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This paper presents an update to an earlier proposal for a standardized open format for archaeological stratigraphy data, the Harris Matrix Data Package, and the accompanying software tool implementation. The update is two-fold: firstly, it aims at a clear separation between data format and the software tool, particularly by defining the data format in more detail and independently from the software used to create or analyze it; secondly, it introduces a new software feature that allows the creation of a new ‘data package’ from scratch. A third issue that was identified is the lack of tools for converting existing data to and from the Harris Matrix Data Package, but this issue is not dealt with in this paper.
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Introduction to ArcheoFOSS 2022. Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Open Software, Hardware, Processes, Data and Formats in Archaeological Research (Rome, 22-23 September 2022)
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Recently, the team of researchers who collaborate with the journal ‘Groma’ was involved in two major archaeological projects relating to abandoned Roman towns in the Adriatic area: Burnum (Šibenik, Croatia) and Suasa (Ancona, Italy). The Burnum Project is primarily a remote sensing research project that aims at promoting the archaeological heritage of the site. The main results have already been presented during the first edition of the Workshop (2011). The Roman town of Suasa is located in the middle valley of the Cesano River, in the northern Marche region. The Department of Archaeology of Bologna University has spent over twenty years conducting archaeological excavations and multidisciplinary studies in the site. The present paper focuses on the new season of research, which involves new tools and methods for the analysis and documentation of the site and its territory. In particular, in recent years there has been an increased use of remote sensing techniques and the systematic management of the new data excavations through an innovative webGIS system. The integration of historical and modern aerial photographs, finalized aerial photogrammetry, new aerial and geophysical survey, made it possible to identify several buildings in the urban area and to locate the most important elements of the ancient topography in the suburban area. The large amount of archaeological data acquired from the excavations and from remote sensing techniques was managed by webGIS technology, which made it possible to conduct different levels of analysis.
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The utilisation of airborne laser scanning (Light Detection And Ranging, LiDAR) technology in archaeological research has developed signifcantly in recent years. The application of specifc algorithms to appropriate software can provide an accurate digital model of the Earth’s surface from LiDAR datasets, which helps to identify archaeological objects by the use and comparison of different visualisation techniques of the digital terrain model (DTM). Besides using LiDAR data, the application of various methods (e.g. documentation by terrestrial laser scanner and Total Station, aerial photographs, modern and historical maps, archaeological information, historical documents, on-site examination of earthwork features) helps to assure a more precise identifcation and interpretation process of the archaeological features. In addition, the Geographical Information System (GIS) offers a good solution for managing together all these various types of information in the same coordinate system. In this paper, the application of LiDAR analysis in GIS environment will be discussed and compared in two different research programmes. The HiMAT programme (History of Mining Activities in the Tyrol and adjacent areas) investigates the history of mining in the Eastern Alps and the APSAT project (Environment and Landscapes of Upland Sites of Trentino) focuses on the study of the upland anthropic system in Trentino area. In both research projects, LiDAR surveys were applied to investigate the archaeological areas such as mining regions and hilltop sites of upland areas. Some of the results from the sites surveyed by LiDAR and additional methods are presented in this paper including the discovery of new sites and the detection of new structures at known sites as well as the mapping of archaeological settings.
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The city of Falerii Novi is situated on the lowest eastern slopes of Monti Cimini, in the volcanic area on the western side of Tiber Valley, in the district of Fabrica di Roma (VT). The ancient Roman town was founded in 241 BC, the same year of the occupation and destruction of the ancient Faliscan town of Falerii Veteres (now Civita Castellana). Recent geophysical and lidar surveys, conducted between 1998 and 2008 by S. Keay and R. Opitz, allowed the reconstruction of the ancient city plan characterized by an orthogonal grid that was organized into 69 insulae. Thanks to geophysical surveys in 2008, along with the study of aerial photographs by G. Scardozzi in 2004, it was possible to identify a large Roman domus with slightly different orientation to the northern walls of the ancient city. These data validated the information from the excavation campaigns conducted between 1821 and 1830 and between 1969 and 1975. The research aims at integrating the data from the landscape surveys in the area of Civita Castellana in 1994, which were carried out by the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell’Etruria Meridionale, with data derived from the analysis of aerial photointerpretation. The objective was to define, with precision, new elements for the reconstruction of the ancient topography of Falerii Novi.
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Modern archaeologists often find it difficult to identify the exact position on the field (and on the maps) of the finds brought to light during archaeological excavations, particularly those conducted before the second half of the 20th century. In these cases, in fact, they are obliged to record data and information on their GIS as being unable to locate the correct place, or even the area, of those ancient archaeological investigations. This inability to be precise creates several problems from a topographical point of view and negatively influences the archaeological reconstruction of specific territories or sites. Therefore, how is it possible to correctly locate and, as a result, mark on the map what was discovered or excavated in the recent past? One possible solution is the 3D reconstruction of a modern landscape through the use of the UAV technology and some derived applications, such as digital techniques based on Structure from Motion and Imaged-Based methodologies. The 3D model can be analyzed using the GIS system, and through the analysis of the micro-relief and aerial photos it is possible to use an important tool to locate past archaeological investigations. In this paper, we present the case study of Mount Siri (Anzi, Basilicata), the location of several important archaeological discoveries which were made during the 19th century.
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The object area of the study was analysed with a geographical and geo-archaeological approach, integrating the data by using geomatic techniques (Satellite Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System). The processing of the data of the high resolution Satellite images allowed us to discover that in the karst environment, like the one in which Burnum was established, the areas with a higher humidity and vegetation concentration are the results of the anthropic action due to frequentation in the Roman Age. The infrastructure and buildings, the earth moving conducted to raise the original natural surface levels, and the subsequent collapse of buildings during the stage when the site was abandoned, determined the formation of a significant substrate in the area. Thanks to the results of the surveys and data, the positive responses of the image analysis through the Band Ratio and the enhancement procedures highlighted the differences in the soil’s patterns/weaving. This method of investigation, the results of which will be verified by carrying out targeted surveys, suggests the presence of residential infrastructure (canabae) in the area surrounding the Roman site and especially along the main roads. Therefore, the archaeological site of Burnum, today corresponding to approximately 8 ha, could be doubled, adding even further to the importance of the role that the city had in this part of the Roman province of Dalmatia.
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Encoding problems are often neglected, in archaeological as in other humanities related research, because of their apparent triviality. Encoding is assumed to be the reproduction in an “electronic alphabet” (be it the ASCII code or a second level language like SGML) of something written on paper. On the contrary, the encoding process begins with the recognition, choice and declaration of the elements of reality which we are going to submit to an electronic process. As a consequence, we must examine very carefully the substance of the logical and formal passages that we undertake. This article tries to show the difference between many kinds of encoding and the significance of encoding in archaeology, in comparison with other opinions, mainly by J.-CI. Gardin and F. Djindjian.
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The authors show here, through an example, how the reasoning procedures in an archaeological construct can be analysed, represented, critically evaluated, and possibly transcribed so as to be used again as part of an expert system. The monograph which has been analysed is an extract from a study on the prehistorical origins of the myth of Classical Greek Demeter. The reasoning steps of the author are first extracted and rewritten in the form of chains of inferences, according to J.-C. Gardin’s logicist approach. These components are then transcribed in terms of a fact base and a rule base according to the SNARK system. The SNARK knowledge base, as well as the results of the computing, are presented as tools for a better understanding of reasoning in the humanities.
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Formalisation of data, which is the base of encoding procedures, raises a number of problems which should not be solved, as it is usually done, through generic intuition. Starting from Gardin's discussion of the «compilations», as distinct from «explanations», and from Gordon Childe's late epistemological propositions, the formalisation is defined as the production of structures of symbols which perfectly match the archaeological evidente as the scholars sees it. This may be done by means of different types of language; using computers requires modelling techniques. They depend on our appreciation of the evidence itself, and semiotics helps us in distinguishing between material evidence and its symbolic meaning.
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This article presents a detailed overview of the principal languages for the representation, interchange and exploitation of data, both textual and graphical. In particular, a detailed discussion is made of the procedure of text encoding. The approach taken in the article emphasises the importance of the World Wide Web for data dissemination and the fundamental issue of standards: HTML, XML and its derivate languages are analysed in detail. Importance has been given to the languages that represent not only the characters that textual sources contain but also the structure, content and appearance of the data. Two types of markup languages are presented: procedural and descriptive. A procedural markup specifies how the document should be presented. Descriptive (or logical) markup languages describe the structure of a document, such as SGML. The article considers the topics of international standards as the TEI Guidelines for Electronic Text Encoding and Interchange for the description of marked-up electronic texts and the RDF metadata recommendation. The first section concludes with a presentation of the innovative aspects of the Semantic Web. The second part focuses on spatial, graphical and multimedia data, and their display and exchange over the Web. The development of the Geography Markup Language (GML) is introduced and discussed, as well as other vector formats derived by XML, such as SVG, to construct structured spatial and non-spatial information for data sharing over the Web. Importance has also been given to the virtual reality languages such as VRML, an ISO standard, and the XML-based X3D. In conclusion the article aims to present a broad view not only of the technical aspects of data encoding but also the analysis of the standards, which are fundamental in the light of data interoperability and exchange
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This report describes the observations made while developing a new methodology for historic surveys used for the re-contextualisation of archaeological finds. This particular methodology avails itself of both traditional historic surveys as well as the representation of knowledge through ontology. The methodology described here was developed in reference to specific cases of re-contextualisation of archaeological artefacts from Pompeii which are now in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
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The use of third-party data is becoming an increasingly important part of archaeological research but there has been little critical analysis of such data sets, or their use. This paper highlights both the challenges and benefits of third-party data through discussion of the experiences of the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded project Viking and Anglo-Saxon Landscape and Economy. It shows that the background organisation and intended audience of third-party data set can greatly affect how the data is collated and presented, and the enhancement of such resources for particular research aims may be labour intensive and time consuming, and should not be underestimated. However, it is argued that the usefulness of third-party data sets outweighs any potential problems which may be encountered, but that there needs to be recognition of these challenges and appropriate training provided for future archaeologists.
