Jitte Waagen | University of Amsterdam (original) (raw)

Papers by Jitte Waagen

Journal of Field Archaeology, 2025

The Tappino Area Archaeological Project, initiated in 2013, investigates ancient settlement dynam... more The Tappino Area Archaeological Project, initiated in 2013, investigates ancient settlement dynamics in Molise, Italy. Ancient literary sources suggest a unique, non-urban settlement system for this mountainous region. Preliminary surveys for the Hellenistic period indicate a concentration of rural settlements on hill plateaus, suggesting a societal organization based on rural clusters. However, we must rigorously assess whether this pattern reflects genuine settlement organization or a research bias, a frequent challenge in landscape archaeology. This paper applies standard survey techniques with a proportionate stratified sampling approach, incorporating less-studied landscape areas. Additionally, we examine how factors like archaeological visibility, land use, and lithology may influence our understanding of settlement patterns and demography, using a statistically adequate framework to strengthen the analysis.

History, Culture, and Heritage, AHM Conference 2024: 'Heritage, Memory and Material Culture', 2024

The use of Virtual Reality (VR) as a learning environment for higher education has seen steady gr... more The use of Virtual Reality (VR) as a learning environment for higher education has seen steady growth in the last decade. Besides a larger number of users, the body of research into the effectiveness of VR in higher education contexts has also grown considerably. However, recent meta-reviews reveal a lack of studies on the use of VR in the Humanities. Furthermore, the potential beneficial affordances to support learning processes have been barely explored. In 2022, the Virtual Past Places (VPP) project started, in which VR learning environments have been developed, implemented, and evaluated in the context of various courses within the Humanities Faculty at the University of Amsterdam. As such, it offers the possibility to assess potential learning benefits using a large collected empirical dataset based on carefully embedded VR learning environments in Humanities education. In this paper, we discuss the underlying concepts, the project aims, the design process involving co-creation and the evaluation setup. Finally, we discuss an example VR implementation and provide an outlook towards preliminary evaluation results.

Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology, 7(1), 2024

The current ubiquitous use of 3D recording technologies in archaeological fieldwork, for a large ... more The current ubiquitous use of 3D recording technologies in archaeological fieldwork, for a large part due to the application of budget-friendly (drone) sensors and the availability of many low-cost image-based 3D modelling software packages, has exponentially increased the amount of 3D data of archaeological sites and landscapes. Various applications have advanced far beyond the experimental phase, such as the deployment of 3D surface recording for excavation interpretation, as a complementary data layer for prospection and as the basis for visualisation/presentation. Of particular attention here is the degree to which drone 3D recording can further advance the understanding of archaeological site topography. In this paper, current developments in the field of 3D recording will be discussed in the context of the ‘Archaeology of Archaeology’ approach, which is being developed at the University of Amsterdam. This paper is the result of a Round Table discussion at the CAA conference on April 5, 2023, in Amsterdam. The examples at the conference sessions clearly showed how beneficial it is when 3D recording techniques can be combined with other available information. In particular, the potential of old photographs was highlighted. Our experiences at Troy suggest that re-excavation of dumps and specific trenches and comparison of finds are also highly promising. In addition, considering the manifold possibilities of 3D hard- and software and the sheer quantity of the data available for a site such as Troy, several attendees to the session emphasized the necessity of a problem-oriented approach when researching and developing a platform as an access point, organising, and presenting collected information.

The drone remote sensing operations were commissioned by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgo... more The drone remote sensing operations were commissioned by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE), by archaeologist drs. Menno van der Heiden. The project research and reporting on the RCE side has subsequently been taken over by archaeologist dr. Rik Feiken. The area under investigation is an Iron Age/Roman period landscape surrounding an unexcavated site, probably a late Iron Age/Roman period (LIA/R) farm. There are clear patterns of LIA/R habitation, observed through ditches that are likely of LIA/R origin, and LIA/R pottery retrieved from test corings and test trenches. The expected habitation is situated on an ‘island’, known as ‘Het Eiland’, an isolated stretch of land in a former salt marsh landscape, that is not visible as a habitation mound. More common in this area are so-called ‘terpen’ which are clearly visible as anthropogenic elevated areas, so this is a relatively rare phenomenon (Feiken & van der Heiden, 2018). The surrounding landscape may still be a largely intact late Iron Age landscape with old watercourses and salt marshes (‘kwelders’) still visible in the terrain morphology, and possible offsite archaeological remains. Therefore, a drone remote sensing operation was considered to be an effective method to map potentially present remains of the local LIA/R past.

Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, 2023

This paper engages with Nathan Meyer’s (2022) paper ‘Finding Sites in Mediterranean Survey’. Buil... more This paper engages with Nathan Meyer’s (2022) paper ‘Finding Sites in Mediterranean Survey’. Building upon longstanding critiques of Mediterranean survey practices, Meyer argues for a re-direction of survey practices. We feel that several of his core arguments reflect an unbalanced view on the role of site and off-site data in Mediterranean surveys, conflating intensive and siteless surveys. Moreover, while these critiques seem to us unnecessarily negative regarding the analytical potential of off-site data, they also reflect an overconfident attitude towards the use of site data for comparative purposes.

Amstelodamum, 2023

Drieënhalve eeuw na de sloop van het middeleeuwse kasteel Huis ten Bosch aan de Vecht resteren aa... more Drieënhalve eeuw na de sloop van het middeleeuwse kasteel Huis ten Bosch aan de Vecht resteren aan de oppervlakte alleen nog lichte glooiingen in een schapenweide. In droge zomers schemeren soms de resten van muren als gele verkleuringen door het gras. Generaties van bewoners van de gelijknamige naastgelegen boerderij hoorden uit overlevering over dit verdwenen kasteel. Wat hiervan precies in de bodem resteerde, was echter in nevelen gehuld en er was geen informatie over de grootte van het oorspronkelijke kasteelterrein met gracht(en) en bijbehorende structuren. Recentelijk werd het kasteel opnieuw onder de aandacht gebracht door de website van Christian Pfeiffer en door publiciteit in Het Parool in 2020. In 2022 kwam dit terrein als onderdeel van het Stadsgebied Weesp op het grondgebied van de gemeente Amsterdam. Deze omstandigheden waren voor de stadsarcheologen van Monumenten en Archeologie een goede aanleiding om, in samenwerking met onderzoekers van Saricon, het 4d Research Lab van de Universiteit van Amsterdam en Hollandia Archeologen, een nader onderzoek in te stellen naar dit illustere kasteel. De geschiedenis van deze plek gaat terug tot de twaalfde eeuw, toen de uitgestrekte veengebieden rond de Amstel en de Vecht in cultuur werden gebracht en er daardoor bewoning mogelijk werd.

In search of a castle: Multisensor UAS research at the Medieval site of 't Huijs ten Bosch, Weesp 4D Research Lab Report Series 4, 2023

June 2023 http://4dresearchlab.nl The 4D Research Lab Report Series has been established as an in... more June 2023 http://4dresearchlab.nl The 4D Research Lab Report Series has been established as an instrument to promote transparency regarding the 4DRL virtual visualisation projects, workflow and pipeline development and technical experiments. The aim is to maximize knowledge sharing, meta-and paradata communication and clarification of author-and ownership of 4D Research Lab products. The 4DRL Report Series is published under a CC-BY license.

TMA: tijdschrift voor mediterrane archeologie, 2022

The continued growth of digital methods and practices within the humanities over the past 30 year... more The continued growth of digital methods and practices within the humanities over the past 30 years has provided a wealth of datasets that are transforming the discipline at an astonishing rate. New tools are urgently needed for 3D datasets to improve their accessibility, facilitate engagement and interaction with the datasets, and promote two-directional knowledge transfer. The 3DWorkSpace project aims to deliver
such a tool by adapting the open-source Voyager 3D digital museum curation tool suite1 and promote interactive engagement with traditionally complex digital datasets. Embedded structured guidance, or Learning Pathways, will be generated to provide training to promote the competence and skills
necessary for interpreting 3D datasets. Through the creation of annotated personal 3D collections, which can be tailored to specific learning goals or interests, broader narratives can be generated and new avenues for knowledge publication can be opened up.

