Digitizing Los Millares (Santa Fe de Mondujar, Almería, Spain) through 3-D and geospatial technologies: preserving and disseminating the archaeological heritage

Abstract

Geospatial and 3D technologies have been successfully employed in archaeological research. Generally used for generating new digital data, they can also serve for preserving the heritage. Drawing on ideas from Public Archaeology, our paper aims to focus on the latter aspect, centered in the site of Los Millares. Los Millares, located in southeast of Spain, is one of the most important archaeological sites of Iberian Chalcolithic and was the object of intensive archaeological surveys and excavations during the 20th Century. Notwithstanding the usefulness and importance of these researches and later analyses on materials, their results and knowledge remain in grey format. In line with current ethical standards, we aim to reinvigorate Los Millares through digital technologies which can preserve its heritage while outreaching interested audiences. This has taken shape by following a threefold-scale strategy: This strategy has proved to be of great aid for reaching our aims. In sum, this research brings the utility of digital technologies for recording and preserving archaeological heritage, not least for disseminating knowledge. • Ethical digital research reinvigorates heritage preservation. • Digital technologies are powerful tools for making more open our research. • Digitisation of databases and information from excavations that have been inaccessible until now. • These data are now fully accessible to use by other researchers (hacker ethic). • Presents new ways on heritage curation for this site.