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The Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici di Ostia is the Italian government office charged with the preservation of the ancient Roman city of Ostia and its surroundings. Ostia has been the object of excavations since the Middle Ages and has yielded an enormous quantity of finds of all kinds. The Soprintendenza today undertakes mostly preventive excavations, especially in connection with public works. These result in vast quantities of finds that need to be housed in the office’s stores. Since 2004 the management of the stores has availed itself of the use of Radio-Frequency Identification (RFId), an automatic identification method relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFId tags or transponders. An advanced automatic identification technology based on the RFId technology has two values for inventory systems. First, the visibility provided by this technology allows an accurate knowledge on the inventory level by eliminating the discrepancy between inventory record and physical inventory. Second, the RFId technology can prevent or reduce the sources of errors. Benefits of using RFId include the reduction of labour costs, the simplification of business processes and the reduction of inventory inaccuracies.
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The purpose of this paper is to give answers to the following questions: can digitization be comprehended as a kind of scientific research? What is the possible object of scientific research on digitization? Can the science of digitization have a particular terminology and methods? The paper focuses also on the discussion about the object of digitization research which may be called emulativity, i.e. a specific phenomenon induced by digital technologies, the virtual world and the Internet which may be studied in many senses including personality psychology. Possible trends of scientific research on digitization, interdisciplinarity, terminology and methods of the science of digitization are also discussed, from the perspective of digitization as a science. In many countries digitization is basically perceived as just a practical field of activity and performed according to this perception. We suggest that a broader approach would be more suitable by investigating the scientific character of digitization, aimed at the empirical and experimental fixing of objective phenomenon of reality that could be investigated by the new science.
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The project of incorporation and preliminary evaluation of a processing system for the description of pottery forms by means of the use of OMR and ICR devices is illustrated. This project, which has been implemented by the Laboratorio de Arqueoloxía of the Universidade de Vigo (Grupo de Investigación “Arqueoloxía Aplicada”), simplifies and speeds the recording of archaeological finds. The implementation of this type of system, applied in the analysis of finds coming from the Roman villa of Toralla, implies significant reduction in processing time of archaeological materials with the consequent advantages on the general process of investigation.
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The aim of this paper is to present the experience of a photogrammetric survey started in May 2009 to record the current state of some religious buildings involved in the earthquake of April 6th which affected L’Aquila and its municipalities. This experience gave us the opportunity to evaluate and verify a solution for a metric survey of buildings, which is based on photography applied in a post-earthquake scenario. An archaeological recording can become part of a wider process of knowledge and reconstruction, in which there is interaction between several agents (engineers, architects, archaeologists, etc.); in this way the approach to the survey problems was discussed taking into account specific needs. The paper illustrates the process of analysis and synthesis that led to the representation of architectural and archaeological data, and especially attempts to define, through specific case studies, the targeted use of the photogrammetric solution.
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Since 2005 the Aswan-Kom Ombo Archaeological Project (AKAP), managed by Yale and Bologna Universities, has investigated a number of selected areas in the region between Aswan and Kom Ombo. Many of the rock art sites identified within the concession areas are under threat, due to the impact of modern human activities. Three-dimensional technologies, such as digital surveying, laser scanning and photogrammetry, were used for the first time in the Egyptian Nile Valley in order to obtain a highly detailed image of the rock art and its environmental setting. The aim of the project is to improve data recording and analysis while saving economic resources and reducing time in the fieldwork.
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By examining the potential offered by the digital survey, the article aims at encourag¬ing archaeologists to undertake a more rational approach towards three-dimensional data acquisition and management. Data was derived from excavations at Aveia (AQ - Italy) and Seglamen (Ethiopia). The 3D data-capture was achieved with the laser scanner and structure from motion techniques that make it possible to obtain a point cloud of an object from a sequence of photographic images, which are neither ordered nor calibrated. The conclusions reflect the role of digital technologies in the field of stratigraphic survey. Independence from scale and the ability to extract profiles and contours of stratigraphic units are factors of great importance for a virtual reconstruction of archaeological excavations.
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Simple photogrammetric data capture methods and equipment are able to measure accurate dense point clouds and detailed high geometric quality Digital Surface Models (DSMs) can be generated out of them. These products are frequently applied to the recording of rock art. However, their potential is not just limited to documentation and their use can be extended to perform analytic tasks. This paper describes the authors’ first experiments in the morphometric analysis of an engraved surface (an epigraph), based on a DSM generated from photogrammetric data. Slope and curvature models were derived from this DSM and used to identify and extract some structural features of the carvings, much in the same way as topographic landscape features can be identified on a terrain DEM.
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The article presents the results obtained from the application of two different kinds of software, Photoplan (Kubit) and Image Master (Topcon), to the photographic rectification used as a graphic support methodology for the technological and building analysis of the Provincial Forum of Tarraco. The study of archaeological structures in a modern urban context often imposes limitations and obstacles of a different nature (space, time, financial resources, etc.). In order to overcome such drawbacks, photographic rectification can be used for the bi-dimensional documentation of archaeological structures, as a tool widely affirmed and accepted in a scientific context. Presently there are several different kinds of software available on the market, so that it is difficult to make a choice among the wide range of possibilities. Nonetheless, the advantages and disadvantages of these kinds of software depend mainly on the specific aims and the particular work context. Hence, the choice of Photoplan or Image Master was based mainly on the evaluation of their respective flexibility and speed in both data collection and data processing, considering the size and the location of the structure of interest. For our purposes, the best solution was to alternate the two kinds of software, as they turned out to be quite complementary.
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The domus de janas are the typical rock-cut tombs of Sardinian Late Prehistory. Many of them are decorated. Motifs are made with different techniques: painting, sculpture and incision. Architectural elements, busts, cattle and sheep, and horn-shaped features are represented. Painting is generally used to decorate the ceilings, the jambs of doors, walls and false doors. The difficulty of detecting traces of paint complicates the identification of the ancient use of this decorative technique. The aim of this work is to describe the great utility of the plugin DStretch, extension of the ImageJ software, as a method of computer analysis and processing of multispectral images on the paint traces at the sides of the Perdonighéddu domus de janas (Sorgono, NU, Sardinia, Italy). This system opens up new perspectives in the study of the paintings found in the domus de janas, by allowing a crisper image of the decoration, through an alteration of digital photography chromatic scale. The analysis of the images of this grave reveals the presence of traces of painting that decorate the sides of the entrance by forming two doorposts supporting the lintel.
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This paper illustrates the experiment of image-based modelling conducted on the site of Calicantone (RG) by the international course in Archaeology of the Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche of the University of Catania, in collaboration with the Dept. of Engineering and Architecture of the same University and the Soprintendenza of Ragusa. The aim of the research was to experiment and verify a single process of digital acquisition, elaboration and communication, and to investigate the potential of shifting from 3D to 2D for the creation of metrically and geometrically reliable orthophotos (so called new photogrammetry). In particular, this kind of application has not been widely used by the archaeological teams working in Sicily, especially when the Computer Vision is not aimed at the reconstruction or the dissemination of the results. The site of Calicantone represented an ideal context for a multiple experimentation of image-based modelling. Indeed, the construction of a methodology of survey of the site involved a global understanding of a complex context, made by different kinds of evidence: built architecture (walls), negative architecture (rock cut tombs), horizontal restitution of the trenches vs vertical restitution of the slopes of the hill hosting the tombs. From the point of view of the archaeological narrative, the exceptional impact of the landscape, the necessity of an enhancement and the limited visibility of some of the archaeological evidence encouraged the acquisition of the data through passive detectors, in order to support the traditional 3D reconstruction of the landscape.
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Drawing is a fundamental activity in all archaeological praxis. The emergence and spread of the Massive Data Acquisition Systems (MDAS) have completely revolutionized this documentation area, so that someone has announced his death. Not surprisingly the MDAS have radically changed the concept that we have about archaeological drawing. But this change has been made without planning or without a discussion of what should be his objectives. In this article we try to explain the problems and advantages of using MDAS and above all to reflect on what role they can play in archaeology in order to make them really useful and effective.
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The paper presents a series of methodological reflections on the following themes: survey, restitution, analysis and communication. The objective of the research was the critical reading of two of the most famous monuments in Ravenna and UNESCO heritage sites: the Mausoleum of Theodoric (ca. 520 AD) and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (before 450 AD). From advanced and integrated survey data, 2D graphs and 3D models were elaborated for hypothesis testing and for the multimedia communication of the scientific contents identified during the work. This second topic of the paper is part of the experiments conducted by the research group on new modes of multimedia communication, interactive and not, based on virtual models as an edutainment tool for enjoying monuments and masterpieces of cultural importance.
