Introduction

The use of advanced computer programs and information technnology in archaeology and architectural history -- whether to record information digitally as part of a project or to retrieve and re-use digital information already recorded -- requires some expertise. While that expertise can only be obtained with considerable time and experience using the computers and programs in question, information is provided here to help potential users know more about the computer programs likely to be encountered, the problems to be expected, the hardware required, and the like.

The materials available through this page were prepared for the Web or for paper-based publication, and the CSA CAD Guide for Archaeologists and Architectural Historians was written in cooperation with the Archaeology Data Service. Unless otherwise noted, the materials available here were written by CSA Director Harrison Eiteljorg, II.

Readers' comments regarding any of these materials would be gratefully received. Just email your comments to CSA Director Harrison Eiteljorg, II, at director@csanet.org.

CSA personnel will also assist with specific software preparation and training for archaeological or architectural history projects. To arrange for such assistance, please contact CSA Director Harrison Eiteljorg, II, at director@csanet.org.

General resources:

• A basic, general introduction to databases.
• CSA's CAD booklet to introduce some basic information about CAD, Computer-Assisted Drafting And Design: New Technologies For Old Problems. This is somewhat dated by now, having been written in 1988 and updated last in 1996.
• CSA's surveying booklet to discuss some important ideas about surveying, Surveying for Computer-Aided Drafting and Design - Experiments in Three-dimensional Techniques.
• CSA CAD Guide for Archaeologists and Architectural Historians a longer, more comprehensive introduction to CAD for archaeology and architectural history, written more recently than the booklet mentioned above.

More advanced resources:

• A discussion of database design and organization issues.
• A complex database for a portion of the analyzed pottery from J. B. Rutter's The Pottery of Lerna IV, as adaped for a database by Susan C. Jones and Harrison Eiteljorg, II. Documentation of the database system developed for this project and downloadable database files may be accessed through this page.
• The CSA Layer-Naming Convention discusses ways to use CAD layers and layer names to aid in analysis of structures or archaeological sites.
• CSA AutoLISP routines for AutoCAD to automate some AutoCAD processes that are often used in modeling standing architecture to archaeological excavations.
• A tutorial for those wishing to learn to use AutoCAD; the tutorial was developed by CSA Director Harrison Eiteljorg, II, and Carleton College Professor Nancy Wilkie.

In addition to the foregoing, issues of the CSA Newsletter have articles about CAD and articles about database design with valuable information for those using - or contemplating using - these technologies.

For more information about AutoCAD, see http://www.autodesk.com (the company site) and http://www.Autocadsites.biz for an Autocad directory.