About

The Spatial Archaeology Laboratory (SAL), which began to operate in 2019 in the Institute of Archaeology, is intended to provide a vivid hub for HUJI researchers studying the development of cultural landscapes and regional settlement systems within the realm of human-environment interactions. The lab uses data gathered in the field and computational tools to generate accurate, high-resolution documentation and mapping of archaeological sites and landscapes, as well as to enhance research and analysis of spatial relations in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based environment. It also promotes an educational program for the study of spatial and landscape archaeology and implementation of new research tools for both undergraduate and graduate students.

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The importance of high-level research in spatial archaeology cannot be underestimated. In an era typified by enormous amount of data recovered from archaeological sites and regions, coupled with the on-going destruction of cultural heritage landscapes due to modern development or unstable political conditions, developing and implementing research tools to accumulate and analyze big data in a computational environment is a much-needed component alongside the more traditional research avenues of individual sites and material culture. The Spatial Archaeology Laboratory is thus concerned not only with research applications of spatial analysis, but also with protection of cultural heritage through predictive modeling in the service of planning and statutory authorities in Israel.