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This paper addresses the different methods of recording prehistoric rock art, with specific focus on the northern Italian area (Valle Camonica, UNESCO Site n. 94), and presents a new integrated way of recording and tracing engravings. This method combines different sources of data, both traditional, as an ‘enhanced’ way of rubbing, and technological. The active use of Structure from Motion photogrammetry and the subsequent mesh manipulation, as well as the implementation of digital macrophotography with artificial oblique lighting, are among the methods used for the recognition of the correct features of the carvings, while the tracing of the engraved figures, executed in vector graphics, is structured on layers. Combining the benefits of the digitally enhanced visibility of the figures with the precision and versatility of digital vector drawing, this method produces state of the art tracings of rock art, for a better comprehension of the symbols carved on the stone. All steps of this method are demonstrated using, as a selected case study, the unpublished monolith n. 23 from the Copper Age Sanctuary of Ossimo, Pat (BS) in Valle Camonica, Northern Italy.
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RTI is a photographic method that allows to enhance any unevenness on the surface of an object. In archaeology, the RTI method is used for various purposes, for instance, to study superficial markings on ceramic artefacts and to understand their possible causes (natural unevenness of the materials, manufacturing techniques, intended use). This article describes a research that has been conducted thanks to the RTI method on some ceramic artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age, from the village located in Via Ordiere, in Solarolo (RA). The research aims to test the limits of use of this instrument and its actual potential to give information on certain aspects of the production process of a ceramic artefact, such as the tools used to refine the surface (smoothing or polishing). Moreover, the RTI images have been tested as auxiliary tool for archaeological design of lithic artefacts from the same sites (arrowheads). The first part of the article is dedicated to the methodological aspects of the research: the processing chain, the tools and the time needed to complete each phase of the work. In the second part, the results of the research and the possible developments are discussed. The points of strength and the limits of this method are both summarised in the last section of the article.
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In describing graphics description with electronic tools, solid modelling is the application in which several techniques (2 and 3 dimensional CAD, image processing, animation) act together. Solid modelling is therefore a very important topic, both from methodological and practical aspects. This paper deals with the process of generating a digital model, and discusses the following statements: A. The analysis of archaeological evidence is based on the description of a real (and therefore continuous) and complex space through the identification and coding of its components; this activity is then undertaken through a modelling process. The models used for the analysis must have at least the basic requirements for the electronic description of the objects: a quantitative requirement – to be able to describe numerically and analytically the objects in space (vector data); a qualitative requirement – to able to describe their physical/optical features (visual/raster data); a synthesis requirement – to be able to consider the codes and the rules of union of the components (text and topological data). B. The data collected have to be acquired, worked out and edited coherently with the need of their subsequent use within the software devoted to the virtual elaboration of the shape (i.e. the sample rate must be the same during the acquisition of visual and numerical data ). C. The electronic reassembly of the shape must take into consideration all the different levels used in the coding, in order to have both a topographic and topological description of the object.
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Visual information is not only a source for multimedia applications. Every mapped but also represents a location in 3D space. So any bit-mapped visualisation of a surface also represents the 3D hull of an object. Therefore visual information is a source to rescore the shape of physical solids from their "envelopping" closed surfaces, and serves as the information needed to reconstruct buildings and their related artefacts. In respect of 3D surface measurement, a "virtual reality" is understood as a virtual solid in its original size to be measured and analysed. These measurable world object simulations represent the information of form to shape three-dimensional things. These are not brought to physical existence, but represent measurable solids to analyse statistically controlled properties with their related and following functions. From the photograph of a broken amphora the body is completed to calculate its weight and volume and even the fitting shape of the boat to transport a load. Of course the same model of extrapolation applied to buildings will not focus the statics of buildings but the environmental building physics and its following functions.
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The recording of archaeological data during excavation and their description is a fundamental question for visualization and processing. Typically, this acquisition of data includes conventional 2D drawings, photos, graphic reproductions and videos. Further, we must also consider that for reconstructing the archaeological context (monuments, buildings, stratigraphic layers) it is very important to describe the 3rd dimension. The processing and visualization of 3D information may be considered as a virtual research lab, in which it is possible to recreate all the phases of excavation. In order to obtain these results, we have implemented the Shape from Motion Project, for modelling and 3D reconstruction of digitized and calibrated analogies video data. The project has been undertaken as a scientific partnership between CINECA, CALTECH (California lnstitute of Technology, USA) and AIACE (International Association of Computing in Archaeology
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Preliminary results of a project for the reconstruction of a mammoth bone paleolithic dwelling are discussed. The graphical object management software package ArcInfo was used to create two different databases: the first one, for the bone icone database, the second one for the identification and localisation of bone architectural artifacts, extracted from the excavation books and graphical plan drawings. The potential of the system for understanding the dwelling architecture through 2D visualization and 3D reconstruction is discussed.
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The ARCTOS project (Visualization and Virtual Reality methodologies for a cognitive system on a archaeological Sicilian pattern) has been carried out by CINECA (Interuniversity Consortium for Supercomputing Applications) and the Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa, Laboratory of Ancient Topography) with the support of IBM SEMEA, in order to study the archaeological site of Rocca di Entella (Palermo). This is an important archaeological multistratified site dating back to the Neolithic through to the medieval period; in particular, 13 archaeological areas have been investigated in the last years. Rocca di Entella can be described as a separate geomorphological space 60 ha wide; for every chronological phase the structures discovered show different features, such as buildings, materials, functions and uses. To analyse these complex layers of information, data was processed in 2D and 3D format so as to visualize the scientific content; in particular, it was important to allow the users to move in real time into virtual spaces, such as archaeological landscapes. We think that interactive 3D perception is fundamental for our cognitive system as it allows us to understand all the features of the archaeological landscape and the inter- and intra-site relationships.
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This paper illustrates preliminary results of the research project “An inventory of the Terramare in the central Po plain: physiographic context, stratigraphic and structural characteristics, state of preservation”, part of the Cultural Heritage Special Project, promoted by Italian National Research Council. The project involves GIS and remote sensing applications in order to integrate different 2D-3D georeferenced data (sites, excavations, surveys, landscape and territorial data) such as: a) raster data (aerial photographs of different periods starting from 1950, regional cartography, DEM); b) vector data (cartography, thematic layers, archaeological sites, etc.); c) a DEM created by cartographic contour lines and using a total laser station on the ground; d) alphanumeric data (excavation databases, territorial databases). The methodological approach has been to represent and analyse archaeological data from micro-scale (intra-site) to macro-scale (inter-sites), in particular exploring the perspectives of 3D GIS visualisations. Attention was therefore concentrated on the topographical reconstruction of microrelief in relation with the aerial photos (of different periods) used as textures, geomorphological features and archaeological data. We can define this kind of processing as a visualisation of an invisible landscape, as much more information can be retrieved from the terrain than using traditional techniques (aerial photo-interpretation, survey, etc.); in many cases this is very useful in order to help plan an excavation. Regarding the acquisition and processing of multi-temporal, multi-layer and multi-dimensional data, this research deals with a large-scale detailed study of the data collected by topography, but enhanced by surveys and acquisition of data on the ground. In fact one of the main tasks of our project is the creation of detailed models on the basis of the microrelief.
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This paper deals with the problem of virtual modelling for ancient architecture. After examining the different roles played in the project management of a virtual model - the scientific tutor, the modeller and the communicator - the representation of the modelled object is designed according to different detail levels (formal, operational and aesthetic), with emphasis on their dynamic and interactive features. The paper then describes the operational steps for creating a virtual model and considers, in particular, how this may be applied to the study of ancient architecture, examining what this use implies in general, from an operational point of view and as far as the dissemination of knowledge is concerned.
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The use of Virtual Archaeology is expanding rapidly, not only in the museum and archaeology professions, but also in the broadcast media, tourism and heritage industries. Many concerns have been expressed about the lack of transparency and difficulty in validating the models and presentations used in these contexts. A case study is used to illustrate the role of metadata in addressing these problems. The paper argues that appropriate metadata documentation of projects may extend the critical apparatus that we take for granted in scientific papers into the world of distributed Virtual Archaeology. Three recently introduced XML languages for multimedia (SMIL), vector graphics (SVG) and virtual reality (X3D) applications are examined with particular reference to their metadata hosting capabilities. Finally, an outline proposal for a Virtual Archaeology Metadata Profile and Schema is presented, based on refinements of the Dublin Core and other metadata schemas.
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In this paper, a general framework for using Virtual Reality techniques in the domain of Archaeological Visualisation is presented. It is argued that “visualising” is not the same as “seeing”, but is an inferential process to understand reality. A definition of Enhanced Reality is also presented, and how visual models can be used in order to obtain additional information about the dynamic nature of historical processes and archaeological data.
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The revolution of digital technologies in the past has focused attention mainly on the technical power and not on the semantic level of informative and communicational aspects. In the field of virtual heritage the risk was/is to enhance the amazing esthetic features despite the informative/narrative feedback and cognition within the virtual worlds. How much information can I get from a virtual system? How does it communicate? How can we process this kind of interactive information? The importance of the virtual reality systems in the applications of cultural heritage should be oriented towards the capacity to change ways and approaches to learning. The Virtual communicates, the user learns and creates new information. Typically we define as linear learning, tools and actions, such as books, audio guides, catalogues and so on (in this case the communication is a linear sequence), and reticular learning VR systems where the user is immersed within reticules of information and visual data. In this paper we try to analyse the relations between virtual reality, cultural heritage and cybernetics according to an ecological approach.
