Visualising a complex ritual landscape : gaining a new perspective on the Late Period/Early Ptolemaic sacred landscape of North Saqqara through the application of digital technologies
The Late Period (747â332 BC)/Early Ptolemaic (332â30 BC) monuments at the necropolis of North Saqqara have historically been investigated either in isolation or within small spatially close groups. The monuments have rarely been compared within their wider landscape setting, or their relationship with the topography upon which they are imposed considered. This study seeks to redress the situation for the monuments associated with the sacred animal cults through the investigation of topographic associations, monument interconnectedness, and affordances and entanglements within the sacred landscape. To achieve this, a new and detailed GIS (Geographical Information System) of the North Saqqara and South Abusir archaeological areas was researched and compiled, as there was no other currently available. The GIS provided the foundation for the construction of an innovative multi-layered digital 3D representation of the ancient necropolis, which was used to examine the landscape from a terrestrial viewpoint. This was fundamental to developing an holistic understanding of a sacred landscape which is no longer wholly extant. By employing the creative power of digital reconstruction, the task of visualisation and
Williams, Scott Andrew
CC Archaeology
Visualising a complex ritual landscape : gaining a new perspective on the Late Period/Early Ptolemaic sacred landscape of North Saqqara through the application of digital technologies. The Late Period (747â332 BC)/Early Ptolemaic (332â30 BC) monuments at the necropolis of North Saqqara have historically been investigated either in isolation or within small spatially close groups. The monuments have rarely been compared within their wider landscape setting, or their relationship with the topography upon which they are imposed considered. This study seeks to redress the situation for the monuments associated with the sacred animal cults through the investigation of topographic associations, monument interconnectedness, and affordances and entanglements within the sacred landscape. To achieve this, a new and detailed GIS (Geographical Information System) of the North Saqqara and South Abusir archaeological areas was researched and compiled, as there was no other currently available. The GIS provided the foundation for the construction of an innovative multi-layered digital 3D representation of the ancient necropolis, which was used to examine the landscape from a terrestrial viewpoint. This was fundamental to developing an holistic understanding of a sacred landscape which is no longer wholly extant. By employing the creative power of digital reconstruction, the task of visualisation and
visualising complex ritual landscape gain_new perspective late_period early ptolemaic event sacred_landscape north application digital_technology late_period early ptolemaic monument necropolis north historically investigate either isolation within small spatially close group monument rarely compare within_wide landscape_setting relationship topography upon impose consider study_seek redress situation monument associate sacred animal cult investigation topographic association monument affordances entanglement within sacred_landscape achieve new detail gis geographical information system north south archaeological area research compile currently available gis provide_foundation construction innovative multi_layered digital representation ancient necropolis use examine landscape terrestrial viewpoint fundamental develop_holistic sacred_landscape longer wholly extant employ creative power digital reconstruction task visualisation