Tag:historic=archaeological_site

+/- historic=archaeological_site Description a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved Used on these elements Useful combination name=* site_type=* Used combinations in World Australia/Oceania Europe (list) Asia (list) Central America (list) South America (list) Africa (list) Status Undefined

Contents 1 Summary 2 Overview Map 3 Mapping 4 Rendering 5 See also

Summary

"Archaeological site" is not restricted to excavations, but should also encompass all visible ancient monuments, most of which will not have been excavated. Naturally, excavated monuments that are widely known to tourists should also be tagged, but non-obvious unexcavated sites should not be tagged as to do so could encourage damage from treasure hunters.

Overview Map

An Overview Map of archaeological objects in OpenStreetMap has been created. (It appears to be limited to German boundaries.) The objects are evaluated according to the properties defined here (as of May 2006), and visualised with pictograms. Pictograms with yellow background indicate further information from the tags via pop-ups. Once JOSM is started with the remote control plugin, every object can be loaded directly into JOSM.

It is planned to update the maps once per week, or on request. --Lübeck / translated to English 12:48, 19 May 2009 (UTC)

Mapping

An archeological site is mapped as a node or an area with historic=archaeological_site.

In addition, the following parameters should be given to describe the details of the object.

• name=Name The name of the archeological site, e.g. Brutkamp [1]

• site_type=megalith - Megalith (as in German, English and French) = one or more stone boulders, decorated or undecorated, e.g. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalith (de) or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalith (en).

In many cases the Megaliths can be further differentiated, as in:

megalith_type=menhir - Menhir, aka Hinkelstein = large upright standing stone, see http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menhir (de) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menhir (en)

megalith_type=alignment - stone row (Ger. Steinreihe, Engl. alignment or stone row, Fr. alignement, see http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alignement_(Menhire)

megalith_type=stone_circle - stone circle (Ger. Steinkreis, Engl. stone circle, Fr. cromlech), see http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steinkreis

megalith_type=grosssteingrab - single-chamber megalithic tomb (Ger. Großsteingrab, internat. Dolmen), aka (Ger.) Hünengrab (not to be confused with a hill tomb aka (Ger.) Hügelgrab!): http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Großsteingrab (de) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolmen (en)

megalith_type=passage_grave - passage grave (Ger. Ganggrab): http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganggrab - also called (Ger.) Langbett = long bed.

megalith_type=chamber - only fragments of the grave are visible and the type can no longer be identified.

moved=yes - optional - there are graves that have been moved. [2]

When naming the megaliths, there is no avoiding the use the regional terms that have been coined in the different historical records and the varied history of the archaeological research. A unified English terminology is not possible, because for specific types of megaliths either no English word exists, or the established localised terminology is in use.

• site_type=tumulus - Tumulus, a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans. Examples: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumulus (de) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumulus (en).

field=yes - Some graveyards consist of a number of tumuli. To avoid mapping all of them, the field tag can be used as an option.

Please note that at least some tumuli are also megalith structures and that there is a proposal for mapping them as tombs as well (see below).

• site_type=fortification - moats or mounds as remains of former fortifications

fortification_type=hill_fort - mounds (incl. Ger. Burgwälle, Wallburgen, Ringwälle etc., En. hill fort, Fr. castro): http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallburg (de) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_fort (en)

fortification_type=limes - Roman Limes: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limes_(Grenzwall) (de) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limes (en)

fortification_type=sconce - Sconce, small protective fortification since the 19th century: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schanze_(Festungsbau) (de) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sconce_(fortification) (en)

fortification_type=ring_ditch - concentric circular ditches: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kreisgrabenanlagen (de)

• site_type=bigstone - Natural stones that have been threatened by humans are also listed here. Undecorated stones, even when they have mystic backgrounds or meanings, are not archaeological objects, and are mapped as natural=stone .

• site_type=necropolis - Necropolis

• site_type=petroglyph - Rock carving

• sprockhoff=number - many graveyards are listed in the German Atlas der Megalithgräber by Ernst Sprockhoff and can be referenced by this number. [3]

• historic:civilization=* - for the civilization (culture) that originally created the feature.

Rendering

Undecided

See also

• Proposed_features/aqueduct, historic=aqueduct for aqueducts and their remains
• Proposed_features/tombs, historic=tomb, tomb=tumulus, tomb=rock-cut and others for tombs