CRISTAL Prototypes:

In developing this CRISTAL application, the intention was to
configure a system that would be appropriate for recording a
range of cultural resources, from individual historic artifacts
to urban historic structures or districts and rural cultural
landscapes.  The two prototypes developed to test the viability
of the CRISTAL System included an application for a National Park
Service site (Mount Rainier National Park), which was primarily a
test of image management and information integration
capabilities, and one for the management of information relating
to the Vigna Barberini on the Palatino Hill (a major nucleus of
Roman civilization) in Rome, Italy, which included a
demonstration of image manipulation and processing capabilities. 

An additional study site was Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson's
plantation near Lynchburg, Virginia.  A major preservation effort
is planned for this landmark, which exemplifies Jefferson's
mastery of the classical style. The timeliness of the Poplar
Forest project and the complexity of the preservation effort
presented an opportunity to further test the parameters of the
information system by tracking a restoration project over an
extended period of time from conception to completion.  As yet,
this component does not represent a structured application of the
CRISTAL System.  Rather, it has served as a vehicle for exploring
resource documentation, image analysis, and image processing
issues.  The concerns explored with Poplar Forest have been
addressed through real-time video recording, dimensional analysis
using planar (two dimensional) geometrical constructs, and 3-D
graphics modeling.

<dfile41>   CRISTAL: Description
<dfile50>   CRISTAL: Mt. Rainier Prototype