This Body of Knowledge documents the domain of geographic information science and its associated technologies (GIS&T). By providing this content in a new digital format, UCGIS aims to continue supporting the GIS&T higher education community and its connections with the practitioners.
This paper for the keynotes of the MVPBIM 2022 conference gives an overview of the current standardization efforts in the GIS/BIM context. The motivation for this paper is to strengthen the general awareness of BIM/GIS standardization and to promote the technical report ISO/TR 23262:2021 (ISO/TR) to academia and professional engineers. The ISO/TR was developed by the ISO/TC59/SC13-ISO/TC211 Joint Working Group 14 GIS-BIM interoperability (JWG14) and is presented and discussed in detail. The report identifies barriers and opportunities for BIM/GIS interoperability and suggests further specific standardization efforts. All results of the ISO/TR relate to standardization, not to mathematical foundations nor software products. The ISO/TR shows how diverse the standardization efforts for data structures, services, content and processes are, when it comes to the interoperability of digital twins of the built environment. In conclusion, future trends in GIS-BIM standardization will be anticipated and the need for standardization is shortly presented on two practical examples.
This paper provides an up-to-date history of archaeological computer simulation, starting with the early 1970s simulation models, but paying particular attention to those developed over the past 20–25 years. It revises earlier accounts of archaeological simulation by proposing an alternation between programmatic phases, in which published work tends to be about simulation as a method, and mature phases in which there is greater emphasis on the substantive results of simulation experiments. The paper concludes that the burgeoning interest in computer simulation since circa 2000 is largely characterized by mature application in areas where it fits naturally into existing inferential frameworks (e.g., certain strands of evolutionary archaeology) but that explicitly “sociological” simulation remains a challenge.
Currently, a variety of software is capable of handling a wide range of spatial problems, beginning with approaches for describing spatial objects to quite complex analysis and 3D visualisation. However, an increasing number of applications need more advanced tools for representing and analysing the 3D world. Among all types of systems dealing with spatial information, GIS has proven to be the most sophisticated system that operates with the largest scope of objects (spatial and semantic), relationships and provide means to analyse them. However, what is the status of 3D GIS? It is the aim of this paper to find the answer by analysing both available software and efforts of researchers. An overview of several software packages and 3D case studies performed in Oracle and Microstation is given to provide knowledge about the 3D functionality offered by commercial systems. The most significant achievements in the 3D research area concerning key issues of 3D GIS, i.e. 3D structuring and 3D topology are summarized to portray the current research status. At the end, some of the issues and problems involved in developing such a system are presented and recommendations on directions for further research are made. The scope of the paper is limited to 3D GIS systems and research in vector domain. Problems of subsurface applications are excluded as well.
The author illustrates the main purpose of a research project that he is carrying out on Roman centuriation in Central Italy. In particular, the paper discusses the evolution of Roman cadastre of Urbs Salvia during the Early Middle Ages and Middle Ages. The author suggests that starting from a hypothetical centuriated form, study should be made of field boundaries that can be extracted, for example, from medieval documents, ancient maps and cabrei. In this way, if significant data is found, we have a reliable confirmation of the supposed original schema. In the Urbs Salvia’s centuriation several medieval field boundaries abut the Roman limits or the burial monuments that the Romans used to mark limits. Moreover some roads, mentioned in several documents of the Chiaravalle di Fiastra Cistercian Abbey, run exactly in the middle of a row of centuriae. Data is recorded using AutoCAD R13 (for numeric cartography) and Paradox 5.0 for Windows (other data).
The paper resume the main results and the further research directions of the TraTTo project (Transumanza e Territorio in Toscana, University of Siena, 2015-2019) after the fiscal survey developed in the Regional Park of Alberese (Grosseto, Italy) in October 2016.
Cost-surface analysis in Geographic Information System (GIS) environment has been less frequently used in the study of ancient sail navigation than in other studies of the human past. Navigation cost-surface analysis entails the use of GIS tools that are versatile but not very easy to grasp and to put to work. This article describes an ArcGIS toolbox built to facilitate cost-surface analysis of ancient sail navigation. It estimates the navigation time from a start location, considering parameters relevant for the generation of an accumulated anisotropic cost-surface, automating the complex workflow required to meaningfully pre- and post-process the data. Acknowledging the limitations inherent to the tool, and to the modeling of a complex matter such as sail navigation, the toolbox is first described and then used in a worked example. Historically recorded voyages in the Mediterranean during classical antiquity are compared to estimated durations generated by the toolbox. In spite of structural and expected limitations, the results indicate that the proposed toolbox may produce reasonable estimates. These should be thought of as values gravitating around, not matching, likely past durations. The estimated values may prove useful as an indication of the order of magnitude of past voyages’ duration, and as frame of reference in measuring ancient maritime space through time.
