Développement d’un SIG pour la ville médiévale de Cluny

Abstract

The Cluny Abbey, the greatest building of European Christendom in the 12th century, has been transformed during its long history. The evolution of the place can be studied thanks to an abundant documentation, through archeological excavations and the study of landscape. The stratigraphic complexity of the successive buildings and the vastness of the territory in relation with its hydrographical system, convinced us to install a SIG database and research system. The Abbey is located at the confluence of two rivers, progressively converted by the monks, in order to obtain an extremely rational use of the water. The installation of a collaborative and interdisciplinary platform, called SIG 4D, dedicated to the history and archeology of the Cluniac landscape, requires the grouping of various types of data, that are often very diverse. The integration of 3D elements and their geolocalization in the geographic system bring technical difficulties which have to be solved. Starting with the documentary study and the excavations, we examine the questions linked to interdisciplinary use of various types of SIG and CAO data, and their dissemination amongst various researchers. Numeric tools offer new possibilities which encourage us to elaborate treatment procedures and data dissemination which are better adapted to the hybrid nature of archeological artifacts and to the study process of the historical traces in architecture and territory.