Little attention has been paid by archaeologists to the important problem of replicability of observational units. The studies presented in this paper involve examinations of discrepancy occurring at various levels in lithic and ceramic classification. Standardized typologies, as well as qualitative and quantitative attributes are considered. The results are discussed in terms of observer bias, influence of training, measurement error, and the implications for the statistical treatment of data.
An increasing number of scholars involved in archaeological studies and research projects are looking to the Internet as a means of making their results known. With the idea that a web designer should not work too far from the perceptions of the possible web user and bearing in mind some of the more recent discussions in the 'web-usability' debate, the author offers some considerations on the real and effective usability of these web-publications, with particular regard to maps, GIS and cartography, since these types of publications, by the very nature of their construction, should maintain their high communication potential.
Dimensionality reduction is widely used in machine learning and big data analytics since it helps to analyze and to visualize large, high-dimensional datasets. In particular, it can considerably help to perform tasks like data clustering and classification. Recently, embedding methods have emerged as a promising direction for improving clustering accuracy. They can preserve the local structure and simultaneously reveal the global structure of data, thereby reasonably improving clustering performance. In this paper, we investigate how to improve the performance of several clustering algorithms using one of the most successful embedding techniques: Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection or UMAP. This technique has recently been proposed as a manifold learning technique for dimensionality reduction. It is based on Riemannian geometry and algebraic topology. Our main hypothesis is that UMAP would permit to find the best clusterable embedding manifold, and therefore, we applied it as a preprocessing step before performing clustering. We compare the results of many well-known clustering algorithms such ask-means, HDBSCAN, GMM and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering when they operate on the low-dimension feature space yielded by UMAP. A series of experiments on several image datasets demonstrate that the proposed method allows each of the clustering algorithms studied to improve its performance on each dataset considered. Based on Accuracy measure, the improvement can reach a remarkable rate of 60%.
The application of (H)BIM within the domain of Architectural Historical Heritage has huge potential that can be even exploited within the restoration domain. The work presents a novel approach to solve the widespread interoperability issue related to the data enrichment in BIM environment, by developing and testing a web tool based on a specific workflow experienced choosing as the case study a Romanic church in Portonovo, Ancona, Italy. Following the need to make the data, organized in a BIM environment, usable for the different actors involved in the restoration phase, we have created a pipeline that take advantage of BIM existing platforms and semantic-web technologies, enabling the end user to query a repository composed of semantically structured data. The pipeline of work consists in four major steps: i) modelling an ontology with the main information needs for the domain of interest, providing a data structure that can be leveraged to inform the data-enrichment phase and, later, to meaningfully query the data; ii) data enrichment, by creating a set of shared parameters reflecting the properties in our domain ontology; iii) structuring data in a machine-readable format (through a data conversion) to represent the domain (ontology) and analyse data of specific buildings respectively; iv) development of a demonstrative data exploration web application based on the faceted browsing paradigm and allowing to exploit both structured metadata and 3D visualization. The application can be configured by a domain expert to reflect a given domain ontology, and used by an operator to query and explore the data in a more efficient and reliable way. With the proposed solution the analysis of data can be reused together with the 3D model, providing the end-user with a non proprietary tool; in this way, the planned maintenance or the restoration project became more collaborative and interactive, optimizing the whole process of HBIM data collection.
This text aims to generate new dialogues between the current social critique of heritage and what we describe as ‘social conservation’, focusing our reflection on the archaeological field. We will attempt to draw a reflective bridge between the social trends of public and community archaeology and conservation. We will explore the changes that have occurred in the theoretical framework of heritage management and values in recent years, together with their projection in the conservation of archaeological cultural assets. We will analyze the debate generated around conservation, values, and obsolescence, advancing a conservation proposal that contributes to the [de]reification and de-elitization of heritage. Lastly, we will offer some final reflections that outline the future role of conservation in the archaeology of contemporaneity.