The use of digital technologies to study architecture and landscape has begun to represent an innovative aspect of the research when it started to allow the dynamic association (as input and output) of images and alphanumeric data: the different combination of this information through inferences and algorithms and the consequent generation of new data has freed digitisation from a strictly instrumental role making it a new methodological approach in itself. As a matter of fact, recently architectural research has begun to take an interest in the problem ‘from within’, working not only on the application of computer tools but, more consciously, on their configuration. The work carried out by the Sapienza research group is aimed at developing ontologies and inferential models specifically dedicated to the representation of historical buildings and is devoted to the implementation of a national GIS platform for the historical centres, the Risk Map of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism. This kind of work involves a series of methodological issues specially oriented to the definition of the role of the history of architecture in itself and its use for the conservation project. These arguments are developed within this essay, mainly focused on: type and quality of information deriving by the new procedures; interpretative components that fuel the new research methods; cost/benefit ratio in the use of ‘analogue’ and ‘digital’ approaches; future prospects of the two different (traditional and digital) investigative strategies. Moreover, both of the fields of digital research developed by the group (ontology and Risk Map) are here summarised. A kutatásban azóta jelent meg innovatív szempontként a digitális technológiák használata az építészet és környezete tanulmányozásában, amióta a képek és alfanumerikus adatok dinamikus társítása (bemeneti és kimeneti formában) elkezdődött: az információk következtetések és algoritmusok révén létrejött különböző kombinációja, valamint az új adatok ezekből következő generálása megszabadította a digitalizálást szigorúan instrumentális szerepétől és önmagában új módszertani megközelítést hozott létre. A közelmúltbeli építészeti kutatások tulajdonképpen „belülről” mutattak érdeklődést a probléma iránt, nemcsak a számítógépes eszközök alkalmazásával, hanem még tudatosabban a konfigurációval is foglalkoztak. A Sapienza egyetemi kutatócsoport munkájának célja kifejezetten történeti épületek bemutatására szolgáló ontológiák és következtetési modellek kifejlesztésére irányul azzal a szándékkal, hogy megvalósuljon a történeti központokra vonatkozó olasz nemzeti térinformatikai platform, az olasz Kulturális Örökség és Turizmus Minisztériuma kockázati térképe. Ez a fajta kutatómunka módszertani problémák sorozatát foglalja magába, amelyek kifejezetten az építészettörténet szerepének meghatározására, valamint helyreállítási projektekben történő felhasználására irányulnak. Érveinket e tanulmányban fejtjük ki, elsősorban a következőkre összpontosítva: az új eljárásokból származó információ típusa és minősége; az új kutatási módszereket fellobbantó értelmező elemek; a költség-haszon arány az „analóg” és a „digitális” megközelítés alkalmazása esetén; a kétféle (hagyományos és digitális) vizsgálati stratégia jövőbeli kilátásai. Ezeken túlmenően összefoglalásra kerül a kutatócsoport által kifejlesztett digitális kutatás mindkét területe (ontológia és kockázati térkép) is.
Pour étudier les milieux, les paysages et les territoires du passé, les chercheurs ont, aux XIXe et XXe siècles, fabriqué des modèles comme la cité antique, l'openfield, la centuriation, le bocage, la ville, le latifundium, les grands défrichements, etc. Ils ont aussi inventé les pays géologiques, les vestiges archéologiques, les typologies paysagères, les cultures, les périodes historiques, les territoires cohérents. Jadis on recherchait des caractères originaux du passé, mais on forgeait surtout les caractères identitaires utiles pour justifier le nationalisme, le naturalisme et l'historicisme méthodologiques. S'il y a crise des récits de la relation que les sociétés ont eue avec leurs milieux, c'est parce qu'on a pris conscience du décalage grandissant que les Modernes ont installé entre les réalités géographiques et les représentations historiennes qu'ils se sont données. L'ouvrage analyse les principaux récits et en montre le caractère transformateur, souvent polémiste, et toujours réducteur parce qu'on y développe des modèles explicatifs hypertrophiés.
