and Dolukhanov wrote: “Without [a data management] system Soviet
archaeology runs the risk of chaotic disorganisation [...]. Data collection becomes a profession in
itself and mere possession of information is seen as a major scientific achievement”
By 2006 less than 50 archaeological teams were working in the 4 million square kilometers of
Central Asia. These teams come from over 15 countries and publish their results in over 15
languages. The situation is yet more chaotic than it was in 1991:

This book was published in 1978. It is in
Russian and provides a detailed account of
the results of the excavations of G. A.
Pugachenkova and her team at Dal’verzin
Tepe
This book was published in 1996. It is
partly in Japanese and partly in Uzbek and
provides a detailed account of the results of
the excavations of B. A. Turgunov, K.
Kato and their team at Dal’verzin Tepe
The creation of an Archaeological Map of Central Asia was proposed independently by two
scholars. Both choose a conference in Dushanbe to do so, B. A. Litvinskij in 1956 and J.-C.
Gardin in 1982. The new technologies now available make it possible to achieve their dream.
AISCA is a collaborative effort by the Institutions and Research Teams
currently working in Central Asia to create an open, evolutive,
Information System of Central Asia, which makes it possible to access,
visualise, modify and analyse all Data concerning this part of the world.
 Some of the main focuses of AISCA are :
• Cultural Heritage Management
• International Cooperation
• Multidisciplinary Research
•Technological and Theoretical Innovation
AISCA does not aim to be only a vast Data Base but also to shape future
research in Central Asia. As such AISCA will serve as a laboratory for
Simulating and Modelising the Evolution of Societies through Time.
AISCA is structured around three main BLOCKS:
• Archaeology and History
• Natural environment and Ecology
• New Technologies and Multidisciplinarity

AISCA is conceived as an Open System and enables the

addition of further BLOCKS (such as Ethnography,
Sociology, Islamic Studies, etc.) at any time.
The Teams and Institutions particating in AISCA are
integrated within one BLOCK through which they can
integrate and modify their data.
 AISCA’s THE THREE
NEW BLOCKS
STRUCTURE TECHNOLOGIES

Knowledge
Design & Management
Architecture

AISCA
SYSTEM Retrieve &
Retrieve & Refine Data
Refine Data

Systemised Data

ENVIRONMENT
ARCHAEOLOGY AND
AND ECOLOGY
HISTORY Digitisation Digitisation

Brut Data Brut Data

 AISCA’s THE THREE
Laboratory of Artificial
Intelligence BLOCKS
STRUCTURE and Complex Systems
(Milan Bicocca) (TEAMS)
Knowledge
Design & Management
Architecture

AISCA
SYSTEM Retrieve &
Retrieve & Refine Data
Refine Data

Systemised Data

•International Resarch
•Archaeological Expeditions Centers
• Central Asian Institutes •Central Asian Institutions
of Archaeology of Environment
Tashkent University Samarkand University
• Other International • Other International
IICAS (Samarkand)
Research Centers Research Centers

Brut Data Brut Data

The INFORMATION SYSTEM of AISCA is structured
around three main CATEGORIES wich enable the integration
and consultation of Data
• DATA BASES
• DIGITAL LIBRARY
• WEB GIS
The data can be ACCESSED in four main ways:
• Simple Visualisation
• Thematic Studies
• Simulation and Modelisation
• Automatised Thematic Publication
INFORMATION
SYSTEM
DATA
BASES
GIS

DIGITAL
LIBRARY

DATA
DATA
ENTRY
EXIT

VISUALISATION
THEMATIC
STUDIES

AUTOMATIC
PUBLICATION
SIMULATION &
MODELISATION
 DATA
BASES

Data Bases can easily be created for any given theme. They are
integrated into AISCA and linked to the Web GIS and the other Data
Bases thanks to the localisation in latitude and longitude of each of the
entries contained in the Data Base.