Questa storia di Conselice copre un ampio arco cronologico che dal medioevo giunge alle soglie dell'età contemporanea. Al di là del carattere locale delle vicende analizzate, il libro si propone come un saggio emblematico del livello di profondità e completezza con le quali la storia può illuminare non tanto e non solo i personaggi illustri, quanto piuttosto le vicende di una comunità intera in lotta secolare contro le acque nemiche. Un'avventura che ha visto l'antico insediamento vallivo trasformarsi in un piccolo e moderno centro civile.
The logicist encoding of the archaeological records determined an ideal-typical representation of the contextual reality inspired by the human reasoning and thus also an artificial membrane interposed between the observer / researcher and the past. In Digital Humanities, these artificial membranes are formal networks and can undergo interrogation processes through the most advanced neurobiological computational model. The present contribution debate the empirical transformation of the archaeological ‘systemic complexity’ into a ‘network complexity’ able to be modelled, simulated and explored by artificial adaptive systems.
The presented work responds to the need to represent the Harris matrix in a three-dimensional BIM model, providing a clear reading of each of its elements through a visualization methodology reliable to the symbols and rules defined in the literature. The potential applications of these graphic strategies have been experimented in the case study of the Torrione in Carpi.
Architecture has been one of the key features in studying the first millennium bc in the Balearic Islands. The primary goal of this research is to analyse how monumental communal architecture enabled the construction of enduring social spaces and how the role of these spaces within the community can be understood through the relations that conform across the landscape. To do so we will focus on the Late Bronze Age (1100–850 bc) and the Talayotic period (c. 850–650 bc), the first moment when cyclopean dry-stone architecture is used in communal spaces, such as talayots or stepped turriforms, making them stand out across the landscape. To understand how these architectures are connected, we analysed the visual connections between them through intervisibility and network analysis, as well as through Individual Distance Viewsheds. Through the analysis of visual connections, we seek to understand how the architecture created a network across the entire landscape, and how the characteristics and properties of this network are key in understanding the relationship between Talayotic communities and their landscape. Our aim is to explore how architecture shaped and gave meaning to the landscape and how we cannot understand the buildings by themselves, but as part of a network.
Many teens today who use the Internet are actively involved in participatory cultures—joining online communities (Facebook, message boards, game clans), producing creative work in new forms (digital sampling, modding, fan videomaking, fan fiction), working in teams to complete tasks and develop new knowledge (as in Wikipedia), and shaping the flow of media (as in blogging or podcasting). A growing body of scholarship suggests potential benefits of these activities, including opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, development of skills useful in the modern workplace, and a more empowered conception of citizenship. Some argue that young people pick up these key skills and competencies on their own by interacting with popular culture; but the problems of unequal access, lack of media transparency, and the breakdown of traditional forms of socialization and professional training suggest a role for policy and pedagogical intervention.This report aims to shift the conversation about the "digital divide" from questions about access to technology to questions about access to opportunities for involvement in participatory culture and how to provide all young people with the chance to develop the cultural competencies and social skills needed. Fostering these skills, the authors argue, requires a systemic approach to media education; schools, afterschool programs, and parents all have distinctive roles to play.The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning
El viñedo requiere de unas características edafológicas y de localización para su cultivo, cosa que, en época Antigua, conocemos gracias a los agrónomos latinos como Lucio Junio Moderato Columela. En estas obras encontramos referencias a las diversas tipologías de suelos, pendiente y orientación, así como los criterios preferentes para la elección del lugar de cultivo. En este artículo se compara el conocimiento antiguo con las Ciencias de la Tierra actuales, utilizando como puente de unión los Sistemas de Información Geográfica. Además, expresamos un caso de estudio con una lectura precisa de las fuentes clásicas, especialmente Columela y su interrelación, con el objeto de poder modelar un territorio, la colonia de Hasta Regia (Provincia Ulterior Baetica) y las condiciones de esta producción agrícola. Este artículo propone un modelo SIG sobre la viticultura antigua y una correlación entre fuentes escritas y condicionantes geográficos actuales, parámetros necesarios para este modelo y futuros estudios.
Computerised databases form an integral part of much archaeological work around the world, but few of these systems are designed with expansion or compatibility as a prerequisite. This paper investigates the problems of integrating data from a variety of sources, both urban and rural, and then discusses in detail the modular database solution adopted by two archaeological projects at the University of York. The discussed solution enables the integration of data collected from different sources, and at very different scales from the single record per site to the recording of every feature or artefact in more detailed databases. To conclude, the paper touches upon future developments in the field, and their potential impact upon the way in which we store and view archaeological data.