Both exact and interpretive statements play a central role in the exploration of objects. The latter can be strongly influenced by authors' hidden assumptions, incomplete ob-ject preservation or imprecise technical concepts. Uniform modelling of
In occasione della ricorrenza dei 1900 anni dalla morte dell’imperatore Traiano, Roma gli rende omaggio con la mostra “Traiano. Costruire l’Impero, creare l’Europa”, ospitata ai Mercati di Traiano Museo dei Fori Imperiali. Il volume è caratterizzato dal racconto della vita ‘eccezionale’ di Traiano che, primo imperatore adottivo e non romano ma ispanico, si impose al mondo allora conosciuto non solo come grande condottiero ma, soprattutto, “costruttore a 360°”: dalle infrastrutture al programma di welfare, agli incentivi economici e alle opere architettoniche. Non manca un focus sulla figura e sugli spazi privati di Traiano, con uno sguardo al ruolo speciale delle donne di casa imperiale. La narrazione si snoda attraverso una ricca selezione di reperti archeologici provenienti da musei della Sovrintendenza Capitolina, da musei e spazi archeologici italiani e stranieri – tra cui statue, ritratti, decorazioni architettoniche, calchi della Colonna Traiana, monete - e installazioni multimediali e interattive, come modelli in scala, rielaborazioni tridimensionali e filmati. Una sfida a immergersi e rivivere la grande storia dell’impero e nelle storie dei tanti che l’hanno resa possibile.
La scoperta di un nuovo ritratto colossale di Traiano avvenuta durante la preparazione della mostra “Traiano. Costruire l’Impero, creare l’Europa”, produce una rinnovata lettura del complesso programma figurativo voluto dall’imperatore nel suo Foro. Nel quadro della sua azione politica, militare e sociale, il Foro è infatti la massima rappresentazione della sua virtus imperatoria e della maiestas populi romani. In particolare, vengono riconsiderati i ritratti del Traianus Pater e della cosiddetta Agrippina/Marcia, alla luce di una possibile galleria dedicata alla famiglia genetica di Traiano e ai suoi modelli, come Giulio Cesare. Pari attenzione si dedica alla distribuzione delle sculture e dei rilievi noti negli spazi forensi, al loro rapporto gerarchico nello spazio sovradimensionato della piazza. Da ultimo, viene ripresa la proposta di riconoscere nell’aula trisegmentata la porticus porphiretica, riesaminando in via preliminare le sculture note in porfido attribuibili al Foro, e alcuni frammenti conservati nei depositi del Museo dei Fori Imperiali che acquisiscono così nuovo interesse.
The author describes the difficulties in making good use of Personal Computers for educational finality in Italian museum. These difficulties are produced by computer world disorder and by collections complexity. A good solution may be to realize a general communication's plan for museum. Therefore Personal Computers acquire a specific role in connection with the other media.
As far as the Afghans could remember, water management practices were an integral part of their life. Historically, they successfully have learnt to administer water supplies to deal with environmental stressors and pass water-stressed conditions. Nowadays, traditional technologies of water management are still used in Afghanistan. For instance, Mir Ab controls the water distribution systems and helps local communities to meet their water needs efficiently. Additionally, Mir Ab is a supervisor of the systems, including karezes and channels which have an essential role in managing water supplies. Karez consists of several parallel shafts and an inclined tunnel to bring groundwater to the surface by gravity. Canal network spreads water on the surface and conveys it to agricultural-dominated areas. Well is the most commonly used method in most areas and traditionally has been used for drinking purposes. As yet, far too little attention has been given to the traditional water wisdom and its role in socio-economic improvements in Afghanistan, so the government should pay more attention to them. These systems benefit from advantages, namely supplying required water for ecosystems, decreasing rural displacement, reducing soil erosion, increasing soil fertility, improving crop productions, preparing damaged economic condition, and recharging aquifer systems. Integration of traditional and modern techniques could help Afghanistan to deal with current challenges, including food insecurity, flood hazards, and severe droughts. Conclusively, the proposed suggestions can be used by other countries regionally and globally, in particular those suffering from civil war, to mitigate the impact of water-related hazards and, more importantly, to reach sustainable development goals.
Historical seismicity is mainly defined from historical sources which are not always available. Yet historical buildings are a unique opportunity to record and study effects of past earthquakes at a given place. An innovative methodology is defined to improve knowledge of local historical seismicity. Such a methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach combining: analysis of historical sources, stratigraphic analysis and structural analysis of an historical building. The church of Sant’Agata del Mugello (Italy, Tuscany) is considered as a case of study. The stratigraphic analysis is performed by identifying the repairs using the RECAP methodology. 80 repairs units using 13 building techniques are identified in the church. The identified repairs are associated with unknown events, earthquakes or routine reconstructions. When post-earthquake reconstructions are found, damage mechanisms are associated with them. 13 constructive phases of the church have been traced combining stratigraphic analysis and historical sources. A proto-church was built before 948 A.D. and is nowadays below the current one. The first phase of the current church appears between the 9th and the 12th century. A significant event of unknown origin occurred during the 12th century which probably led to an important collapse and then a significant reconstruction of the church. The church is then deeply affected by the 1542 seismic event (epicentral macroseismic intensity 9, deduced magnitude 6.02) which resulted in the collapse of the upper part of the bell tower and the two lateral chapels as well as the overturning of the front wall and of the two lateral walls of the nave. The 1611 seismic event (epicentral macroseismic intensity 7, deduced magnitude 5.1) damaged the upper part of the bell tower as described in historical records. In spite of the confirmed occurrence of seismic events in the area from the middle of the 17th century and the beginning of the 20th century, no information relating seismic damage of the church has been found in historical records nor in the startigraphic analysis. The most important earthquake which struck the area on June 19th, 1919, produced only some small cracks in the church (magnitude 6.38).
