dr. J.W.H.P. (Philip) Verhagen

General background

I graduated in Physical Geography at the VU in 1989, and have worked in commercial archaeology since 1992 as a specialist in GIS and archaeological computing with RAAP (1992-2005) and ACVU-HBS (2005-2008). From 1992 to 1998 I participated in the European Union-funded Archaeomedes and Rio Aguas projects, doing geo-database management and spatial analysis for a number of study areas in France (Rhône Valley) and Spain (Vera Basin). Both projects analyzed the long term development of settlement and land use dynamics, for which GIS proved to be a powerful and efficient tool.

From the mid-1990s on I have actively participated in the development of predictive modelling for archaeological heritage management in the Netherlands. This resulted in my involvement in the BBO research programme on predictive modelling, which eventually led to the publication of my thesis, completed at Leiden University in 2007. In this thesis I have explored and developed a number of methods and techniques for building and testing predictive models.

From around 2001, I have also worked on issues concerning the reliability of archaeological survey techniques for detecting archaeological sites, especially core sampling and (more recently) trial trenching. This research has resulted in national guidelines for optimal survey strategies in Dutch archaeological heritage management.

Research interests

Predictive modelling, GIS and spatial analysis, statistics, computing in archaeology, archaeological survey, archaeological heritage management, landscape archaeology

Current research project

VENI research proposal
So far, predictive modelling has largely neglected the social and cultural dimensions of past landscapes. Input is commonly derived from correlations between archaeological sites and natural landscape features. The result is a rather static way of modelling, in which the human factor remains unexplored. Furthermore, issues of temporality have been addressed uncritically or insufficiently. To maintain its value for archaeological research, therefore, predictive modelling needs new methodologies, concepts and theories.

My research project aims to introduce relevant insights and concepts from social anthropology, cultural and economic geography, and the historical research of landscapes (landscape biography) into predictive modelling. In this way, it can also make a novel contribution to landscape archaeology, as this discipline has developed rather one-sidedly into a set of interpretive orientations, such as hermeneutics and phenomenology, that show only minor interest in spatial analysis and quantification. The project focuses on four major topics: [1] the spatial organization of social territories, [2] the socio-political aspects of visual perception and site-visibility, [3] the role of social memory in the (re)ordering and (re)use of space, and [4] the role of path dependence in the long-term development of cultural landscapes. Detailed research will be conducted for two regions: the sandy landscape of the southern Netherlands (Bronze Age - late Middle Ages) and the loess belt between Tongres (Belgium) and Cologne (Germany) (late Iron Age - early Middle Ages). In both cases the project moves from the analysis of ancient landscapes and the modelling of landscape change towards a useful output for heritage management. Testing of the models and predictive maps includes a combination of statistical and empirical procedures.

Publications

In preparation:

• (with K. Jeneson). 'A Roman Puzzle. Why we will never find the Via Belgica with GIS and may become better archaeologists in the process'. Proceedings of TAG 2010 session 'Thinking beyond the tool', Bristol University.
• ‘On the road to nowhere? Least cost paths, accessibility and the predictive modelling perspective’. Proceedings of CAA2010, University of Granada.
• (with L. Drăguţ). 'Discovering the Dutch mountains. An experiment with with automated landform classification for purposes of archaeological predictive mapping.' Proceedings of CAA2010, University of Granada.

2011

• 2011 (with M. van Leusen, B. Ducke, A. Millard and H. Kamermans). 'The Bumpy Road to Incorporating Uncertainty in Predictive Modelling'. In: Jerem, E., Redö, F. & Szeverényi, V. (eds.): On the Road to Reconstructing the Past. Proceedings of the 36th Annual Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology, CAA 2008. Budapest, April 2-6, pp. 569-576.
• 2011 (with M. Wansleeben and C. Sueur). 'Setting a Standard for the Exchange of Archaeological Data in the Netherlands'. In: Jerem, E., Redö, F. & Szeverényi, V. (eds.): On the Road to Reconstructing the Past. Proceedings of the 36th Annual Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology, CAA 2008. Budapest, April 2-6, pp. 577-580.
• 2011 (with T.G. Whitley). 'Integrating Archaeological Theory and Predictive Modeling. A Live Report from the Scene'. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, online first version.

2010

• 2010 (with H. Kamermans, M. van Leusen and B. Ducke). 'New developments in archaeological predictive modelling'. In: T. Bloemers, H. Kars, A. van der Valk & M. Wijnen (eds.): The Cultural Landscape & Heritage Paradox. Protection and Development of the Dutch Archaeological-Historical Landscape and its European Dimension (Landscape & Heritage Studies Proceedings). Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam, pp. 431-444.
• 2010 (with H. Kamermans, M. van Leusen, J. Deeben, D. Hallewas, P. Zoetbrood)). 'First thoughts on the incorporation of cultural variables into predictive modelling'. In: F. Niccolucci and S. Hermon (eds), Beyond the artefact – Digital Interpretation of the Past - Proceedings of CAA2004 - Prato 13-17 April 2004. Archaeolingua, Budapest, 307–311.

