A data model for the spatialized integration of archaeological excavation information from prehistoric sites

Abstract Prehistoric sites are important materials for understanding prehistoric civilization. This study addresses the limitations of current archaeological databases, which often suffer from fragmented data structures, weak spatiotemporal integration and an underutilization of GIS capabilities in spatial analysis and visualization. Therefore, a spatiotemporal data model is designed for the integration of archaeological information. Based on a framework of archaeological reports for prehistoric sites in China, a five-dimensional space-time architecture is introduced through the excavation and laboratory identification of prehistoric sites, namely, site-square unit-layer-feature-cultural periodization. This architecture enables the integration of multidisciplinary data and achieves a unified representation of the spatial, temporal and cultural attributes of prehistoric sites. The experiments demonstrate that the model supports retrievals of spatial relationships among multidisciplinary archaeological entities, statistics of features and remains, and cultural comparisons within spatial contexts, offering a spatial perspective for archaeology and provide a robust data and a technical foundation for comprehensive research.