, Archaeological textiles are relatively rare finds in Mediterranean Europe, but many fragments survive in a mineralised form. Recent analysis of Iron Age textiles from Italy and Greece indicates that, despite the use of similar textile technologies at this time, Italy shared the textile culture of Central Europe, while Greece largely followed the Near Eastern traditions of textile production. This research greatly expands our current understanding of the regional circulation of textile technological knowledge and the role of textiles in ancient societies.
One year after his untimely passing, the Authors remember Giovanni Adamo and his original and impactful scholarly contribution to the field of terminology and lexicology, in the context of the close relationship with Humanities computing.
The paper addresses two of the main issues discussed during the workshop: the photographic reproduction of Cultural Heritage and the sharing of archaeological data. As far as photographic reproductions are concerned, an overview of the Italian laws on this topic is proposed, in particular about the evolution of art. 108 of the Cultural Heritage Code, recently modified. The new regulations reflect a more open attitude of the Ministry of Culture towards private photographic reproductions, which have been liberalised for personal use (study, research, education, non-profit use in general), while they still are subject to payment of fees in case of profit uses. The second part of the paper gives an overview of the activities of the Istituto Centrale per l’Archeologia (Central Institute for Archaeology) - ICA, aimed at the promotion of open access to archaeological data. ICA, which has among its tasks precisely the definition of standards and guidelines for publishing open archaeological data, is developing the National Geoportal of Archaeology, to foster the online consultation of topographic archaeological data; a first experimentation of its content started in 2018 with the digital cataloguing of information produced by preventive archaeology.
The project for the urban redevelopment of Paolo Orsi Square (ex slaughterhouse) in Rosarno (Reggio Calabria, Italy) represented an important opportunity to investigate the archaeological area and experiment new technologies in a very important sacred area of the ancient polis of Medma. The Greek colony is located under modern Rosarno and in particular, in the eastern part, under Paolo Orsi Square, there was a sacred area. An OhmMapper (Geometrics-US) archaeological resistivity survey was carried out in the area occupied by the ex-municipal slaughterhouse, where a small part of the structures of a sanctuary (6th-2nd cent. B.C.) was brought to light. Data acquired through the resistivity survey were used to create 2D and 3D models of the subsurface; in these models it is possible to identify with a good level of precision the geometry and depth of archaeological features. These results helped us to reconstruct the direction of the walls and the location of the main structures related to the sanctuary, without invasive procedures. Thanks to the results of the geophysical survey, some areas of considerable archaeological potential were preserved during the project of urban redevelopment, conducted thanks to POR (Programmi Operativi Regionali) funds.