En el segundo volumen de la serie dedicada a la Arqueología de la construcción se publican las actas del workshop «I cantieri edili dell’Italia e delle province romane: Italia e province orientali», celebrado en Siena (Certosa di Pontignano, 13-15 de
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.
Today, there continues to be an enormous epistemological gap between the lively discussion on the phenomenon of cultural hybridization in cultural anthropology and the reality of methodological approaches in archaeological interpretation. The diversity of human interaction and the hybridization processes connected therewith, on the one hand, and the fragmentary and silent character of archaeological source material on the other have been seen as insuperable obstacles to the translation of this concept into a practical method for archaeology. In my contribution, I shall attempt to overcome these barriers by breaking down a complex anthropological discourse into components that may be useful for archaeological sources. My aim is to unravel hybridization processes, which I call processes of entanglement, into distinct stages and consider the potential of each stage to be materialized in the archaeological record. I shall further attempt to distinguish between the entanglement of objects and the entanglement of social practices, because foreign, but in their materiality still unchanged, objects can be used in already entangled social practices. Subsequently, I shall examine what stage of the process of entanglement has given rise to an entangled object or social practice. Finally, the application of the concept of hybridization in recent studies on the Late Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean will be reviewed and my own approach demonstrated on the basis of a case study.
Information systems play an important role in historical research as well as in heritage documentation. As part of a joint research project of the German Archaeological Institute, the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus and the Dresden University of Applied Sciences a web-based documentation system is currently being developed, which can easily be adapted to the needs of different projects with individual scientific concepts, methods and questions. Based on open source and standardized technologies it will focus on open and well-documented interfaces to ease the dissemination and re-use of its content via web-services and to communicate with desktop applications for further evaluation and analysis. Core of the system is a generic data model that represents a wide range of topics and methods of archaeological work. By the provision of a concerted amount of initial themes and attributes a cross project analysis of research data will be possible. The development of enhanced search and retrieval functionalities will simplify the processing and handling of large heterogeneous data sets. To achieve a high degree of interoperability with existing external data, systems and applications, standardized interfaces will be integrated. The analysis of spatial data shall be possible through the integration of web-based GIS functions. As an extension to this, customized functions for storage, processing and provision of 3D geo data are being developed. As part of the contribution system requirements and concepts will be presented and discussed. A particular focus will be on introducing the generic data model and the derived database schema. The research work on enhanced search and retrieval capabilities will be illustrated by prototypical developments, as well as concepts and first implementations for an integrated 2D/3D Web-GIS.
We report on the development of a computerized automatic system to illustrate complex archaeological objects. The illustrations are based on 3D scans of the artifacts. The 3D models can be automatically translated, by new algorithms specifically designed for this purpose, into 3D or 2D line drawings; into colored images that emphasize the salient shape attributes of the artifacts and of the 3D designs on them; and to images that enhance faint/eroded designs that are otherwise difficult to discern. These illustrations are intended to replace traditional, manual drawings, which are very expensive to produce and not accurate enough. Our illustrations also provide a better visualization tool than the 3D models themselves. Though 3D scanning already improves the visibility of objects and their features, it does not suffice for rapid visual recognition. Our system generates efficient, objective, accurate and simplified representations of complex objects and the designs on them from any number of required views.