Drones, 2022

Although drone thermography is increasingly applied as an archaeological remote sensing tool in t... more Although drone thermography is increasingly applied as an archaeological remote sensing
tool in the last few years, the technique and methods are still relatively under investigated. No doubt
there are successes in positive identification of buried archaeology, and the prospection technique
has clear complementary value. Nevertheless, there are also instances where thermograms did not
reveal present shallow buried architectural features which had been clearly identified by, for example,
ground-penetrating radar. The other way around, there are cases where the technique was able to
pick up a signals of buried archaeology at a time of day that is supposed to be very unfavorable for
thermographic recording. The main issue here is that the exact factors determining the potential for
tracing thermal signatures of anthropomorphic interventions in the soil are many, and their effect,
context, and interaction under investigated. This paper deals with a systematic application of drone
thermography on two archaeological sites in different soils and climates, one in The Netherlands,
and one in Italy, to investigate important variables that can make the prospection technique effective

Journal of Field Archaeology, 2022

Whereas archaeological field survey is relatively fast and effective for the mapping of surface f... more Whereas archaeological field survey is relatively fast and effective for the mapping of surface finds in Mediterranean landscapes, two challenges limit its potential for reconstructing ancient settlement patterns. First, field survey usually excludes portions of the landscape that are inaccessible or present low ground visibility due to vegetation or the terrain, and second, including large settlements sites poses logistical problems, as these tend to produce unmanageably high frequencies of finds. In this paper, we explore the potential value of point sampling for integrating these areas in standard transect field survey projects. For this experiment, we sampled a large rural Archaic-Roman period site and its off-site environs in Molise, central-southern Italy. We present a systematic statistical and spatial comparison between data derived from both methods on the same areas. As such, the experiment contributes to the current debate on how to compare and integrate data from survey projects that apply different techniques.

(Accepted/In press). Heritage, Memory and Conflict Journal (HMC), 2., 2022

An important goal of the project Accessing Campscapes: inclusive strategies for using European Co... more An important goal of the project Accessing Campscapes: inclusive strategies for using European Conflicted Heritage (iC-ACCESS), has been to develop inclusive approaches for the presentation and communication of contending perspectives on Nazi and Stalinist sites (Dolghin et al. 2017). A key objective for treating these ‘heritagescapes’ has been to ‘develop state-of-the-art strategies and implement innovative tools which provide sustainable in-situ and virtual forms of investigation, presentation and representation’ (Van der Laarse 2020). A central issue which is gaining increasing attention in heritage studies and management is the dilemma of preserving and exhibiting material remnants of Wehrmacht and SS-barracks or residencies at Holocaust memorial camps which are generally framed as victimhood sites. The Commander’s house at Herinneringscentrum Westerbork is a case in point, and can be placed in different perspectives on the history of the camp terrain and all related sensibilities on its meaning as an object of heritage. In order to realise an application that can accommodate these perspectives, iC-ACCESS project leader Prof. dr. R. van der Laarse contracted two laboratories specialised consecutively in 3D visualisation technologies and spatial information to cooperate on its development, the 4D Research Lab (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and the SPINlab (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam). This paper illustrates the ideas, discussions and choices related to the production of the ‘Campscapes – Westerbork Commander’s House App’, provides a concise technical description of the actual application, and presents a short prospection on potential future developments.

Archaeometry, 2021

In the practice of archaeological field survey there is a manifest importance for densities, that... more In the practice of archaeological field survey there is a manifest importance for densities, that is, an abundance of artifacts, often relying on simple counts of objects. However, a well-known issue is variable breakage of pottery that can cause biases in quantitative analysis. Although such issues are generally acknowledged, a direct assessment of breakage and the resulting biases is lacking in research. This paper explores the pros and cons of quantification methods of surface collections in terms of counts or weights, and demonstrates the importance of analysing weight and breakage as part of an integrative approach.