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Laser scanner technology permits a rapid elaboration of digital models of surfaces and complex geometries which would be impossible to survey with traditional topographic instruments. It therefore represents the proper technology for surveying archaeological sites and objects of Cultural Heritage. In this paper the characteristics of different commercial instruments are described and their different resolutions in the acquisition of the coordinates and in measuring reflection. The presentation of some practical examples now gives us the opportunity to describe the operative process of 3D restitution from planning and performing the survey up to the development of specific procedures for the elaboration of data.
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Twenty-four years ago in Baia, at the North end of the Bay of Naples, a group of archaeologists began a series of surveys. Their work made it possible to reconstruct the topographic structure of the ancient city and the creation of the "Parco sommerso di Baia". This article shows, for the first time, the volumetric reconstruction of a thermal bath of the Imperial age. Starting from an accurate survey of surviving walls, two digital models have been created: the first one shows them in an underwater environment, as they were in the 1984; the second model integrates the missing parts of the walls and roofs. In Campi Flegrei and Baia numerous villas, spas and roads are hidden underwater. Discovering and protecting this historical heritage is essential for the planning of research projects including digital multi-level models, in order to make this knowledge accessible to everyone and to preserve its memory.
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This paper concerns computer applications for the management of archaeological data through GIS software, as related to the 2008 excavation campaign at “Mura Bastia”, Onigo (Treviso), Italy. The approach allows for the correlation of data previously acquired with those collected more recently using newer technologies. The shift from the traditional way of drawing archaeological records to the new digital technique began during the excavation of 2007. All of the walls and the layers were documented using a total station and a digital camera (photo-mosaic method). The elaboration of raw data was obtained using Free and Open Source Software only (GRASS, E-FOTO, GIMP, OPENJUMP, gvSIG). All of the new information levels (bi-dimensional raster and vector layers) were connected with the digitized plan of the old excavation into a GIS project that became the final product of the whole work. 3D terrestrial laser scanning surveys, integrated with classical topography and digital photogrammetric methodologies, allowed us to extract an accurate and photorealistic digital model of the Onigo castle. Moreover, a partial 3D virtual anastylosis of the tower was completed thanks to the reallocation of two missing elements in their correct position.
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Digital technologies are not neutral tools; rather, they mediate our knowledge of material evidence. This contribution stems from the reflections on the sidelines of the ArchAIDE project, which developed AI tools to recognise ceramics and attempts to answer questions, among others, on how technological intervention takes place in archaeology, particularly through AI, and if such effects are disruptive concerning epistemology and hermeneutics. Postphenomenology and material hermeneutics have been considered to describe the relationship between archaeology and digital technology. In the AI age, Archaeology’s challenge is to recognise technology as an actor (or maybe as an agent) on whom we depend on extracting meaning and, at the same time, as something that partially reflects our hermeneutic. The algorithms have digital technological intentionality that creates information, performs hermeneutics in our place, and finally directs archaeologists what to read. This act of knowledge is performed instead of ours. If, in Heidegger’s ontological inversion, science becomes dependent on technology and, in a sense, a tool of technology, in the same way, archaeology has become dependent on technology and entrapped by it.
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The one-day workshops on ‘The Archaeological Publication in the Digital Environment', organized by Nanterre University in 2021, was the opportunity to discuss the work carried out by the Franco-Egyptian Centre for the Study of the Temples of Karnak in the years 2000. The use of digital photography in an archaeological site has allowed the creation of virtual images that modify our perception of the real world and require a digital publication form. Digital technologies, such as 3D and photogrammetry, generate new scientific imagery. Photomontages and orthomosaic photographs are similar in general appearance to reality but they are completely virtual images. The real object is virtually transformed and, at the same time, the generated virtual object strives to be as close as possible to reality. The digital edition of Paul Barguet’s work on Karnak temple was an example of a paperless approach and an attempt to dematerialize the traditional information media. Nevertheless, virtuality is anchored to the materiality of the computer world to ensure its durability and it is constrained by IT media and software obsolescence. System upgrades and hardware developments may appear the death-knell for these achievements. These images and software are products of a new discipline called ‘virtual archaeology’, ‘digital archaeology’ or ‘cyber-archaeology’, but is that the right terminology? If there is to be a cyber-archaeologist, what should be his function? In the near future, when many machines and software are no longer executable or consigned to the scrapheap, cyber-archaeology will become the science of our digital past and no longer the science of the graphic representation of our past.
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The Forum built in Rome by Trajan is a match of his political and military virtues: the defeated populations materialize with statues and high-reliefs in precious marble and are therefore an integral part of the marble triumph of the emperor and the Roman army. The statues of the Dacians are distributed on the most visible architectural parts of the complex, and they have different size, as well as different back surface treatment, depending on their location. In order to reconstruct the architectural composition together with the sculptural apparatus, a complete metrological analysis of the sculptures has been undertaken, alongside the examination of the material features of Daci statues (clothing, surface treatment) and of data yielded by archives and excavations that took place in the past centuries and recently in the 21st century. The work has been based on a method measuring bi-dimensional photographic shaped-set of all the Daci dispersed in several art collections, starting from the idea of working with a low-cost method without specific expensive software. The workflow combines bi-dimensional images, scaled to 1:1 reference, imported in AutoCAD in order to produce a single .dwg file, with good resolution but easy-to-manage during the data processing. Some interesting, albeit preliminary, goals have been achieved. In the first place, a measured catalogue of all the Dacian statues dispersed in the world has been quickly built. It was therefore possible to start the reconstruction, at least virtual, of the sculptural context of Trajan’s forum. Regarding the size and archaeological aspect of the sculptures, three dimensional series of Dacians have been grouped, which contributed, on the one hand, to confirm the results of previous studies, and on the other to advance the knowledge with new data.
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This paper aims to demonstrate how field data collection applications can represent a good resource in archaeological surveys. As an alternative to the classic paper documentation, using a smartphone application saves time both during the survey (automatic geolocation, GPS tracking) and in the post-processing (easier data import in a computer software, reduction of typo-errors and prevention of transcription errors). The focus of this paper is Geopaparazzi, an open source application for Android that allows customized and easy collection of field data by using a smartphone; collected data are ready to be processed by computer software like GIS. Geopaparazzi 6.1.0 was tested in four archaeological survey campaigns, three in Versilia (Italy, Tuscany) and one in Lampedusa (Italy, Sicily). The two environments are profoundly different: Versilia is a mountain landscape, and Lampedusa is a small island. Moreover, the data collected are different but these differences helped to understand how adaptable the application can be.
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3D recording methodologies have been successfully integrated into the archaeological fieldwork practice, resulting in a widely accepted series of advantages for the documentation of the excavation. However, post-processing analysis is often neglected and recording protocols do not consider possible developments for exploiting the potential of 3D data. At the excavation of Vetricella, in Italy, the ERC nEU-Med project developed a digital documentation protocol aimed at reconstructing the volumetric physical space occupied by each stratigraphic unit, generating more than a thousand contexts over the course of four archaeological seasons. In this contribution we are going to present how the volumetric approach has influenced the whole methodology of documentation since the recording stage, introducing a standardized workflow aimed at reconstructing solid geometries from 3D surfaces. In this protocol a great attention is paid to the strategies, timings and needs of the fieldwork practice, without overlooking important archaeological aspects such as data accuracy and the chance to generate data for more quick on-field interpretation. The final outcome is a new visualization and analysis of the space with the use of volumetric models, which results in greater accuracy in displaying physical and stratigraphic relationships, as well as generating volumetric quantitative data. In the end, some examples drawn from Vetricella will be employed to show how solid 3D geometries and volumetric quantities can be used in support of the archaeological interpretation of the site.
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The lack of surface water and a high potential for evapotranspiration are the climatic and hydrological characteristics of the arid and semi-arid Middle East regions. In foothills regions the groundwater, often supplied by partially buried alluvial fan systems, has been intercepted and conveyed through the creation of a highly efficient supply system known as ‘qanat’, ‘karez’ or ‘foggara’. This ancient hydraulic technology spread on a large scale since the 6th century BCE, during the rise and development of the Persian Empire. It consists in the excavation of a series of vertical tunnels, like large wells, which are connected by a gently sloping underground channel bringing water by gravity. Through the centuries, the qanats have been not only a sustainable system for exploitation of groundwater resources but also an important factor for the socio-economic and cultural development of local communities. In this paper the Authors illustrate the main aspects of qanats under historical, cultural and socio-economic perspective and the recent decline of the qanat system. An original and still updating database of these type of hydraulic operas, implemented through the collection and analysis of documentary sources, cartographic data, and on-site measurements is then presented. The database, including qanats detected on regional to local scales, might be regarded as a valuable support for the recovery of these structures and a more efficient governance of water resources.
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The paper discusses new trends in the archaeological documentation practice, heavily conditioned by the capillary diffusion of web-based technologies and cloud-based services. In this context, a close examination of BraDypUS, a libre and open source project both available for download, self-hosting and as a cloud service, is presented. The online availability of archaeological data sets and the possibility of building new original research on them, by adapting original schemas and formats to new requirements, is considered a very promising initial step towards a more collaborative research. Reducing IT barriers and setting the stage for web-based data management and publication to small-scale (single-researcher and/or highly specialized) projects, will lead to a new era for archaeological data analysis and dissemination.
