PyArchinit: Database Mangement System and Archaeological GIS

The project “PyArchInit- python for archaeology” began in 2005 with the aim of develop ing a phyton’s plug-in for the open source software Qgis. PyArchinit comes mainly from the needs, ever more present in the archaeology community, to computerize the archaeological records using software, which handle alphanumeric, multimedia and topographical data in a single solution. This package aims to meet the requirements with a unique solution that guarantees over time stability, development, easy installation and update. The final goal is the creation of GIS platform with a high  i nteroperability between different operating system, in which alphanumerical table, GIS geometries and multimedia data are within a single system. This allows to keep as much as possible the integrity of the raw data, providing to the archaeologist both a very fast and robust approach and, in meantime, it is an open system to changes and customizations by other developers. The database management system of archaeological data is automatically installed both in Postgresql and in Spatialite. Different GUI, created to support of entering data, manage the database. It is structured in seven management GUI: Stratigraphic units S ite Chronology Infrastructures T aphonomy Record Archaeological M ultimedia The first part of the package includes the management of stratigraphic units (pyarchnit_US) because of the need to manage on situ the documentation of on going excavations. With pyArchInit we will try to bridge the gap between skills and knowledge acquired on an Academic level and daily life of archaeological fieldworks; moreover it will help the interaction with engineers, urban planners, government, Cultural Office administrators and all the agencies that gravitate around archaeological world.