CIPA 2005 XX InternationaI Symposium. 26 September - 01 October. 2005. Torino. /ta/v 
849 
DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERNET-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR 
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND STUDIES ON URBAN HISTORY IN 
BAALBEK/LEBANON 
F. Henze a , H. Lehmann \ B. Fischer-Genz c 
a Brandenburg Technical University of Cottbus, Chair of Surveying, 03046 Cottbus, Germany - henzefaitu-cottbus.de 
b German Archaeological Institute, Department of Building Archaeology, 14195 Berlin, Germany - architektur@dainst.de 
L German Archaeological Institute, Orient Department, 14195 Berlin, Germany - orient@dainst.de 
KEY WORDS: Information System, GIS, Cultural Heritage, Archaeological/Architectural Survey, Documentation 
ABSTRACT 
The project „Urban development in Baalbek“ aims at reconstructing the urban development of the settlement site in the northern 
Beqa’a and its socio-economical foundations from prehistoric times to the 20 lh c. Specialists of different disciplines from German and 
Lebanese research institutions and universities are enrolled in this project. The integration of documentation and data from more than 
100 years of scientific research at this site present an important challenge. Since 2001, the German Archaeological Institute (D.A.I.) 
conducts additional archaeological soundings and architectural documentation of historical building remains in Baalbek, and thus 
extensive new archaeological and architectural data was added in those four years to the existing documentation 
In order to give the different research groups access to the ongoing research and results of the individual projects, the creation and 
implementation of an internet-based information system adapted to archaeological and architectural research was initiated. Through 
this tool, interdisciplinary teams working from different locations can be provided with immediate access to the databases and the po 
ssibility to jointly continue their updating, and in structuring the different data categories it facilitates their further analysis and 
interpretation. 
In Baalbek, different strategies and tools are used to provide a geometric analysis of the historical cartographic and photographic ma 
terial, and new solutions are sought for the modelling and structuring of research results, from the central document administration to 
the web-based databases and finally the integration of all the data and tools into one web-based GIS. The cooperation of users and 
IT-specialists was crucial for the integrative conceptual process and creation of the databases and the geographical model. The use of 
open-source software was preferred in view of the potential application of this work for other research projects. 
1. BAALBEK 
the first to provide scientific observations on these remains of 
Baalbek is situated in Lebanon in the northern Beqa’a plain at Roman culture {Wo od, 1757) But nevert heless many questions 
the foot of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range, and has been con- h ave remained unsolved regarding specific buildings as well as 
tinuously settled since prehistoric times. In 1984 Baalbek was the cities development and settlement structure as a whole in the 
inscribed on the World Heritage List. The city is famous and a context of its economic environment, 
tourist attraction especially for its monumental sanctuary of 
Jupiter, one of the largest preserved temples of the Roman 
2. THE RESEARCH GOAL 
The current research initiated in 1997 is based on a cooperation 
between the Lebanese Antiquities Service and the German 
Archaeological Institute (DAI). 
Since 2001 fieldwork has been undertaken in Baalbek under the 
direction of Margarete van Ess, scientific director of the Orient 
department of the DAI. Different German and Lebanese 
research institutions and specialists are involved. This 
interdisciplinary cooperation of specialists in Near Eastern 
archaeology, classical archaeology, ancient history, architectural 
history, geodesy, hydrology, geomorphology and oriental 
studies will lead to an understanding of the topographical, 
urban, economical and social evolution of the sanctuary and the 
town of Baalbek over a timespan of 5000 years in its 
surrounding social and regional context. 
The research in Baalbek deals with heterogenous remains of 
different time periods. The beginnings of Baalbek can be traced 
to a small tell settlement in the 3 rd millenium BC (M.v. Ess, 
1998), but in the town remains of a hellenistic temple, a monu 
mental Roman sanctuary and representative public buildings of 
the same time period, a Byzantine church and buildings from 
Medieval times up to the late Ottoman city of the early 20 lh 
century have been found. A multitude of finds from different 
time periods as well as infrastructural elements, water supply 
systems and quarries mainly from the Roman period await 
further study. The geographical area of research not only 
Figure 1. View from Sheikh Abdallah to the modem city of 
Baalbek 
The sanctuary is more than 300 m long, and the so-called 
Trilithon stones of the podium were among the largest stone 
blocks used in construction. The monumentality and good pre 
servation of the ruins impressed travellers of earlier centuries. 
At the end of the 18 ltl century the english James Dawkins and 
Robert Wood as well as the french Louis Francois Cassas were