Watkins, A. S., Kensche, S., Stigter, S., & Waagen, J. (2021). The use of photogrammetry in the conservation of painted outdoor sculpture: Adressing Jean Dubutffet’s Jardin d'Email., 2021

This research evaluates the use of innovative imaging technologies to aid the conservation of lar... more This research evaluates the use of innovative imaging technologies to aid the conservation of large-scale contemporary painted outdoor sculpture. It explores photogrammetry and image based 3D modelling as tools during the conservation of Jardin d’émail (1974) by Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985), owned by the
Kröller-Müller Museum.

In: Gnade, M. & Revello Lami, M. (eds) 2021. Tracing Technology. Forty years of archaeological research at Satricum, Babesch Supplements 42, Peeters, Leuven. ISBN: 9789042946644, 2021

The aim of this paper is to bring forward new geospatial and remote sensing methods that are avai... more The aim of this paper is to bring forward new geospatial and remote sensing methods that are available for archaeological research, but have been only rarely applied to the research on Archaic cities and their landscapes in the Latium Vetus. We will focus chiefly on the recently available LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging-Airborne laser scanner) data and its combination with other tools as Low Altitude UAS Photogrammetry (LAUP) and historical aerial imagery. We rely on the capabilities of remote sensing methods to enhance the understanding of known sites and the social use of the ancient landscape. One of the main points we want to raise is the possibility of applying these techniques to generate insights on ancient technology, manmade interventions in the landscape, and the social implications beyond the construction of site features (walls, trenches, urbanism) and the appropriation of landscape.

Pharos: journal of the Netherlands Institute in Athens, 24, 2021

This article offers a very brief report on the 2015 survey campaign around Halos that formed the ... more This article offers a very brief report on the 2015 survey campaign around Halos that formed the conclusion of the revisit programme previously presented in this journal, followed by a somewhat longer preliminary presentation of the 2016 excavation season at Magoula Plataniotiki, which is also a continuation of previous work at the site reported in this journal. As in the past, the fieldwork was done by the universities of Groningen and Amsterdam and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Magnesia; in 2016, a delegation from the University of Alberta participated in the excavation as well. The survey season confirmed and refined results of the 2011-2013 campaigns. While the 2016 excavation season partly continued trenches opened in 2013, it also covered parts of the site that had not been explored yet. Three new trenches were laid out in areas where aerial photographs and geophysical research done in 2015 suggested the presence of features that could clarify the planning and chronology of the site. One of the new trenches explored the western edge of the site, which seems to be bordered by a pebble-paved street. This could not be dated yet. Another new trench indicates that the north-eastern part of the site, where geophysical research and aerial photographs show structures that do not follow the general orientation of streets and buildings further west, was abandoned in the Hellenistic period, while most other trenches indicate continuing habitation and other use. However, foundations of a large and possibly monumental structure encountered in an extension of one of the existing trenches indicate that even when shrinking, the Hellenistic settlement still contained impressive buildings. The intensive Classical and Hellenistic use of the site visible in all excavated areas does not seem have had a follow up, but in most trenches remains of later activities, apparently mainly related to reuse of materials, have been encountered.

Making 4D: principles and standards for virtual reconstruction in the humanities by the 4D Research Lab , 2021

In this document, the first instalment of the 4DRL Report Series, we discuss the 4DRL approach to... more In this document, the first instalment of the 4DRL Report Series, we discuss the 4DRL approach to virtual visualisation and important related concepts for the creation of 3D models.