The research activity developed at the Scientific Visualization Laboratory of CINECA (Interuniversity Computing Center, Bologna, Italy), concerning the virtual navigation of archaeological landscapes, has produced important results in archaeological data visualization. We have implemented the application of virtual reality in the archaeological field relating to archaeological landscape exploration, archaeological site visualization, and ancient topography reconstruction. The virtual navigation is not full immersion but uses the 3D Crystal Eyes System, an ultrasound tracking system with six degrees of freedom. The system runs on an Indigo SG Extreme workstation. Some of the data was processed prior to visualization using GRASS GIS with a 3D viewer module
Historical buildings are the outcome of processes of modification and stratification occurred over centuries. The study of archival documents, building phases and constructive elements are very important for the historical‐critical analysis, because these elements are witnesses of cultures, events and actors occurred during time. BIM roots on architectural design, but recent applications dedicated to architectural heritage show interesting potentialities. In particular the advanced possibilities of deriving 3D models from point clouds and the opportunity to enrich the object attributes with dedicated databases. In this way BIM can favor visual computing, and knowledge and design processes thanks to the possibility to " include " historical transformations and constructive systems, and be a core aggregator for documentation. Aim of the paper is to present a study on BIM as tool both for 3D and archival data and information management and analysis, correlating the 3D model with a dedicated digital archive. Therefore 3D modeling and database modeling are developed symmetrically, according to a common semantization organization and levels of detail. 1. Temi e problemi per un approccio HBIM I modelli 3D, per loro natura, sono costituiti da entità georefernziate, relative in primo luogo alla geometria, topologia, materiali, etc. Al contempo, le tecnologie di archiviazione digitale, analisi e gestione delle informazioni hanno trovato nei modelli tridimensionali il sostrato sul quale sviluppare le proprie potenzialità. In tal senso il modello si configura come interfaccia tra due sistemi di informazioni – il database e il modello 3D. Ricordando Manovich (2001), le " forme " dei nuovi media sono sostanzialmente riconducibili alla logica del " database " e a quella dello " spazio navigabile ". Mutatis mutandis, nell'ambito dei beni architettonici, la correlazione tra i dati e la struttura spaziale del modello, comunicativamente iconica e con modalità di accesso non sequenziali, danno origine a nuovi tipi di sistemi informativi, dove la referenziazione geografica, spaziale e temporale appaiono come attributi delle informazioni. E in tal modo il modello si pone come nucleo aggregativo delle informazioni stesse (Gaiani 2012), e al contempo come principio guida nella complessa articolazione pluri‐dimensionale delle matrici dei dataset. Questo favorisce nuove modalità di accesso, raccolta, correlazione, sistematizzazione ed analisi della vasta ed eterogenea quantità dei dati derivanti dal rilievo architettonico, dalla ricerca documentale, dall'interpretazione critica. Ne consegue che tale modello complesso si configura come struttura di informazioni e favorisce la produzione di nuove informazioni. Gli Object Oriented CAD software si offrono quale struttura privilegiata per stabilire una correlazione tra le componenti del modello e le informazioni: i BIM, infatti, sono sviluppati specificatamente per l'architettura al fine di porsi quali strumenti per il progetto, il management e la manutenzione (Saygi & Remondino, 2013. Brusaporci, 2010). L'acronimo BIM rinvia, al contempo, al concetto di modello e a quello di creazione e gestione delle informazioni correlate, secondo le due definizioni – in vero la seconda più diffusa –
Realist ontologies claim to represent what exists. However, human behaviour and culture is deeply influenced by religious and spiritual belief, whose veracity is highly controversial. Such beliefs are nevertheless known to have substantial impact on well-being, social behaviour, health and disease. It is therefore desirable to be able to represent beliefs within a principled ontology using the Web Ontology Language (OWL) as a standardised representation language. This paper demonstrates how a realist ontology, expressed in description logics, can deal with such entities without requiring consensus about their existence in reality. We present several ontology design patterns which allow for taxonomically arranging elements of religious or spiritual belief systems. This provides a framework on which data on particular beliefs can be better standardised for research in humanities, social research and life sciences.
In this paper we present an ontology, called OntoCeramic 2.0, modelling new survey and legacy data concerning Sicilian ancient potteries collected in the archives of Heritage Superintendence of Syracuse and Catania, in the Regional Technical Office of Sicily, and in the State Archives of Palermo and Catania. OntoCeramic 2.0, developed using the Web Ontology Language 2 (OWL 2) and constructed according to the standard CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CRM), is a first step towards the definition of an ontology for representing and reasoning on the artificial and natural processes that shaped the archaeological Sicilian landscapes, their conformation and topographic information, the distribution of ancient rural sites, and the dynamics of the agrarian organization in Sicily.
This paper aims to introduce the spectral characteristics of a new Archaeological Index for supporting remote sensing applications in archaeological research. This index will be able to enhance crop marks, observed in satellite images, which are related to buried archaeological remains. For the aims of the research, ground spectral signatures were acquired from two agricultural areas of Cyprus (Alampra and Acheleia), specifically constructed in order to simulate buried archaeological remains. A complete phenological cycle of barley and wheat crops was recorded using the GER 1500 spectroradiometer with spectral range from 350 – 1050 nm (visible – near infrared spectrum). Correlation regression analysis and evaluation separability indices have shown that results are similar for both sites –regardless crop type. The spectral sensitivity, for enhancement crop marks, was detected at the red edge and near infrared spectrum (≈ 700 and ≈ 800 nm).