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This article focuses on a multidisciplinary and experimental approach on the relationships between the Phoenician cities (Lebanon, Syria, Israel) and their hinterlands in the Hellenistic period (4th-1st century BC). The article presents the successive stages of this approach. The first one is the construction of the corpus and the recording of the historical and essentially archaeological data in a relational database. The next step is addressed to spatial modelling. In other words, it means applying a spatial analysis to the data. For this purpose, we select a model, the gravity model, which relates the distance between archaeological sites, their comparative importance, and their capacity to interact between each other. Then we set up the model, thanks to our historical and geographical knowledge of the region. The results are visualisations, i.e., potential maps that include modelled networks extending across the region. They must be commented on in the light of the historical and archaeological knowledge that we have about the area: they confirm or question our reading of the Phoenician territories and get into dialogue with the archaeological and historical data, to improve our understanding of the cities. Then, we carry out a second experimentation, with the addition of six archaeological sites in the corpus, identified by archaeological survey and dated to the Hellenistic period. A new spatial modelling is carried out, with the same model and the same parameters. The partial reconfiguration of the networks is again commented on. The conclusion, finally, deals with the contribution of the approach, as a new tool available to archaeologists and historians in the study of Phoenician territories.
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This paper focuses on a multidisciplinary approach used mainly in the post-processing of the data collected in the intensive survey carried out in 2018 in San Basilio di Ariano nel Polesine (RO). At first, the interpretation of aerial photos and the DTM processing for the area of San Basilio have been used to identify features of the ancient landscape before the field survey, in order to better plan the investigations; the results of the analysis on remote sensing and DTM data have been also used during the post-processing phase. Then, the data collected in the field have been digitalized, organized and processed in a database and a GIS, using both cluster analysis and data classification. The research has allowed us not only to confirm and expand the context of the historical and environmental evolution of the area during pre-Roman and Roman period, but also to reflect on the methodology used for the data collection and processing within an intensive field survey. In particular, cluster analysis and numerical classification methods have been compared in order to better understand their potentialities and limits in the data analysis.
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Size reduction algorithms are essential in the study of multivariate datasets. Many variables make it difficult to visualize data. In Archaeology, this problem often concerns the study of some variables, which can be quantitative or qualitative. In this article, several methods for dimension reduction are applied to a pottery dataset from the protohistoric necropolis Osteria dell’Osa, located 20 km East of Rome. These methods offer the possibility of visualising and analysing large amount of data in a very short time. Our results show that non-linear and non-parametric algorithms such as t-SNE and UMAP are the best choice for visualising and exploring this type of data.
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Modern 3D modeling techniques (e.g. laser scanning and photogrammetry) make it possible to create accurate, realistic and measurable digital 3D models of cities, buildings, terrains, artifacts and archaeological sites. The model of the Church of San Martino was created not only for the visualization but, in particular, for the study of the 3D application in archaeology and the comparison of the information provided by these techniques with data obtained by traditional techniques. The digital model of the church was created using a time of flight laser scanner. Besides this, HDR pictures were taken with a Kodak DCS ProSRL/n digital camera for the texturing of the 3D model and photo-realistic visualization. The 3D building was georeferenced using GPS data for the correct insertion into the surrounding Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Some operations in the lab (range data alignment, editing, mesh generation, geometric simplification and texture mapping) transformed the 3D data points into a complete 3D model (300 working hours). Precise measurements of distances, surfaces, thicknesses and volumes of the structures or architectural elements were performed. Particular elements were also recognized and emphasized thanks to the creation of the 3D model. These elements were inserted into a database according to their characteristics and this led to the generation of several 3D thematic maps (i.e. building phase maps or litho-topes). The integration of the digital model of the church into the DEM could be used for the clarification and understanding of settlement trends and territorial organization in the past.
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The mapping project of the so-called area of the "Terme di Elagabalo" on the north-eastern side of the Palatine hill is the result of a long term cooperative effort between the University of Rome "La Sapienza" and the Institute of Technologies Applied to Cultural Heritage of the CNR (ITABC). This site has been under excavation since 2007, under the scientific supervision of the Department of Methodology and Techniques for Archaeological Research of the University of Rome "La Sapienza". As part of this project, one of the doctoral theses is addressing the subject of the compound of the Severian Age present on the site, with the purpose of identifying the history and function of the monument, by understanding and analysing the structure of the walls. Masonry mapping is an essential element for the study and analysis of archaeological monuments. In this case, a new technique was introduced which is the 3D scattergram photogrammetry, developed by the research department of ITABC. This new monitoring technique provided graphic documentation such as plans, views and sections especially where the traditional method had limitations and therefore it is extremely useful for the archaeological analysis of monuments and their contexts. Furthermore an objective 3D rendering was produced, thus providing a new form of scientific documentation for a better understanding of the current state of the monument and also for further research and monitoring. The purpose of proposing a doctoral thesis on this subject was to educate and train a new breed of professionals in the area of technology applied to cultural heritage.
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The site of San Severo is located between the cities of Ravenna and Classe, just a few kilometers from the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, on the same road. In recent years the archaeological area has been the focus of scientific research by the University of Bologna and the Ravenna Antica Foundation, which is the main sponsor for the excavation activities, directed by prof. Andrea Augenti (Dept. of Archaeology of Bologna University). During the last two seasons of work and discoveries, we decided to develop a system to promote interest in this important site not only for specialists but also for the general public, by creating a virtual reconstruction of its historical background, starting in the 6th century A.D. Using a new robotic total station, we conducted a 3D digital survey of all the structures, and produced the documentation to do the modeling. By means of different kinds of software, we made a multiphase model which reveals the former splendor of this monument and allows users to navigate in it in a virtual and realistic way.
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Historical architecture often features very detailed elements that are frequently characterized by complex ornamentation, such as capitals, vaulted arches, portals, mouldings etc. Modeling such highly detailed surfaces with traditional software packages can be a very difficult and time-consuming task, which often requires considerable skills and does not always ensure a strict adherence to the original object. This article discusses the combined use of two software applications to integrate traditional three-dimensional reconstructions of historical architecture and 3D models generated by semi-automatic photo-modeling. The case study is represented by a virtual reconstruction of the main structural changes undergone by the church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Ravenna, built by the Empress Galla Placidia in the 5th century AD. The aim of the study was to document the modifications made to this church over the centuries by means of a three-dimensional reconstruction that was chiefly created with the combined use of two open source software programs. Blender was used to recreate the main structures such as walls, apses, roofs and windows, and Autodesk 123D Catch was chosen to generate 3D textured models of the most detailed parts: capitals, portals, decorated columns. The success of this technique demonstrates that the use of a hybrid workflow can simplify the generation of complex shapes, increase the level of detail, and speed up the whole modeling process.
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The need for a quick methodology of 3D surface recording, sensitive to the timing of fieldwork, low cost, and suitable for both micro- and meso-contexts, has induced the writers to develop a standard procedure. It is now possible to obtain a dense x, y, z point cloud starting from the photographic coverage of a surface, respecting precise parameters of overlapping for the different photos picturing the scene, and calibrating the camera. The software used to generate the point cloud is PhotoModeler Scanner, chosen firstly for its internal module of camera calibration and correction algorithm of radial distortion, and secondly for its capacity to verify the position of the different frames and point clouds roto-translating in a known reference system. The key point of the procedure is the importing of the point cloud in a GIS environment, where a DEM is created with an interpolation algorithm. The resulting surface is in the same GIS environment of vector and raster themes documenting the excavation. The procedure was tested in two different case studies: a micro-context corresponding to Tomb 112, a cremation tomb in the Iron Age necropolis of Piovego (Padua, Italy), and a meso-context corresponding to the Late Bronze Age settlement of Gradiscje (Codroipo, Italy). In both cases, meaningful because different in scale stratigraphy and survey issues, it is clear how 3D survey and the subsequent modeling of the point cloud has been fundamental for the understanding of the archaeological record.
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In this paper we present an interdisciplinary project which is a work in progress towards a 3D Geographical Information System with a specific focus application on the Castle of Shawbak. The Shawbak archaeological project is a specific and integrated project between medieval archaeological research and computer vision done thanks a long-term cooperation between University of Florence and LSIS/CNRS Marseille. Focusing mainly on stratigraphical analysis of upstanding structures we conducted a survey using photogrammetry, both in a traditional way and using the most advanced techniques to obtain a dense map, and then a tool for statistical analysis. The photogrammetric survey is driven directly by archaeological data which is formalized by ontologies as a link between all the archaeological concepts which are surveyed. The 3D GIS is the last step of this chain and aims at the automatic production of 3D models through archaeological database queries: these 3D models are, in fact, a graphic image of the database and at the same time the interface through which the user is able to modify it and produce different kinds of analysis.
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The Archaeological Territorial Information System of Rome (SITAR) is a project of public and shared archaeology aimed at gathering all information on its archaeological assets. Data input into the database is operated by simple rules and minimum standards, which everyone working within the Roman archaeological territory should apply in order to normalise data description. QSITAR is a project developed within the QGIS framework. It aims at making the data entry user-friendly and standardized to allow the dataset to comply with SITAR guidelines
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Since 2016, the Montecorvino project has studied the topics of intervisibility and of the movement of humans and goods in the area of Monti Dauni (Foggia, South-Eastern Italy) in the late Middle Ages. This has been accomplished through the use of spatial analysis in an Open Source GIS. The use of Digital Terrain Models in a hilly area has been crucial in analyzing the influence of geo-morphological contexts on the genesis and development of settlements. Single and cumulative viewshed analyses have been applied to figure out if and to what extent these settlements could keep sight of each other, their surroundings and the communication routes. By means of a cost surface analysis, some site catchment areas have been defined and the potential and easiest (least costly) paths between some of these settlements have been generated. The results have then been integrated into a much wider research-field, which features archaeological, historical and bibliographical sources of information, to produce a comprehensive and integrated study of the ancient landscapes.
