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In this article we propose an original approach designed by archaeologists and a computer scientist for knowledge creation in studies of movement. Using case studies, we analyze how researchers have identified, conceptualized, and linked the material traces describing various movement processes in a given region. Then, we explain how we construct ontologies that enable us to explicitly relate material elements, identified in the observed landscape, to the knowledge or theory that explains their role and relationships within the movement process. Combining formal pathway systems, so-called « Path framework systems » and informal movement systems, so-called « Pathway systems », through these case studies, we argue that these systems are not hierarchically integrated, but rather intertwined. We introduce a new heuristic tool, named the "track graph", that records observed material features in a thematically neutral form. The « track graph » can then be employed to reconstruct the trajectories ofjourneys which follow different movement logics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Franche-Comte region played an important role in the iron industry since at least the Hallstatt Period, but particularly since the industrial revolution (from the end of the 18th century). The presence of thousands of charcoal kilns in the main forest of Besançon (regional capital) is the subject of this study. The aim was to further our understanding of these archaeological objects, and to characterize the impact of charcoal production on the past vegetation. A geophysical survey (magnetic susceptibility) was conducted on two platforms. Charcoal analyses of 11 charcoal kilns and a regressive approach on the current vegetation were undertaken for comparative purposes. The platforms are modern and seem to have been used several times during a short 250-year period. Based on historical sources and compared with forests used for the iron industry, the vegetation of the forest of Chailluz appears to have been harvested for a variety of purposes, notably the iron industry and domestic use. Tree species used to produce charcoal were correlated with the environmental offering and site conditions but charcoal production seemed to open the forest structure. More light demanding taxa and fewer shade-tolerant species than nowadays have been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amount of information available to archaeologists has grown dramatically during the last ten years. The rapid acquisition of observational data and creation of digital data has played a significant role in this "information explosion". In this paper, we propose new methods for knowledge creation in studies of movement, designed for the present data-rich research context. Using three case studies, we analyze how researchers have identified, conceptualized, and linked the material traces describing various movement processes in a given region. Then, we explain how we construct ontologies that enable us to explicitly relate material elements, identified in the observed landscape, to the knowledge or theory that explains their role and relationships within the movement process. Combining formal pathway systems and informal movement systems through these three case studies, we argue that these systems are not hierarchically integrated, but rather intertwined. We introduce a new heuristic tool, the "track graph", to record observed material features in a neutral form which can be employed to reconstruct the trajectories of journeys which follow different movement logics. Finally, we illustrate how the breakdown of implicit conceptual references into explicit, logical chains of reasoning, describing basic entities and their relationships, allows the use of these constituent elements to reconstruct, analyze, and compare movement practices from the bottom up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]