Humans perceive the three-dimensional structure of the world with apparent ease. However, despite all of the recent advances in computer vision research, the dream of having a computer interpret an image at the same level as a two-year old remains elusive. Why is computer vision such a challenging problem and what is the current state of the art? Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications explores the variety of techniques commonly used to analyze and interpret images. It also describes challenging real-world applications where vision is being successfully used, both for specialized applications such as medical imaging, and for fun, consumer-level tasks such as image editing and stitching, which students can apply to their own personal photos and videos. More than just a source of “recipes,” this exceptionally authoritative and comprehensive textbook/reference also takes a scientific approach to basic vision problems, formulating physical models of the imaging process before inverting them to produce descriptions of a scene. These problems are also analyzed using statistical models and solved using rigorous engineering techniques Topics and features: Structured to support active curricula and project-oriented courses, with tips in the Introduction for using the book in a variety of customized courses Presents exercises at the end of each chapter with a heavy emphasis on testing algorithms and containing numerous suggestions for small mid-term projects Provides additional material and more detailed mathematical topics in the Appendices, which cover linear algebra, numerical techniques, and Bayesian estimation theory Suggests additional reading at the end of each chapter, including the latest research in each sub-field, in addition to a full Bibliography at the end of the book Supplies supplementary course material for students at the associated website, http://szeliski.org/Book/ Suitable for an upper-level undergraduate or graduate-level course in computer science or engineering, this textbook focuses on basic techniques that work under real-world conditions and encourages students to push their creative boundaries. Its design and exposition also make it eminently suitable as a unique reference to the fundamental techniques and current research literature in computer vision.
Negli ultimi anni i notevoli progressi delle tecnologie legate alla Computer Vision (visione artificiale) hanno aperto nuove prospettive nel settore archeologico. Questa scienza riguarda “l'insieme dei processi che mirano a creare un modello approssimato del mondo reale (3D) partendo da immagini bidimensionali (2D)” (wikipedia, 20100201). In particolare la branca della disciplina nota come Structure From Motion, che basa la ricostruzione tridimensionale sull'analisi dello spostamento di un oggetto attraverso il tempo, ha dimostrato grandi potenzialità in varie applicazioni archeologiche. Proprio sulla Structure From Motion si concentra questo contributo, con il quale si intendono presentare diverse esperienze lavorative connesse all'utilizzo di software aperti. I casi di studio proposti si riferiscono all'attività delle società ArcTeam s.n.c. e Oxford Archaeology (Digital Division), entrambe attive nella ricerca di nuove soluzioni metodologiche nel campo della Computer Vision. Scopo principale dell'intervento è quindi quello di presentare lo stato dell'arte e discutere i vantaggi, i problemi e gli eventuali futuri sviluppi di queste tecnologie. Nello specifico verranno illustrate esperienze legate al lavoro sul campo (ricostruzione 3d di strati e oggetti in situ), alle attività di laboratorio (documentazione di reperti) e al recupero di informazioni da vecchie documentazioni.
This paper describes a system for real-time field support to archaeological excavations, and for interaction with remote researchers, via the Internet. To this aim, a prototype system has already been field tested at the site of Poliochni in Greece. The system is composed of a wireless LAN, including one (two or more in the future) mobile unit (Telxon PTC), and a wired LAN, with at least one PC or Workstation running Windows NT and Lotus Notes Domino for groupware activities. The two LANs are connected by means of an Access Point Aironet 630 (Radio-hub). The system provides a communication link with remote workstations installed in Universities or Museums where researchers who are interested in cooperating in real-time with field operators can work. Archaeologists can use the mobile units to draw finds on the screen using a magnetic pen, to write related textual information and to send these sketches or digital snapshots to the fixed host by using suitable interfaces (serial, parallel, PCMCIA, and so on).
During excavations a large number of pottery sherds may be found. These sherds are photographed, measured, drawn and catalogued. Currently, all this work is done by hand, equating to a lot of routine work for the archaeologist. In this paper, two acquisition methods for archaeological finds are proposed, forming the first step towards automatic classification, that could help the archaeologist in their work and automate the archival process. Firstly, we present an overview of existing methods for archaeological image acquisition. These systems are half-automated, so the amount of work has not really been reduced. Next we focus on the acquisition methods to minimize failures in the output and to automate this process completely. In order to get 3D-information of a sherd, we use two different and representative methods, in particular, shape from stereo and shape from structured light for providing a 3D-surface representation of a sherd. Furthermore, we discuss a fusion of these two methods for an archaeological application and finally, the outlook for a computer based automatic classification of archaeological finds is given.
This paper deals with the advantages of simple photogrammetry methods used in the documentation of archaeological excavations. The proposed method is based on low altitude vertical pictures, a Least Square Adjustment calculation software program and a common CAD software. Description of the method and different applications are also included.
