From the Editors

Archaeology in the twenty-first century is in the midst of a revolution. Geoinformatics and geomatics, which includes GIS, geospatial technologies, surveying, remote sensing, photogrammetry, and virtual reality reconstructions, are at the forefront in transforming how archaeology is practiced. These new technologies are leading to the increased engagement of excavators and making use of existing excavated data by analyzing it to the fullest extent possible with today's technology. This not only helps to preserve sites and artifacts for future generations—it increases on-site learning exponentially. In recognition of the rapid change in archaeological technology and methodology, the first two issues of Volume 2 are devoted to the use of new technologies in archaeological documentation and research.

The three articles in Issue 1 were first presented at the 2013 Society for American Archaeology Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, in a session co-chaired by Ann E. Killebrew and Brandon R. Olson. They represent some of the most innovative approaches to twenty-first-century archaeology today. "3D Archaeology: New Perspectives and Challenges—The Example of Çatalhöyük" by Maurizio Forte describes a groundbreaking project that aims to record every phase of an archaeological excavation in 3D while going completely paperless. This is achieved by utilizing new technologies such as laser scanning, computer vision, and photogrammetry to recreate a virtual excavation process that is reversible in a simulated computer environment and can be used in real-time, day-to-day analyses. Donald Sanders, well known for his digital reconstructions of archaeological sites, presents several of these projects worldwide in "Virtual Heritage: Researching and Visualizing the Past in 3D" and provides new insights resulting from the work on these interactive 3D reconstructions. His most recent efforts focus on the 3D integration of various aspects of archaeological documentation and reconstruction in REVEAL, a new software system that has recently been developed.

"Archaeology in Three Dimensions: Computer-Based Methods in Archaeological Research" represents the work of Leore Grosman, Avshalom Karasik, Ortal Harush, and Uzy Smilanksy of the Computerized Archaeology Laboratory at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This truly remarkable laboratory is utilizing optical scanners to create highly accurate, rapid, and economically viable 3D digital models of artifacts, whose properties are then analyzed by computer programs developed in-house. Two book reviews, one by Bettina Fischer-Genz of Roman Palmyra: Identity, Community, and State Formation by Andrew M. Smith II, and the other by Deborah R. Cassuto of Textile Production and Consumption in the Ancient Near East: Archaeology, Epigraphy, Iconography complete our first issue of 2014.

We hope this issue and the next will encourage discussion and development of new technologies in archaeological research and cultural heritage management.