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The excavation of the medieval city of Leopoli-Cencelle (Tarquinia, VT) has reached its 24th campaign. The graphic documentation produced over this period faithfully reflects how Information Technologies and instruments for data acquisition have developed in the course of about 20 years. In the case of Leopoli-Cencelle, the main challenge was to produce a modern system of managing and using data and to subsume all the paper elements into one functional and searchable digital format.
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From the nineteenth century on, archaeological research has been conducted into the vicus of Bedriacum (2nd cent. BC-5th cent. AD), a minor centre in the territory of the Latin colony of Cremona near the modern town of Calvatone (CR). Different strategies and methods were used: iGIS was conceived and developed to become an immersive, scalable and fully customizable 3D-VR system that integrates 2D data and 3D models, ranging from MySQL online databases to Virtual Reality.
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The paper presents a GIS platform for the management of archaeological warehouses located in the territory of the IV Municipality of Rome. The need to create a GIS was owed to the distribution of archaeological material in at least 15 different stores. The contents and provenance of the boxes and their archaeological material have been recorded. A GIS platform has been developed, based on QGIS Desktop (version 3.0) and a geodatabase built on PostgreSQL/ PostGIS. As a cartographic base, both the existing cartography in the WMS format and the free downloadable cartography in .shp format were used. Further, a single table was created, merging the existing tables of different formats from the various warehouses examined.
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3D Heritage Online Presenter (3DHOP) is a framework for advanced web-based visual presentations of high-resolution 3D content. Developed at the Visual Computing Lab CNR ISTI, 3DHOP was designed to cope with the specific needs of cultural heritage projects, supporting web-based publishing of very high-resolution digitized results and enabling the documentation of complex restoration actions. The present paper highlights, through some case studies (Peltuinum archaeological area, AQ, and Castillo de La Muela in Consuegra), the potentials of 3DHOP’s tools for the management of data from both active (laser scanner) and passive sensors (photogrammetry and aerophotogrammetry). In addition, problems and solutions encountered during the organization and personalization of web pages will be presented. The goal of this operation is to create a three-dimensional hub that can collect and link traditional archaeological documentation to 3D geometry.
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The project involves the setting up of a virtual tour for the Museum of the Origins, namely the Museum of Prehistory and Protohistory at the Sapienza University of Rome Museum Pole. The virtual tour has been developed through open source technologies: a low-cost approach was pursued to provide a work-flow example for other museum sites wishing to acquire this promotion tool. The final product was designed both for museum use (in-site) and for a web spread (web-site).
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Percorsi BioGrafici is a project conducted by the Archaeological Department of the University of Siena in collaboration with the Municipality of Monforte San Giorgio (Messina, Italy). The project examines Monforte through time, starting from an intensive survey of the modern town and the mapping of all the building units. The method relies on a contextual approach, the use of modern technology (a GIS and a wiki platform) to register the data, and a community-based archaeological practice to foster social and economic sustainability and shared knowledge. The whole dataset was gathered in a non-invasive manner, combined with archive material, oral sources and the works of local historians. The resulting set of fresh information was circulated both through city tours and by artistic and urban regeneration projects, developed together with artists and architects. Using open source software (QGIS and Mediawiki) and a free storytelling platform (izi.TRAVEL) has allowed the local administration and community to take part in the research process.
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This paper presents an overview on the development and use of open hardware devices in archaeology and their operation in extreme conditions. State-of-the-art technologies are analysed, based on the working experience of the Arc-Team company, which, in 2006, started up a new branch of research, informally called Archeorobotics. The research was initially focused on open hardware radio-controlled UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle); over time different devices were developed, like ROV (Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle), USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle), CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine and other electronic and mechanical tools.
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This article offers an example for a quick and smart procedure for geo-referencing archaeological stratigraphy and managing it digitally in a GIS environment, through the open source software QGIS and pyArchInit. Specifically, the authors propose two ways of obtaining a geo-referenced survey of the archaeological features identified: 1) a handmade manual survey carried out with triangulation measurements; 2) a digital survey through Structure from Motion algorithms.
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Archaeological stratigraphy-datasets are widely represented and visualised by the Harris Matrix. However, even digital Harris matrices retain most of the limitations their paper originals experienced and they are still in need of a standardised format for automatic recording. This paper presents an example, based on the well-known CSV open format, with a Data Package descriptor. The Harris Matrix Data Package standard is the result of two independent software implementations, one in Common Lisp by T.S. Dye and one in Python. The proposed format is not limited to describing the stratigraphy for the sole purpose of generating a diagram to look at, but it can be used to model stratigraphy as a Directed Acyclic Graph and to guide the interpretative process and integrate the results with established procedures for Bayesian modelling.
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In the last few years, public administrations and university archives have been promoting the dissemination of cultural heritage via the web, so making it accessible and shared. The aim of those promoting the Open Access movement was to encourage the democratic and fast distribution of scientific knowledge. Furthermore, the benefits of using and sharing linked data do not accrue only to the public administration, though this may indeed become more efficient and effective, but also profits the citizenry, as online tools can stimulate public participation and social inclusion.
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The paper provides a brief overview on the cultural open data status in Italy, taking into consideration also the economic factor arising from data reuse. From a quick survey of Italian portals, and from European and national reports on this topic, a rather diversified and fragmented situation is discerned: this explains why there are significant limits to the further development of open culture, the actual availability of usable data and the triggering of economic activities.
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Articles 106 and following of the Italian Legislative Decree 42/2004 raise some critical issues for those who want to reproduce cultural heritage and disseminate these reproductions. In 2014 and 2016, changes were introduced to article 108 of that same Legislative Decree: these, under certain conditions, make it easier to carry out such activities when they are not done for profit. This paper explains in particular the changes recently introduced by the Italian Law 124/2017.
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The author describes the recent set up of the Archaeological Museum Santi Furnari at Tripi (ME), inaugurated in 2012, and considers it as an example of technological innovation focused on the regional territory. Thanks to the application of digital technologies during the visit, the quality and value of the archaeological exhibition has improved considerably. Recently, to complete the path of modernization, the virtual tour experience of the Museum has also been added on the web platform (http://goo.gl/maps/hqNw4). This window of innovation has stimulated a considerable increase in the number of visits which, at present, amounts to around two thousand people a year.
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The rapid development of digital and multimedia technologies has generated a renewed attention on a number of alternative models for facilitating and enriching the relationship between visitors and the cultural assets they are interested in, in various disciplinary areas (archaeology, sociology, economics, information technology, design). Digital technologies, and in particular mobile technology, are capable of transforming any cultural visit, improving and strengthening the ways in which visitors can enjoy it. In the most rewarding examples, the use of such technologies acts as a trigger for the development of innovative scenarios in line with the needs for improving the experience, so reigniting a sense of discovery, reality and surprise. The ‘ViaggiArte’ project offers an unusual way of acquiring knowledge about the monumental Ossuary of Naples, developed by using the latest VR and Oculus Rift technology, in order to encourage potential visitors to ‘travel’ in the real site. The programme designed for the Cemetery of the Fontanelle in Naples is able to transform a series of anonymous, and so difficult to appreciate, objects into an immersive and engaging travel experience. The emotional impact of the site is fuelled by the exposure to the programme, amplified by its virtual reality cinematic experience. The project also provides a paradigmatic example of innovative forms of contemporary storytelling.
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This paper presents the combined use of UAV-derived Digital Elevation Models, optical and IR imaging and multispectral satellite images to produce a (micro)topographic survey of the proto-historic village of Bostel, in the municipality of Rotzo (province of Vicenza, Italy). It aims to improve our knowledge of the structural organization of the site. Different vegetation indices were calculated from the multiband images to enhance the grass and soil-marks in open field, allowing the identification of buried structures. Close-range images were acquired with a commercial DJI Phantom 2 and a customized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), equipped with both high-resolution digital and IR cameras. Structure from Motion was used on the acquired data to create digital elevation models (DEM) of sample areas, which were enhanced by using different data visualization techniques. Remote sensing analyses were then combined with fieldwork data, producing a complex environmental model. The houses found during the excavations seem to be embedded in a framework of structures for the sake of space organization, defense and control. Moreover, the presence of a dense network of terraces and buildings, running right up to the south-eastern ridge of the promontory, confirms the existence of an intense human occupation of the entire area.
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This article illustrates the potential of multispectral satellite data for archaeological scope in the volcanic area of Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy). In particular, by adopting a post-dictive approach, GIS and FOSS technology was used to analyse different indices derived from World-View-2 multispectral data. The selected examples (two circular buildings and a wall-structure) illustrate successes and challenges of our method. The results indicate that NIR-1 and RED-EDGE are undoubtedly the most useful, while NDVI and SRI are the best performing indices.