From an archaeological point of view the Main Data Base currently

being created is a complete database of all archaeological sites currently
known in Central Asia – be they localised with sub-centimetre precision
or with an error range of a few kilometres, be much known about them
or nothing at all.
This Database, linked to the comprehensive GIS previously mentioned
will form the backbone of the system since all other databases or projects
will be linked to the georeferenced archaeological sites contained within
it.
DATA
BASES
DATA
BASES
 DATA
BASES

3.Web GIS
 DATA
BASES

3.Web GIS
 DATA
BASES

3.Web GIS
 DATA
BASES

3.Web GIS
 DIGITAL LIBRARY DIGITAL
LIBRARY

E-Library
- All relevant Soviet literature.
- Other literature, which the copyright holders agree to post
online.
- All archives held by participating institutions or scholars.
- PhD thesis, both recent and old.
Catalogue
Online catalogue of the Main Research Libraries of Central
Asia.
Online Dictionaries and glossaries
The e-library will include OCR scanned versions of
publications concerning the archaeology of Central Asia; DIGITAL
LIBRARY
will be online and fully searchable both directly or via other
DataBases or the WebGIS.
 WEB GIS GIS

The Web GIS of Central Asia will form the core of AISCA
since it will enable the storage and representation of all the
spatial referenced databases at any scale, from the whole of
Central Asia down to an individual site or even a specific area
of a site. It will also be the key tool not only for searching data
but also for analysing and interpreting it.
 GIS

For Central Asia as a whole it will include the following data:

- Extended Landsat
- Digital Elevation Model
- 1: 500K Soviet period maps
- Basic vector themes including:
- Hydrography (selected and reworked VMap 0 data)
- Contour lines (VMap 0 data)
- Grid
- International Borders
- Regional Borders
 GIS

GIS

1.Intro 2.Teams 3.WEB-GIS 4.DataBase 5. E-Library

GIS
 GIS

IAANU
East Museum ,
Moskow

Survey 2001-2004.
IAANU - UNIBO
Survey 2005
IAANU -UNIBO
 GIS

3.Web GIS
 GIS

For test areas (Surkhan Darya Province, Middle Zerafshan Valley

and possibly other areas), much more detailed data will be
included:

- Maps ranging from a 1:200K down to a 1: 10 000 scale

- Geological, geomorphologic and other thematic maps
- Aerial photographs
- Detailed vectorised data
GIS
GIS
 AISCA enables the user to VISUALISATION

visualise the results of a query

in various forms:
QUERY: “Isolated Tombs in the district of Urgut”

Simple Database

Detailed Data

Distribution Map
 Traditional Thematic Studies THEMATIC
can be easily integrated into STUDIES

AISCA.

CASE STUDY: The Statuettes of the Middle Zerafshan Valley

 SIMULATION &
MODELISATION

Data Query

Theoretical
AISCA aims to create a Model

platform, thanks to which it

will be possible to develop

SIMULATION
and test new models for
studying Historical Processes
and Cultural Evolution in
Central Asia.

MODEL
 AUTOMATIC
PUBLICATION

•THEMATIC MAPS
• SPATIAL and STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
RAPID QUERY,

MODELLING
SORTING & / PREDICTION / DECISION MAKING
PRESENTATION

MAP PRODUCTION
Some of the Institutions and Teams currently involved
in the project...
 IFEAC
UNESCO
Kyoto
International Institute
University
for Central Asian Studies
Archéologie de l’Asie centrale

Institut für Orientalische Archaeologie und Kunst

Mission Archéologique
de Bactriane

usca Samarkand State

Mission Archéologique
University
de Sogdiane
p

Deutches Archäologisches
Institut für Vorderasiatische Archäologie Institut

Charles University IAANU

Prague
Harvard University
The first operative base of AISCA is situated in Samarkand, at the International Institute for
Central Asian Studies (UNESCO).
During the autumn 2006, we hope to set up a GIS laboratory at the University of Samarkand for
the digitisation of Ecological and Environmental Data and two centres for the creation of
archaeological site Data Bases at the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of
Uzbekistan and at the University of Tashkent.
A test version of AISCA is online: http://149.132.159.118/aisca
If you are currently working in
Central Asia
Then you are part of AISCA

WELCOME!!