This paper aims to explore how digital imaging and computed tomography (CT) can provide us with significant results and valuable information otherwise unavailable in the study of ancient instruments. Whilst its methods provide great potential in terms of the diagnostics and preservation of ancient musical instruments, radiology has been underused in this field of application. As an improved method for the visualisation and analysis of the material density of instruments and of their surfaces and volumes, CT allows for a useful evaluation of the handcrafting process of instruments as well as the visualisation of invisible fracture lines and lesions in their structures, showing possible modifications, damages and repairs.
The use of computers and complex software is pervasive in archaeology, yet their role in the analytical pipeline is rarely exposed for other researchers to inspect or reuse. This limits the progress of archaeology because researchers cannot easily reproduce each other’s work to verify or extend it. Four general principles of reproducible research that have emerged in other fields are presented. An archaeological case study is described that shows how each principle can be implemented using freely available software. The costs and benefits of implementing reproducible research are assessed. The primary benefit, of sharing data in particular, is increased impact via an increased number of citations. The primary cost is the additional time required to enhance reproducibility, although the exact amount is difficult to quantify.
The complexity of the geometric shapes of historical architecture is difficult to manage by the BIM software. The paper investigates the possibilities offered by computational design for the modeling and parameterization of architectural heritage components.The aim of the studied methodology is the creation of a sort of parametric object library for historical architectures, which allows the management of complex geometries and the optimization of the HBIM process.
The purpose of this paper is to describe algorithms for constructing and drawing Harris Matrix. These algorithms are incorporated into a system that reads stratigraphic unit cards, checks consistency of physical relationships, constructs and draws the matrix and allows inspection of information supplied for each unit by navigating on the matrix and pointing to the desired unit. The paper also contains a brief description of this system.
The Neolithic tomb of Gavrinis is famous for its rich and complex engraved art that has inspired a large number of interpretative studies. However, all of these are based on unsatisfactory drawings. This article describes the methodological results of a new project for recording the Gavrinis engravings that combines 3D laser and 2D photographic techniques. Laser scanning not only provides accurate contextual information such as the stone relief and architectural setting in which the art is found. Specially designed processing of point clouds also makes it possible to highlight the contours of the pecked motifs and to record them directly from the 3D model of the decorated stones. This can be further improved by photography using oblique lighting and image processing techniques in order to obtain more detailed recordings of the motifs as well as insights into their chronological relationships. In the unusual case of barely visible engravings made with very slight peckmarks, experimental application of the DStretch colour detection programme has been unexpectedly successful. A comparison of all these results shows that laser and photographic techniques have different strengths and weaknesses that complement each other. Thus, combined use of these techniques within a single methodological process produces innovative and comprehensive documentation of Neolithic tomb art.
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
Today’s smart devices come equipped with powerful hard- and software-enabling professional use cases. The latest hardware by Apple utilizes LiDAR and TrueDepth, which offer the capability of 3D scanning. Devices equipped with these camera systems allow manufacturers to obtain 3D data from their customers at low costs, which potentially enables time-efficient mass customization and product differentiation strategies. However, the utilization is limited by the scanning accuracy. To determine the potential application of LiDAR and TrueDepth as a 3D scanning solution, in this paper an evaluation was performed. For this purpose, different Lego bricks were scanned with the technologies and an industrial 3D scanner. The results were compared according to shape and position tolerances. Even though the industrial 3D scanner consistently delivered more accurate results, the accuracy of the smart device technologies may already be sufficient, depending on the application.