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Knowledge is an essential operating procedure in any project involving direct intervention in historic buildings. Reading the stratification of natural and anthropic events on the architecture, providing the careful evaluation of its historical-constructive complexity, is a crucial step towards a full knowledge of the formal and physical characteristics of the building under analysis. The contribution, starting from the revision of the sheets used for documenting historical buildings in areas at seismic risk within the Ministry project of the ‘Atlante dei Tipi Costruttivi Murari d’Italia’, aims to illustrate, by means of a distinctive case study, that of the Pieve di Sant’Agata, how the contribution of modern surveying technology has significantly improved the recording of archaeo-seismological data both qualitatively and quantitatively. This information, once interpreted, provides a full historical, constructive and seismic understanding of the architectures, helping the process of historical knowledge of the context under study and, at the same time, the documentation, evaluation and planning of the restoration work.
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The paper presents the first results of the Basilica Julia Project, aimed at the analysis and reconstruction of the transformations affecting the southern side of the Forum Romanum. In the excavation campaigns conducted between 1960 and 1964 beneath the Augustan building, the remains of the basilica of Julius Caesar, the Basilica Sempronia (169 BC), a large house with an ‘atrium’ dated to the 4th cent. BC, and traces of a 5th cent. BC building were brought to light. During the first phase of the work, the stratigraphic sequences were reconstructed according to the archive documentation and the study of the archaeological materials. In the second phase, a wide-ranging survey campaign was undertaken. The paper examines the methods of acquisition, connected to conservation demands, the lack of natural light and the complex physical configuration of the site. Surveying was undertaken by integrating topographical survey with massive data collection through 3D Laser Scanner and Structure from Motion. The paper also focuses on the process of integration of all these different data-sets into a single model, which produces a considerable quantity of information already translated into a unique system. Finally, thanks to the possibility to explore the 3D model in the restitution phase, the model made it possible to produce a 2D plan and sections in a process that ensured the correct reading of the data.
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The villa-complex of Theodoric in Galeata is one of the latest examples, at least within the Italian peninsula, of the great private residences of late antiquity. The site is multi-layered and has evidence of seventeen centuries of occupation, from the 6th century BC to the 12th century AD Important new knowledge of the pre-Roman (a settlement of the Late Iron age) and Roman (a large villa) phases of the site has been acquired. The most significant results, however, concern the late antiquity phase. The excavations, in fact, have led to a new interpretation of the complex known as the ‘Palace’ or villa of the Goth king Theodoric. In this long-running excavation it has been possible to test the transformations of excavation methods and techniques, which have evolved over the years.
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The Roman Limes represents the border line of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent in the 2nd century AD. It stretched over 5,000 km from the Atlantic coast of northern Britain, through Europe to the Black Sea, and from there to the Red Sea and across North Africa to the Atlantic coast. The remains of the limes today consist of vestiges of built walls, ditches, forts, fortresses, watchtowers and civilian settlements. The limes system is focused both on the presence of natural physical barriers, such as the Rhine and Danube rivers in Europe and the Sahara Desert in North Africa, either on the presence of fortified sections such as the Hadrian’s wall or the Germanic-Rhaetian limes. The latter two are the best preserved and studied section. However, the limes sections in which natural barriers were exploited to mark the boundary of the area under Roman control are less well known. Over the past two decades considerable progress has been made in the knowledge of limes areas such as the Rhine sector. In this area the river was exploited as a natural barrier, and control of the area was based on the presence of two larger legionary camps around which, along the southern course of the Rhine, small auxiliary camps gravitated. Only some of these encampments have been investigated and their position confirmed by archaeological excavations. The position of the other encampments is still speculated and awaiting verification. In this contribution, in order to verify the position of these hypothetical forts, through GIS systems a visibility analysis and path distance analysis were carried out based on the location of certain sites and taking into account the ancient road routes and the geomorphology of the soil.
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The Roman colony of Savaria was the first founded town in Pannonia (Colonia Claudia Savaria). Some inscriptions attest the so-called ‘deductio’, the settlement of veterans. After the first reconstruction of the centuriatio of Savaria no substantial archaeological attempt has been made in the last 40 years to verify the theory. In the last decade, research into the existence of the Savarian centuriatio has been pursued by using GIS methods, thanks to which we have managed to build a predictive model-network for the centuriatio, which is completely different from the previous reconstructions. The model has been continuously refined and validated by archaeological fieldwork and geophysical survey. The new reconstruction has led to new possibilities for interpreting the sites excavated in recent decades and the previously known Roman roads and aqueducts. Another interesting relationship between the watercourses running through the former colonia and the Roman centuriatio was also detected: the impact of Roman agriculture on the landscape transformation that has survived to the present day. Our pilot project, launched this year, plans to verify these effects using multispectral UAV surveys and geophysical measurements to show whether there were former streams along the presumed Roman channels that could provide evidence to support this hypothesis.
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Nowadays, new surveying technologies and 3D modelling techniques allow high precision reconstructions of lost historical contexts. Indeed, in recent times, modern and broader perspectives of the archaeological research push to analyze post-ancient contexts with stratigraphic methods. The case of study concerns granaries and barns erected in the Early-modern age on the ancient ruins belonging to the Complex of the Emperor Domitian (Roman Forum-Palatine). At the end of 19th century, these modern structures were demolished. Now, significant traces on the ancient architectures (3D photogrammetry survey) and the large number of iconographic sources (organized in a digital database) give the possibility to reconstruct this block of vernacular buildings, with significant implications both on the scientific documentation and on the dissemination.
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Thanks to the reconstruction of agro-pastoral land use of a territory, it is possible to obtain much information, both of an ecological nature, and about the populations. By the reconstruction of these dimensions of a community it is possible to understand not only the aspects linked to the exploitation of a territory, the subsistence and demography of a given group, but also more generally the group’s social organization itself. With a series of GIS tools, capable of applying the FAO’s land evaluation techniques, it has been possible to generate a predictive raster model of the landscape with the degree of agro-pastoral suitability inside each cell. Thanks to this model, the agro-pastoral exploitation of a territory can be simulated, calculating the food production of each settlement, as well as the consequent demography maximum sustainability. Thanks to the identification of specialized productions sites and of settlements capable of producing a ‘surplus’, or vice versa ‘not-self-sufficient’, it will be possible to articulate socio-political models, hypothesizing exchange networks or relationships between the different sites. The text illustrates in detail the structure and functioning of the developed model, as well as its applications in the archaeological context of the ‘Ager Tarquiniorum’ during the Final Bronze Age.
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Analysis of ceramic standardization and variation provides a powerful tool for evaluating the scale, organization, and technological practices behind pre-modern production and for gauging the coordination and complexity of past economic systems. The selection of formal attributes to allow effective measurement and comparison of complex shapes, though, presents a crucial challenge to systematic study. Alongside fabric composition and surface treatment, consistent linear dimensions offer helpful metrics for assessing standardized production. More difficult to measure, though, are the many finely graduated variations in shape that can reflect how these processes were implemented and the limits to large-scale serial productions like those of the ancient Mediterranean world. We offer here a new method and computational pipeline, developed using open-source libraries, to quantify morphological similarities and differences among ceramics. Grounded in point cloud comparison, our method enables comprehensive 3D characterization of geometries down to the pixel level and leverages state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms and high-speed data structures for efficiency and scalability across large assemblages. Case studies of transport amphoras from two late antique shipwrecks off the coast of southwest Turkey demonstrate the robustness of the methodology and pipeline. Together, they provide an analytically rigorous and flexible approach to quantifying formal variation within a dataset. The first results suggest strategies for controlling the capacities of these transport jars within late ancient systems of production, but the method should also prove useful in formal analysis of artifacts of other forms and contexts.
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The aims of TPAA Project (Traces Prehistoric in the Alpine Environment) are the research, promotion and protection of the archaeological heritage in the Lanzo Valleys in Graian Alps, Western Alps (Turin, Piedmont, Northwest Italy). This paper illustrates the GIS predictive model results for the identification of archaeological sites in Lanzo Valleys and the 2019-2020 field survey. The archaeological data stem from occasional findings or traces of rock art. The aim of the GIS predictive model is to identify Potential Archaeological areas for the presence of archaeological sites and to hypothesize any reconstruction of human frequentation dynamics in Western Alps. Predictive GIS model has been elaborated through the interpolation and interpretation of the different environmental and archaeological data available. In the GIS predictive model, criteria such as the geomorphology, distance to water resources, aspect, slope and the use of land were considered. Also, the methodology is an evolution of the one that has already been successfully employed in the Sessera Valley. The results of the GIS model are compared with archaeological data collected during field surveys in the Potential Archaeological areas.
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During the Upper Palaeolithic, Southern Tuscany was strongly affected by geomorphological changes that significantly altered its coastal seaboard. In particular, during the Last Glacial Maximum, the sea reached a level below 100 meters. As a result of this, the prehistoric coastland included also the present Tuscan Archipelago, in particular the Islands of Elba and Pianosa, assuming a different layout during MIS3 and MIS2. In this context, the process of prehistoric occupation took place, according to different needs and criteria. The present work explores the possibility of investigating the dynamic relationship between the prehistoric landscape and waterscape by a predictive-postdictive approach. Alongside the simulation of coastal changes, the study makes use of legacy data, taking into account those derived from artefact surface scatters collected over the past decades by various research groups. The latter provide further evidence of the prehistoric occupation process. In this scenario it is crucial to highlight areas that potentially still retain some relict features of the Palaeolithic landscape. These are examined in order to better understand settlement strategies taking place during the Upper Palaeolithic and, at the same time, to investigate the relationship between inland and coastal sites in a diachronic perspective. Although still ongoing, preliminary results provide new elements for the planning of future field surveys.
