The Neanderthal Tools (2006)
TNT – The Neanderthal Tools was a two year research project funded by the EU with eight partners from five countries. It links the European collections of Neanderthal findings and is essentially based on two elements: The purely scientific area with the database NESPOS (Neanderthal Studies Professional Online Service) and the VISICORE Suite (Visual Simulation and Collaborative Rendering Engine), and the popular scientific area with NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’s online portal ArchChannel.
NESPOS is a scientific database enabling archaeologists and anthropologists to assemble their research results and ideas and to exchange them. The database is Wiki-based: The user can not only read information but also edit it online. NESPOS helps to ameliorate the cooperation and the flow of data between European scientific institutes.
In addition, ART+COM has conceived and programmed a special visualisation software for TNT, the Visicore Suite. Its scope ranges from the exact two or three dimensional representation of individual archaeological findings to topographies of entire excavation sites. 3D models, done in extremely high resolution, allow for damage-free examination of the delicate and irrecoverable pieces. The implementation was accomplished in cooperation with the Hasso-Plattner-Institute for software system techniques.
For users without a scientific background, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’s ArchChannel reveals palaeoanthropologically interesting information and explains it in an easily understandable way. At “www.archchannel.de”, you may find the newest insights on the Neanderthals.
show project details
Client
European Commission
Services
- Initial concept
- Formation and coordination of TNT Consortium
- Project management
- Software development VISICORE Suite (ArteCore)
- User validation
- Quality assurance
- Project web site
- Maintenance and support VISICORE Suite
Technology
- Y60 C++ rendering engine for high performance
- Including binary XML format and XML document object model (DOM)
- Apllication logic and user interface in JavaScript/GTK for high flexibility
- 32- and 64-bit versions
- MS Windows and Linux versions
Special features
- Specific Targeted Research Project (STREP) in the Information Society Technologies (IST) priority of the 6th Framework Programme of the European Community (FP6) in the field of resaerch, technological development and demonstration as a joint cooperation of eight contributors from five countries
- Focusing on the scientific work and dissemination of Neanderthal-related research at the event of the 150th anniversary of the first Neanderthal discovery in 1856
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique / University of Poitiers; Croation Natural History Museum (Zagreb); Neanderthal Museum (Mettmann); Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Brussels); Hasso-Plattner Institute (Potsdam); PXP Software AG (Wien)