Archaeological practice within the European context of heritage management is facing huge challenges in ways of recording and reproduction of ex-situ preserved sites. As a consequence of the Valletta-treaty, numbers of archived images and drawings of excavated structures as prime sources of past human activity, are exponentially growing. Contrarily to portable remains however, their future study and revision is biased by the two-dimensional character of the recorded data, rendering difficult their future reconstruction for new study or public dissemination. A more realistic three-dimensional (3D) way of recording and archiving should be pursued. In this paper the possibilities for 3D registration of archaeological features are examined in a computer vision-based approach using the PhotoScan software package (Agisoft LCC). It proved to be a scientific and cost-effective improvement compared to traditional documentation methods. Advantages can be found in the high accuracy and straightforwardness of the methodology. The extraction of an orthophoto or a Digital Terrain Model from the 3D model makes it feasible to integrate detailed and accurate information into the digital archaeological excavation plan. The visual character of 3D surface modeling offers enhanced output-possibilities allowing a better documentation of in-situ structures for future research and a higher public participation and awareness for the archaeological heritage.
Flash floods occur periodically on Riyadh province, Saudi Arabia, due to various factors, including rugged topography and geological structures. Each year, it results tremendous loss of life and property damage across a wide area. The present study aims to identify potential suitable areas for stormwater management in Riyadh province-Saudi Arabia using a GIS-decision support system (DSS), in addition, to determine the runoff coefficient and the runoff depth for different land cover/use classes and different soil type. Moreover, it aims to study the effect of the Riyadh metro project in the generation of flash floods around the proposed metro lines. The results of the spatial distributions of modelled annual runoff depth varied from 9 to 180 mm/year, and annual runoff depth around the proposed metro lines ranged from 70 to 120 mm/year. The major cause of floods in Al-Riyadh province is the occurrence of extremely heavy rainfall over a short period and low water absorptive capacity of soil, leading to an increased overland flow. Therefore, despite the total rainfall amount being relatively small in Riyadh province, Saudi Arabia, the rainfall event can be very intense, hence causing problems of flooding. The high-potential risk of flash floods is within areas around line 1, 2, 4, and 6. The analysis indicates that construction of the Riyadh Metro will lead to an annual increase in the flash flood generation in the urban regions. The DSS was implemented to obtain suitability maps and to evaluate the existing SWH/Groundwater recharge (GWR) structures in the study area. The DSS inputs comprised maps of rainfall surplus, slope, runoff coefficient (RC), land cover/use, and soil type. Based on an analytical hierarchy process analysis taking into account five layers, the spatial extents of SWH suitability areas were identified by multi-criteria evaluation. The spatial distribution of the classes in the suitability map showed that the excellent and good areas are mainly located in the northeastern and northwestern parts of the study area. The southeastern and west southern parts almost have the same categories dominated by moderate and poor and unsuitable areas. On average, 22.17 % (84,356 Km2) and 31.56 % (120,085 Km2) of the study area are classified as excellent and good for SWH, respectively, while 23.98 % (91,243 Km2) and 22.28 % (84,775 Km2) of the area are classified as moderately suitable and poorly suited and unsuitable, respectively. Most of the areas with excellent to good suitability have slopes between 2 and 8 % and are intensively cultivated areas. Rainfall in these areas ranges from 120 to 230 mm. Most of the existing SWH/ GWR structures that are categorized as successful were within the excellent (89.1 % of the structures) areas followed by good suitable (10.9 of the structures). Overall, results indicated that wadi Hanifah and Wadi Nisah have a moderate vulnerability to flooding, with high vulnerability in the northeast part of Al-Riyadh province. The use of a number of SWH sites in the excellent areas is recommended to ensure successful implementation of SWH systems.
In the Archaeological Institute of the Dodecanese, the need for establishing an information system has been evident for many years. The Est expansion in personal computing systems and the development of GÌS during the fast years have provided the possibility of its realisation. Three major projects are under development. The first covers the monuments on the whole island of Rhodes, the second deals with the Ancient City of Rhodes and the third examines the Old Town of Rhodes as a living monument. Experiments with digital editing of photographs have provided us with a useful tool in presenting archaeological information. Computer aided design is occasionally used in case studies of monuments. The digital information system itself, with all restrictions due to hardware and software limitations, encourages, in a way, a more clearly defined and better organised data collection procedure. The transformation of a non-computerised to a computer-supported institution is a long procedure. Data input has always been a major difficulty. Due to this fact the full potential of the information system has never been realised. The system depends highly on the continuous data import and information updating and, as such, its accuracy and usefulness are highly vulnerable.