Casestudy Siegerswoude-Middenwei. Thermisch infrarood remote sensing van een laatmiddeleeuwse nederzetting, in: Archeologische prospectie vanuit de lucht. Remote sensing in de Nederlandse archeologie (landbodems). Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, p. 76-78, 2021

Archeologische prospectie vanuit de lucht Inhoud Samenvatting 4 Deel I-De basis 5 1 Inleiding 6 1... more Archeologische prospectie vanuit de lucht Inhoud Samenvatting 4 Deel I-De basis 5 1 Inleiding 6 1.1 Introductie 6 1.2 Remote sensing in dienst van de archeologische monumentenzorg 6 1.3 Doel, kader, doelgroep en afbakening 7 1.4 Werkwijze 8 1.5 Leeswijzer 9 1.6 Dankwoord 9 2 Welke remote rensing-beelden zijn er en wanneer zijn ze voor archeologen bruikbaar? 10 2.1 Inleiding 10 2.2 Wat zijn producten van remote sensing?

Blending the Material and the Digital: A Project at the Intersection of Museum Interpretation, Academic Research, and Experimental Archaeology, 2020

The power of digital technologies to communicate archaeological information in a museum context h... more The power of digital technologies to communicate archaeological information in a museum context has recently been critically evaluated (Paardekooper, 2019). A recent collaboration between members of the Tracing the Potter’s Wheel project, the 4D Research Lab, and the Allard Pierson Museum and Knowledge Institute illustrates the way that such collaborations can avoid or overcome a number of the pitfalls highlighted in that publication.

AARGnews 58, 2019

This paper presents a case study in which LiDAR data has been studied to provide information on t... more This paper presents a case study in which LiDAR data has been studied to provide information
on the defensive wall-circuits of a protohistoric site in Southern Italy: Muro Tenente. By
applying various approaches of relief visualization, in combination with blending techniques,
the high-resolution elevation data is used to shed light on the overgrown and partly lost inner
and outer walls of the ancient city. In addition to the application of various analytical
representations, a more dynamic approach is proposed using 3D modelling software for realtime
visualisations using a realistic shading render engine. The results present new insights into
the morphology and preservation of the city walls, as well as providing a new hypothesis
regarding their layout.

Journal of Field Archaeology, 2025

History, Culture, and Heritage, AHM Conference 2024: 'Heritage, Memory and Material Culture', 2024

Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology, 7(1), 2024

Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, 2023

Amstelodamum, 2023

In search of a castle: Multisensor UAS research at the Medieval site of 't Huijs ten Bosch, Weesp 4D Research Lab Report Series 4, 2023

TMA: tijdschrift voor mediterrane archeologie, 2022

Drones, 2022

Journal of Field Archaeology, 2022

(Accepted/In press). Heritage, Memory and Conflict Journal (HMC), 2., 2022

Archaeometry, 2021

Watkins, A. S., Kensche, S., Stigter, S., & Waagen, J. (2021). The use of photogrammetry in the conservation of painted outdoor sculpture: Adressing Jean Dubutffet’s Jardin d'Email., 2021

In: Gnade, M. & Revello Lami, M. (eds) 2021. Tracing Technology. Forty years of archaeological research at Satricum, Babesch Supplements 42, Peeters, Leuven. ISBN: 9789042946644, 2021

Pharos: journal of the Netherlands Institute in Athens, 24, 2021

Making 4D: principles and standards for virtual reconstruction in the humanities by the 4D Research Lab , 2021

Blending the Material and the Digital: A Project at the Intersection of Museum Interpretation, Academic Research, and Experimental Archaeology, 2020

AARGnews 58, 2019

In 2007 the Archaeological Department of the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands) has starte... more In 2007 the Archaeological Department of the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands) has started a new research-project involving ancient pottery originating from long-term Dutch excavations in Italy (Satricum) and Greece (Halos), and from more recent survey projects in Greece (Zakynthos). The project aims to broaden the specialisation that the UvA has built within the field of pottery research. It will allow a new generation of researchers to establish themselves and for the project's expertise to take a prominent place on an international level. The project was initiated by Prof. V. Stissi, Prof. M. Gnade, Dr. G.J. van Wijngaarden and Dr. E. Hitsiou, all active as lecturers/researchers at the University of Amsterdam. In addition, the project will include a Postdoctoral reearcher, 6 PhD-students, 6 research-assistants, an IT-specialist and a project-assistant.