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Southern Sweden, and especially the area around Malmo in southwestern Scania, is perhaps one of the most archaeologically investigated areas in the world. Our knowledge of the local Prehistory has greatly increased in the past decades although it is also the product of centuries of agricultural practices, urban expansion and a relatively early (18th-19th c.) interest for prehistoric monuments (e.g. burial mounds and megaliths). However, despite the deluging amount of available information (over 50,000 ancient sites recorded in Scania), their distribution is not homogeneous and archaeologists are restlessly trying to explain this pattern and its underlying causes. In addition, post-depositional factors (infrastructure works, agricultural practices, etc.) heavily affect site distribution and preservation, blurring the global interpretation. The aim of this paper is to reduce the impact of post-depositional factors on our interpretations on site distribution. In addition, the results can be used as a starting point for further and more elaborate analyses (spatial statistics and simulations). All the models presented here were computed in a reproducible way, relying on FOSS and open data only, in order to allow anyone interested to replicate the model and adapt it to their own purposes and study regions.
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The Iranian Plateau is an important geographical unit located in a key potential region for the Pleistocene population dispersals across Eurasia. Despite its important location and a long history of archaeological investigations, the Epipaleolithic sites distribution pattern and connectivity remained less explored compared to the Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods. In this study we used ecological niche modelling (Generalized Linear Models, Generalized Additive Models, Generalized Boosting Models, Maximum Entropy Modelling and Random Forest), together with corridor mapping methods, to reconstruct the Epipaleolithic settlements and their connectivity in the Zagros Mountains. We showed that the central parts and the western slopes of the Zagros Mountains were the most suitable areas for Epipaleolithic settlement during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Topographic complexity was the most important variable in shaping Epipaleolithic settlement distribution with a positive association. The niche model and corridors maps developed for the Epipaleolithic humans show areas potentially suitable for the presence of Epipaleolithic settlements but no site has been discovered in this area so far. Thus, these areas are having high priority for future field excavations.
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A project for a Demotic Inscriptions on Ostraka Database is being carried out in collaboration between ILC/CNR (Pisa), the Department of Electronic Engineering (Calabria University) and the Department of the Ancient World History (Egyptological section, Pisa University). The aim of the project is to analyse the digital colour images of demotic texts on ostraka (Medinet Madi, in Fayyum region) with the aid of computational tools. The module described in the paper is a neural component able to learn the graphical features of each demotic symbol, which has been previously segmented in the images thanks to a semiautomatic procedure. A specific neural network tries to recognize the text written in the images linking the symbols segmented within the ostraka images database to the correspondent symbols available on a virtual keyboard. The graphical interface is particularly useful for teaching and research activities on this type of archaeological documentation.
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This article tells the history of the interaction between a scientific program and the use of digital technologies for handling and distributing archaeological information. We try to show, using an anthropological and epistemological approach, how archaeological work is modified by the introduction of digital technologies and the change in dynamics that this introduction causes to our scientific program. We also analyse the theoretical-ideological formation and the ethical problems arising from this interaction.
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The group of bronze sheets with repoussé decoration, kept in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek and coming from the princely burial in Tomb XI at the Colle del Forno necropolis, has been identified as the decoration of a chariot and the magnificent upholstery from horse trappings. This group represents a collection of extraordinary interest regarding figurative culture in the Tiber river area in the Late Orientalizing Period, an identification proven by a second group of objects kept in the same museum. The decorative repertory represents one of the most refined expressions of the artistic style called “Orientalizzante fiorito”, which is best known from the decoration of bucchero pottery, carved ivories and ostrich eggs. Computer graphic techniques have been used for the documentation and study of this repertory, using as a base the excellent photographic documentation provided by the Glyptotek. This methodology, experimented through the use of a graphical workstation at the Istituto per l’Archeologia Etrusco-Italica, provides the opportunity to create a graphical documentation very close to the original technical and graphical cipher and qualifies itself as a very important tool for reading elements regarding the incision technique. However, close collaboration between the specialist and the archaeologist is essential in order to validate this as a useful scientific method of documentation.
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In this article the authors present a method for obtaining a line-art representation of a mural painting using colour photography. First, the information concerning colour components was separated and then the contours of graphic representations were extracted. The result is an exact copy of the original and this level of precision makes it an important solution to the problem of registering and recording mural paintings. This method has been shown to be a useful solution for the documentation of the state of conservation of paintings, as well as a means for keeping track of restoration work; furthermore, it provides a fundamental method for analysing paint compositions. The approach was developed bearing in mind the possibility of use by non-specialist computer users: no programming knowledge is assumed and the use of shareware software was always preferred.
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Maintenance and restoration activity of archaeological structures are often recorded only on paper and not according to standardised procedures. For this reason a large amount of information produced daily can be neither referred to or elaborated. The geographical location of building materials and deterioration patterns, the relations between decay and environmental data, quantitative information on restoration work, products and techniques, are some of the types of information normally generated in the conservation sector which at present are not being used to improve the quality of the restoration activity or to accomplish the institutional task of strategic programming. The main purpose of this research project was to devise a qualitative and quantitative method to evaluate the behaviour over time of products used for the protection and restoration of architectural surfaces, and to establish a single criterion for certifying their performances. Only after the procedures used to record the different kinds of data (geometrical survey, building materials, deterioration patterns etc.) have been standardised will it be possible to correlate and elaborate them, exchange information through a system of local and remote networks, and produce synthesis outlines. The proposal has been tested on the monumental complex of Khor Rori in the Sultanate of Oman. The fortified city, built at about the end of the first century BC, for the protection of a natural harbour, was located on the main maritime route that crossed the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Nile, connecting Rome and the Mediterranean Basin to India (the Frankincense road). The study and the restoration of Khor Rori, chosen as a “pilot project” by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and financed by public organisations in Italy and Oman, will help to clarify the historical, commercial, and cultural relations between the Mediterranean and the Southern Arabian peninsula. This study has been conducted with the support of Siatel S.n.C. of Perugia and the Studio Menci of Arezzo.
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The present technique of digital image processing follows the concept of analytical rectification, allowing for the elimination of the geometric distortions from the original image and the retrieval of the correct dimensional information. The image can be produced in various ways: most often, sampling is done with a scanner, but recently a new method is becoming more frequently used, that is the acquisition of digital images directly on ground by means of digital cameras with a CCD image sensor. The processing software is now offered by various producers of photogrammetric equipment, which allows us to carry out surveys of manufactured flat items, starting from a single image, to create a vector graphics superimposed in CAD environment.
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Archaeology contains a strange contradiction in itself. It is compelled to destroy all that emerges from the past in order to know and keep memory of it. It removes from its original position findings brought to light during digging. Ruins, graves, everyday objects are documented, photographed, catalogued and carried away. Then, they are no longer replaced in their former position save exceptional cases. This procedure emphasises the importance of graphic and photographic documentation of archaeological sciences. From this perspective, the Apulian Archaeological office has recently carried out experiments in the application of informatics to survey and graphical documentation in some excavations made in the province of Bari. This experience has helped to define a set of methodologies to allow CAD programmes to be used even by inexperienced operators. Thanks to these methodologies complex situations like graves, ruins and sections have been easily documented with great precision and in a short time.
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In ancient Roman world the monumental stone inscriptions had always an harmonic proportion. The metric measurement cannot define the train of their preparation; but the careful lay-out standard surely obeyed - perhaps also spontaneously - to some exact rules of the proportion (e.g. Hambidge's "dynamic symmetry", valid in some artistic fields) aimed at the primary purpose of all epigraphical expressions: the most efficacious communication. Some examples, mathematically verified by CILEA, are sown here.
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This paper illustrates the importance of digital records for the conservation of historic buildings and sites. The various survey techniques appropriate for the production of graphic documentation are explained, with an outline of the advantages of processing within a CAD environment. It introduces the debate on the scope and level of recording, and identifies problems and opportunities requiring further research. Finally, the paper stresses the need for integrated project management, and the development of recording strategies in conjunction with all other professional bodies involved in the conservation process.
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This research project on the graphic documentation used in restoration grew out of a collaboration between ICCROM and the ICR. Among the objectives of the group were the formation of a documentation technique and the development of a useful, light and user friendly information instrument for the registration of graphic and documentary data. The principle goal was to reach a situation in which the restorer/conservator or the draughtsman could record, in a definitive way and directly on site, all the data related to the mapping techniques, distinct for each category and class, which characterise the graphic documentation of a restoration operation, without having to give up their personal happiness. This should be accomplished without altering in a drastic way the intrinsic complexity of the software used, while avoiding any prior hyper-specialist technical preparation. It is on site that it is necessary, to maximise tbc enormous potential offered by data elaboration systems that can store and process such enormous amounts of data in a simple way. There are two major classes of problems to solve. On the one hand all the psychological barrieres created by the personal resistance of the technicians strongly, and sometimes emotionally, tied on their role as documenters armed with pencils and crayons. On the other hand all the problems of a technical nature that are linked to the digital acquisition of the graphic base, to the planning of the form of the documentation, to the standardization of the topology of the hatch patterns and the personalization of the accessory procedures to the CAD programme.