Identifying bare-earth or ground returns within point cloud data is a crucially important process for archaeologists who use airborne LiDAR data, yet there has thus far been very little comparative assessment of the available archaeology-specific methods and their usefulness for archaeological applications. This article aims to provide an archaeology-specific comparison of filters for ground extraction from airborne LiDAR point clouds. The qualitative and quantitative comparison of the data from four archaeological sites from Austria, Slovenia, and Spain should also be relevant to other disciplines that use visualized airborne LiDAR data. We have compared nine filters implemented in free or low-cost off-the-shelf software, six of which are evaluated in this way for the first time. The results of the qualitative and quantitative comparison are not directly analogous, and no filter is outstanding compared to the others. However, the results are directly transferable to real-world problem-solving: Which filter works best for a given combination of data density, landscape type, and type of archaeological features? In general, progressive TIN (software: lasground_new) and a hybrid (software: Global Mapper) commercial filter are consistently among the best, followed by an open source slope-based one (software: Whitebox GAT). The ability of the free multiscale curvature classification filter (software: MCC-LIDAR) to remove vegetation is also commendable. Notably, our findings show that filters based on an older generation of algorithms consistently outperform newer filtering techniques. This is a reminder of the indirect path from publishing an algorithm to filter implementation in software.
Explainable artificial intelligence is an emerging research direction helping the user or developer of machine learning models understand why models behave the way they do. The most popular explanation technique is feature importance. However, there are several different approaches how feature importances are being measured, most notably global and local. In this study we compare different feature importance measures using both linear (logistic regression with L1 penalization) and non-linear (random forest) methods and local interpretable model-agnostic explanations on top of them. These methods are applied to two datasets from the medical domain, the openly available breast cancer data from the UCI Archive and a recently collected running injury data. Our results show that the most important features differ depending on the technique. We argue that a combination of several explanation techniques could provide more reliable and trustworthy results. In particular, local explanations should be used in the most critical cases such as false negatives.
Currently the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) have become an alternative for different engineering applications, especially in surveying. One of these applications is in route surveys, but there are questions about its accuracy and efficiency. The purpose of this research was to evaluate how the UAV photogrammetry technology can compete or replace the traditional ground surveying methods of data acquisition for route survey through data obtained with total station. In order to answer the questions of accuracy, data from the same test location were obtained. A comparison was conducted between the two datasets to evaluate the accuracy of the UAV technique and the classical method, compared to a referenced dataset. This referenced data consisted of twenty-three (23) Ground Control Points (GCPs) established with a dual frequency GNSS receiver, and evenly distributed along the 1.1km route. In other to maintain consistency in both methods of data acquisition, the same GCPs used as markers during image processing, were the ones used for orientation during the total station traversing. Results obtained indicated that with Ground Sample Distance (GSD) of 2.74cm, the UAV technology gave a better elevation result, while the classical method was better in the planimetric aspect. Moreover, other parameters were also considered such as execution time and the area covered along the route. The main problems associated with using a UAV was the level of precision and the visualization of the whole area. The results indicated that the precision was quite satisfactory with a maximum elevation error of 1.9 cm on ground control points.
The paper seeks to evaluate three digital photogrammetry processing software, comparing Agisoft Metashape (known as Agisoft Metashape prior to version 1.5), Bentley ContextCapture, and RealityCapture to each other. The literature review discusses and evaluates the current academic literature on the most commonly used digital photogrammetry processing programs, including the existing publications on Metashape, ContextCapture, and RealityCapture as well as several open source software. The current body of literature mostly covers the use of digital photogrammetry in terms of large-scale site digitization using drones. The tests which were carried out in Metashape, ContextCapture, and RealityCapture present a small-scale artifact digitization case study in ideal conditions, using the same artifact and data in all three programs.
In the era of the global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, 3D digitisation of selected museum artefacts is becoming more and more frequent practice, but the vast majority is performed by specialised teams. The paper presents the results of comparative studies of 3D digital models of the same museum artefacts from the Silk Road area generated by two completely different technologies: Structure from Motion (SfM)—a method belonging to the so-called low-cost technologies—and by Structured-light 3D Scanning (3D SLS). Moreover, procedural differences in data acquisition and their processing to generate three-dimensional models are presented. Models built using a point cloud were created from data collected in the Afrasiyab museum in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) during “The 1st Scientific Expedition of the Lublin University of Technology to Central Asia” in 2017. Photos for creating 3D models in SfM technology were taken during a virtual expedition carried out under the “3D Digital Silk Road” program in 2021. The obtained results show that the quality of the 3D models generated with SfM differs from the models from the technology (3D SLS), but they may be placed in the galleries of the vitrual museum. The obtained models from SfM do not have information about their size, which means that they are not fully suitable for archiving purposes of cultural heritage, unlike the models from SLS.