Reconstructing ancient social dynamics through the lens of material culture lies at the core of a... more Reconstructing ancient social dynamics through the lens of material culture lies at the core of archaeological interpretation. Evidence of people’s actions and natural events materialize in concentrations of artifacts and ecofacts that enable us to trace human past behaviors. Not surprisingly, quantification methods are a recurrent issue in archaeological research about all categories of objects, their typologies and distributions.
Traditionally, much attention has been paid to the development of increasingly sophisticated techniques of quantitative analysis, greatly expanding the amount of data at our disposal. Yet, the lack of uniformity in their application does not always allow for comparison, making therefore those datasets not fully usable (Orton 1993; Arcelin&Tuffreau-Libre 1998). This lack of unified quantifying methods is not only a hindrance to the interpretation of datasets, but also to engaging with formation biases, which are essential for understanding whether these analyses are valid in the first place. This
session aims to go beyond diverging enumeration methods of observed evidence in the present, and
take a step to develop more synergy within the fragmented landscape of quantification in material
studies.
To do so we seek to gather a variety of case studies across Europe, the Mediterranean and beyond that illustrate innovative approaches to artifacts quantification, but that also go into the direction of setting common baselines against which different data can be more efficiently compared and measured.
Topics to be explored could include, but are not limited to:
- sampling strategies and their impact on the amount of information allowing reasonable interpretation of assemblages;
- quantification of surface finds collected in field surveys and the effects of applied methodology on research results;
- applicability of diversity measurements for tracing change in the material record, craft production and consumption patterns;
- determining relative abundance: assessment of innovative and well-established mathematical models.

We encourage contributions that provide (new) quantitative frameworks to investigate the material record, engage with methodological issues in quantifying material assemblages, foster to quantitatively integrate different datasets as well as discuss the problems and the needs for doing so.

Nederlandse Archeologische Rapporten (NAR) 80., 2022

Doctoral Thesis, 2022

For our understanding of the past, archaeological field survey is an essential fieldwork method. ... more For our understanding of the past, archaeological field survey is an essential fieldwork method. It is a form of prospection that aims to catalogue archaeological remains in a specified research area. Many modern landscape archaeological investigations build on these datasets to be able to understand socio-economic, demographic, and political developments for specific historical periods on regional scales. However, the reliability of archaeological field survey has been the subject of debate since the advent of this fieldwork technique. The main issue here is to what degree the collected samples actually result in a representative picture of the archaeological surface record, and the past human activity that led to its formation. One of the important methodological discussions concerning the reliability of archaeological field survey revolves around a range of bias problems in the formation of the datasets. With this thesis, some of the major, and interrelated, research biases in the formation of datasets in archaeological field survey are assessed. Based on these investigations it may be concluded that archaeological field survey can improve its robustness in collecting reliable samples of the surface record, as well as develop approaches to specific research biases, such as ground visibility. This eventually should allow for an improved perspective on the archaeological surface record, and will increase the representativity of the collected data which eventually permits the attestation of a more detailed, rich and varied typology of archaeological remains.

Rapportage Archeologische Monumentenzorg 273, 2022

Journal of Field Archaeology, 2025

The Tappino Area Archaeological Project, launched in 2013, explores ancient settlement patterns i... more The Tappino Area Archaeological Project, launched in 2013, explores ancient settlement patterns in Molise, Italy. Historical texts describe this mountainous region as having a distinctive, non-urban settlement system. Initial surveys of the Hellenistic period reveal clusters of rural settlements on hilltops, hinting at a society organized around these rural hubs. However, it remains essential to determine whether this pattern reflects genuine settlement dynamics or is shaped by research bias—a common issue in landscape archaeology. This study uses standard survey methods combined with proportionate stratified sampling to include lesser-studied areas of the landscape. It also evaluates how factors like archaeological visibility, land use, and geology affect our interpretation of settlement patterns and population, ensuring a statistically robust analysis.