The variability of currently available remote sensing datasets raises the question of which specific processing methods should be used for feature detection and feature extraction in both large and small-scale overhead images. In some cases, particular analyses allow us to carry out feature detection much more easily and effectively. The high-definition approach enables enhanced analysis of remote sensing data using all the spectral and graphical potential of multi-temporal ordered components. The deserted urban site of Kona Makhmūr, Iraqi Kurdistan, is taken as a case study to demonstrate this fine-grained approach. The analysis described in this paper is based on the complementary use of a variety of overlayed imagery, augmented by data from terrestrial surveys. The resulting map substantially enhances our knowledge of the built environment and the economic and environmental conditions of this early Islamic-period site. Spectral analysis of raster images allowed us to detect the real shapes of features, and with the addition of digital elevation model (DEM) (created via unmanned aerial system (UAV)) we were also able to interpret the state of preservation of the overground relics and the diachronic dynamics of their degradation.
Topology is the science to manage and identify spatial relationships between geometrical features. Application of topology in archaeology means the possibility of analysing the logic of space as it was in the mind of ancient communities or as it has been fixed in stratigraphical contexts by post-depositional effects. Qualitative definition of proximity, continuity, connection and of many other spatial properties, included since the earlier registration on the field for each archaeological feature, broaden the capability to find out spatial relationships and formal representation of logical expression of space. The intent of this paper is to deal with the apparently difficult aspect of topology, starting from recent applications in architecture or, only partially, in archaeology. It suggests to find out methods of approach through a new form of stratigraphical unit and through representations of system theories and graphs. A case study of architectural protohistorical complex is presented for application of these principles and facilitate the comprehension of the use of topology. The development of GIS is always more directed to record and ensure spatial topological data and it appears to be the best way for future applications in archaeology.
In this paper we will briefly discuss the evolution of the solutions that the Chair ofEtruscology of the Bologna University applied to the topographic survey of the archaeological excavation in the Etruscan city of Marzabotto (BO). The operational choices, the instruments and the software used in the latest excavation fields will be presented here. We will then illustrate the applied experimental workflow and its possible further development in order to take full advantage of the possibilities and benefits offered by the 3D survey techniques.
Topografia e "sistemazione monumentale" delle necropoli felsinee, in "La formazione della città preromana in Emi¬lia Romagna" (Atti del Convegno, Bo¬logna 1985), Bologna 1987, pp.197-259.
This paper is a synthesis of an experimental study on ancient topography and town-planning in a historical quarter of Rome, Trastevere. The focus is on methodological aspects, and in particular on computerized applications. Thy have been used, at first, to speed up the input and the management of data, but the results deeply influenced the methods and the logical course of the research itself. The study can therefore be considered also as a proposal for a modular application to other urban contexts. Traditional sources of information were taken into account, as in any study on ancient topography, including the archaeological map (concerning both visible and bibliographically documented elements) drawn on the basis of present-day cartography, literary and archival sources and historical cartography (from Forma Urbis Severiana to Catasto Pio-Gregoriano). In addition to the study of some important methodological consequences of this approach, the results are outlined of having applied computerised procedures of cartographical transformation, not previously adopted in any archaeological framework.
There is an argument in philosophy of science that revolutions in science are either idea-driven or tool-driven. We explore this debate in light of recent efforts by many scientific disciplines to embrace methods to improve the reproducibility of their research. One of the most profound changes driven by this concern for reproducibility and transparency is from analysing data using tools dependent on point-and-clicking with a mouse in closed source software, to tools based on writing scripts in open source programming languages and making them openly available. We present bibliometric evidence for this change in ecology and in archaeology to test if the adoption of these new tools is revolutionary or transformational. We identify a positive citation effect for papers that use the open source programming language R. We discuss how computational approaches to improving reproducibility and transparency in archaeology are mediated and transformed by the use of R code.
Negli anni finali del VII sec. a.C. vengono elaborati a Caere edifici con planimetria complessa, costituiti da un atrio trasversale e tre ambienti minori sulla parete di fondo dell'atrio: adottata nell'edilizia religiosa e in quella civile, la planimetria è attestata anche nell'architettura funeraria a Caere e in altre località Etruria meridionale. Nella tomba con tale conformazione nota da tempo nella necropoli di Sasso Pinzuto a Tuscania nuove ricerche sul terreno condotte dall'Università di Napoli Federico II in stretta collaborazione con il Centro Studi CAMNES (Firenze) hanno consentito di individuare resti di colore nell'atrio, costituiti da fasce orizzontali.
TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanners) data today represents one of the most attractive ways to face the metric survey of an architectural object. When a restoration project is needed not many restorers are used to managing 3D models and traditional graphic results such as plans and sections are usually required. The paper defines a correct balance between the use of traditional (manual and total station) and TLS techniques in order to satisfy the usual requirements for the metric survey of an architectural object in order to obtain a complete 2D documentation of the San Giovanni Church in Saluzzo (Cn)– Italy that would be used for the restoration both of the decorative apparatus and of the structure of the church. Furthermore using the acquired 3D data some tests on commercial and open-source software for 3D modeling purpose are realised. The paper deals first of all with the followed methodology for the 2D documentation starting from 3D data. Moreover an analysis and a comparison between different software packages for the 3D modeling phase is reported.