2009

• 2009 (with A. Wagtendonk, K. Jeneson, S. Soetens and M. de Kleijn). ‘Past in Place: The role of Geo-ICT in present-day archaeology’. In: Scholten, H. J., R. van de Velde and N. van Manen (eds.): Geospatial Technology and the role of location within Science. Springer, Dordrecht (GeoJournal Library , Vol. 96), pp. 59-86.
• (with A. Borsboom). ‘The design of effective and efficient trial trenching strategies for discovering archaeological sites’. Journal of Archaeological Science 36, 1807-1816.
• (with M. van Leusen and H. Kamermans). ‘The future of archaeological predictive modelling ’ in H. Kamermans, M. van Leusen & Ph. Verhagen (eds.): Archaeological prediction and risk assessment. Alternatives to current practice. Leiden University Press, Leiden (ASLU 17), pp. 19-26.
• (with R. Isarin and B. Goudswaard). ‘Archaeology as a risk in spatial planning: manoeuvring between objectivity and subjectivity’ in H. Kamermans, M. van Leusen & Ph. Verhagen (eds.): Archaeological prediction and risk assessment. Alternatives to current practice. Leiden University Press, Leiden (ASLU 17), pp. 41-48.

2008 

• ‘Testing archaeological predictive models: a rough guide’ in A. Posluschny, K. Lambers & I. Herzog (eds.):  Layers of Perception.  Proceedings of the 35th International Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA), Berlin, Germany, April 2–6, 2007. Kolloquien zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte, Vol. 10. Dr. Rudolf Habelt GmbH, Bonn, pp. 285-291.

2006

• (with H. Kamermans & M. van Leusen). ‘Whither archaeological predictive modelling?’. in W. Börner and S. Uhrlitz, 2006: Workshop 10 Archäologie und Computer. Kulturelles Erbe und Neue Technologien. 7.-10. November 2005. Stadtarchäologie Wien, Vienna (CD-ROM). 
• 'Quantifying the qualified: the use of multi-criteria methods and Bayesian statistics for the development of archaeological predictive models' in: Mehrer, M. & K. Wescott (eds.), GIS and Archaeological Site Location Modeling. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 191-216.
• 'The use of predictive modelling for guiding the archaeological survey of Roman pottery kilns in the Argonne region (N.E. France)'. in: Mehrer, M. & K. Wescott (eds.), GIS and Archaeological Site Location Modeling. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 447-459.

Extensive list of publications

 

Publications in Dutch

2009 - 1995

• 2009 (with E. Norde). Gemeente Helden. Archeologische waarden- en verwachtingskaart. Amsterdam, ACVU-HBS. ZAN 147.
• 2009 (with A. Borsboom). Leidraad Inventariserend Veldonderzoek. Deel: Proefsleuvenonderzoek (IVO-P). ACVU-HBS/Hazenberg Archeologie.
• 2008 (with H. Kamermans and M. van Leusen).’Een nieuwe impuls voor de archeologische verwachtingskaart’. Archeobrief 12-3, 27-34. 
• 2008. Gemeente Schouwen-Duiveland. Archeologische waarden- en verwachtingskaart voor de historische kernen. Amsterdam, ACVU-HBS. 
• 2007 (with N. Willemse). ‘Wikken en wegen met vindplaatsen’. Archeobrief 11-2, 27-34. 
• 2007 (with C. Sueur and M. Wansleeben). Advies archeologische uitwisselingsprotocollen SIKB. Vestigia, Amersfoort. Vestigia-rapport V513. 
• 2004 (with A. Tol, M. Verbruggen & A. Borsboom). Prospectief boren; een studie naar de betrouwbaarheid en toepasbaarheid van booronderzoek in de prospectiearcheologie. RAAP-rapport 1000. RAAP Archeologisch Adviesbureau, Amsterdam.
• 1995. ‘De archeologische potentiekaart in Nederland: een methodologie voor het voorspellen van archeologische waarden op basis van archeologische en landschappelijke gegevens’. Westerheem 44(5), pp. 177-187

 

Links

The BBO Predictive Modelling project
The Archaeomedes Project

The annual Computer Applications in Archaeology conference website: http://www.caaconference.org/ and this year’s conference: http://www.caa2011.org/

My profile on academia.edu

My previous employers:
www.acvu-hbs.nl
www.raap.nl

Thesis:

2007. Case Studies in Archaeological Predictive Modelling. Leiden University Press, Leiden. ASLU 14. Download  Order  A review of my thesis appeared in Antiquity (March 2009). Download