In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) scanning has become the main tool for recording, documenting, and preserving cultural heritage in the long term. It has become the “document” most in demand today by historians, curators, and art restorers to carry out their work based on a “digital twin,” that is, a totally reliable and accurate model of the object in question. Thanks to 3D scanning, we can preserve reliable models in digital format of the real state of our heritage, some of which are currently destroyed. The first step is to digitize our heritage with the highest possible quality and precision. To do this, it will be necessary to identify the most appropriate technique. In this article, we will show some of the main digitization techniques currently used in sculpture heritage and the workflows associated with them to obtain high-quality models. Finally, a complete comparative analysis will be made to show their main advantages and disadvantages.
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.
This contribution traces the history of pyArchInit, the first QGIS plugin created directly by archaeologists for the management of archaeological sites. The article describes the structure of the plugin, its features and the main innovations brought to the field of archaeological data management compared to the commonly used applications (CAD and Office package). Furthermore, practical examples of its use and potential will be provided through the description of the methodological procedure, based on pyArchInit, put into the field during the excavation of the archaeological site of Poggio Gramignano - Umbria - Italy. Such excavation is directed by Prof. David Soren of the University of Arizona and has revealed the remains of an important Roman villa reused in the Late Roman period as a cemetery for children.
Mobile audio-guides are currently being used in museums to enhance the visitors’ experience. Over the past few years, some Augmented Reality (AR) solutions have been explored in this context, making it possible to provide augmented visual and sonic stimuli through the use of smartphones. However, the special conditions of museums (e.g. artificial markers cannot be used, small, crowded rooms, etc.) and the limited computational capacity of smartphones mean that there are important restrictions in the use of this technology. In this paper we introduce a novel mobile augmented guide for the Casa Batlló museum (Barcelona, Spain) which is based on a combination of traditional and indirect AR. Through the proposed solution, we further explore the use of indirect AR for the interior of buildings as, at present, this technology is usually used for outdoor environments. The developed application is currently being used by Casa Batlló visitors. Retrieval of user experience shows some of the benefits of the proposed solution and opens the door for other similar solutions in museums.
Archaeological recording of structures and excavations in high mountain areas is greatly hindered by the scarce availability of both space, to transport material, and time. The Madriu-Perafita-Claror, InterAmbAr and PCR Mont Lozère high mountain projects have documented hundreds of archaeological structures and carried out many archaeological excavations. These projects required the development of a technique which could record both structures and the process of an archaeological excavation in a fast and reliable manner. The combination of DGPS, close-range terrestrial stereophotogrammetry and voxel based GIS modelling offered a perfect solution since it helped in developing a strategy which would obtain all the required data on-site fast and with a high degree of precision. These data are treated off-site to obtain georeferenced orthoimages covering both the structures and the excavation process from which site and excavation plans can be created. The proposed workflow outputs also include digital surface models and volumetric models of the excavated areas from which topography and archaeological profiles were obtained by voxel-based GIS procedures. In this way, all the graphic recording required by standard archaeological practices was met.
This paper describes the 3D modelling of Pinchango Alto, Peru, based on a combination of image and range data. Digital photogrammetry and laser scanning allow archaeological sites to be recorded efficiently and in detail even under unfavourable conditions. In 2004 we documented Pinchango Alto, a typical site of the hitherto poorly studied Late Intermediate Period on the south coast of Peru, with the aim of conducting spatial archaeological analyses at different scales. The combined use of a mini helicopter and a terrestrial laser scanner, both equipped with a camera, allowed a fast yet accurate recording of the site and its stone architecture. In this paper we describe the research background, the 3D modelling based on different image and range data sets, and the resulting products that will serve as a basis for archaeological analysis.