Commercial publishing houses continue to make unbounded profits while exploiting the free labour of researchers through peer review. If publishers are to be compensated financially for the value that they add within a capitalist system, then so should all others who add value, including reviewers. I propose that peer review should be included as a professional service by research institutes in their contracts with commercial publishers. This would help to recognize the value of peer review, and begin to shape it into a functional form of quality control.
Time is an indispensable element in most archaeological studies. However, GIS models cannot easily accommodate various issues raising from the specifics of archaeological dating. The formation processes and post-depositional transformations that have affected the present nature of the archaeological record must be assessed prior to designing any GIS project in archaeology. This paper highlights some issues emanating from this matter for a GIS user and introduces an approach that may enrich the current spectrum of spatial techniques in archaeology. The traditional intra-site spatial analysis based on the concept of geographical space is complemented with new experiments, where the spatial investigation is understood more broadly. An attempt is made to map a multidimensional formal space in GIS, which has its coordinate system defined by the proncipal component factor analysis conducted on mortuary data. The exposition demonstrates that GIS can successfully model many archaeological phenomena, be they primarily geographic or not. The key idea here is that GIS tools are able to analyze general problems including those not related to geography, on the condition that they can be translated into models of spatial nature (e.g. some formal topological model).
Computer vision systems can be used to determine the shapes of real three-dimensional objects for purposes of object recognition and pose estimation or for CAD applications. One method that has been developed is photometric stereo. This method uses several images taken from the same viewpoint, but with different lightings, to determine the three-dimensional shape of an object. Most previous work in photometric stereo has been with gray-tone images; color images have only been used for dielectric materials. In this paper we describe a procedure for color photometric stereo, which recovers the shape of a colored object from two or more color images of the object under white illumination. This method can handle different types of materials, such as composites and metals, and can employ various reflection models such as the Lambertian, dichromatic, and Torrance-Sparrow models. For composite materials, colored metals, and dielectrics, there are two advantages of utilizing color information: at each pixel, there are more constraints on the orientation, and the result is less sensitive to noise. Consequently, the shape can be found more accurately. The method has been tested on both artificial and real images of objects of various materials, and on real images of a multi-colored object.
Three-dimensional (3D) modelling of archaeological sites has recently undergone a great development due to the implementation of new acquisition devices and techniques and new processing algorithms. One of the most noteworthy of these is the use of unmanned aerial systems for lifting acquisition devices such as digital cameras to model sites based on photogrammetric techniques. Despite the development and wide use of these systems there are some situations where they are not allowed to fly. In this context we propose a method based on masts which elevate the camera in order to perform photogrammetric surveys of large archeological sites. In this study we analysed the photograph acquisition parameters and the surveying procedure in order to balance in-field the efficiency and the complete coverage of photographs in the study zone, taking into account the requirements of the photogrammetric processing technique to be implemented. The proposed method has been applied to a large and complex archaeological site located in Aswan (Egypt). The results obtained (photogrammetric products and the 3D model) have demonstrated the viability of the method in these cases and the possible implementation of these types of studies for documentation, planning, virtual visualization, etc.
Creating digital replicas of unique biological findings or archeological artifacts has become a desirable task, which enables to spare original integrity and enhance accessibility of valuable objects to a wide range of experts as well as public. In recent years, specialized scanning devices have been challenged by performance of photogrammetry software tools capable of processing unstructured image sets and providing three-dimensional digital models in return. Simplicity, portability and affordability predetermine photogrammetry to be the method of choice if three-dimensional documentation is to be conducted at remote facilities and outdoor locations. The present paper tests technical limitations of two 3D documentation techniques – close range photogrammetry carried out in Agisoft PhotoScan software and laser scanning conducted with MicroScribe/MicroScan scanning unit while documenting pelvic bones and sacra from the Upper Paleolithic triple burial of Dolní Věstonice, Czech Republic. For photogrammetry, two different approaches to generate closed textured 3D models were confronted – alignment of partial polygonal meshes and joint processing of multiple image sets. Our results showed that photogrammetry provided high-resolution 3D models appended by photorealistic texture. In terms of depicted details, the photogrammetry-generated models were comparable to those of laser scanning. However, the robust performance of the employed algorithm was achieved at the expense of extensive time and labor demands, which for many experts may be difficult to justify. In conclusion, photogrammetry should be considered a suitable substitute for surface scanners only if conducted for occasional and/or out-of-lab documentation tasks.