This study presents the results of integrated isotopic and dental calculus analyses of a number of individuals buried in two cemeteries of Roman and medieval chronology in Lamon(Belluno), northern Italy. Eleven individuals from the Roman cemetery of San Donato and six from the medieval cemetery of San Pietro are presented and discussed. The results suggest a continuity of geographic residence for the two populations, with most of the analysed individuals showing a local or regional origin. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes are indicative of a diet based on a mixed C3/C4 plant consumption and rich in animal proteins, with no significant difference between the Roman and the medieval populations. The consumption of C4 plants, more resilient to the Alpine climate, is consistently documented both by isotopes and dental calculus. Dental calculus results permit the characterisation of the typology of the crop consumed, namely millet, barley/wheat and legumes and may also suggest differing cooking processes between the Roman and the medieval periods. Phytoliths, vascular elements, fungal spores and animal remains from dental calculus provide new insights into the diet of the analysed individuals but also, hypothetically, into possible medicinal treatments. The presence of birds such as fowls and ducks in the medieval diet of some individuals from San Pietro has also emerged. Overall, the results of this study open a new window into the biographies of the individuals analysed, their diet, mobility, habits, and environment, thus stimulating further and more systematic investigation on the populations occupying an Alpine sector which is still poorly understood from an archaeological perspective.
Three-dimensional (3D) scanning technology presents cultural organizations with new opportunities to share their collections with a wider audience online, and conserve and archive art objects and antiquities for safekeeping. However, this technology can also present legal challenges when institutions like museums assert ownership, in particular employing copyright notices, over digital copies of public domain art […]
Nella consapevolezza di appartenere ad una realtà associativa di lunga storia e grande prestigio, che svolge inter aliaun’attività editoriale di primo piano, siamo costantemente proiettati alla crescita e al miglioramento di uno status quosempre perfettibile. Nasce con queste premesse la nuova collana editoriale “Ricerche, Indagini e Studi di Archeologia” (R.I.S.A.), che diventa lo strumento attraverso il quale la Società Archeologica Veneta OdV può ora divulgare quei lavori monografici che sovente in passato erano oggetto di supplementi alla Rivista. Questa scelta nulla vuol togliere ad Archeologia Veneta, che nel tempo ha ospitato nei suoi numeri speciali lavori di alto livello, ma si tratta anzi di un’iniziativa editoriale mirata da una parte a dare maggior risalto a ricerche degne di pubblicazioni di ampio respiro e dall’altra a non togliere spazio ai lavori di sintesi che annualmente rientrano nell’indice della nostra Rivista. Non solo, la creazione di un’apposita sede editoriale vuole essere anche un volano, uno stimolo e un ulteriore canale per agevolare studiosi e ricercatori a divulgare quei lavori che il nostro Comitato Scientifico valuterà essere meritevoli. Altro elemento che ci piace sottolineare è il carattere prettamente digitale di questa collana, con lo scopo di proiettare al futuro i nostri valori e la nostra tradizione. “Guardare al futuro con un piede nel passato” è uno slogan che può efficacemente riassumere il sentiment che ha accompagnato la progettazione e la nascita di R.I.S.A. Questo primo volume della collana è significativo sotto diversi punti di vista: in primis rappresenta un omaggio ad una personalità iconica per il nostro sodalizio. Anna Maria Chieco Bianchi ha percorso ogni centimetro di quel sentiero che è la storia della Società Archeologica Veneta e lo ha fatto con l’energia del trekker e la passione dell’escursionista. Fin dal 1972, quando il nucleo embrionale della Società Archeologica Veneta iniziò ad operare in seno all’Archeoclub d’Italia, il contributo propositivo e fattivo di Anna Maria non è mai venuto meno e, ancora oggi, il suo interesse risulta prezioso e rassicurante. La sua voce si è fatta sentire non solo negli anni in cui la nostra Società si è costituita, ma anche in tempi recenti ed è vivo il ricordo del suo accorato intervento con cui, in una delle assemblee più sofferte della storia della SAV, ha voluto sostenere le nostre iniziative, auspicando una rinascita della Società che, non senza fatica, stiamo cercando di realizzare. Un ultimo aspetto peculiare da evidenziare, in linea con il titolo della Giornata di Studi di cui il presente volume pubblica gli Atti, è quello sinergico. La collana R.I.S.A. vuole porsi come contenitore e fucina di ricerche non solo intersecanti l’archeologia, ma anche tangenti o parallele alla materia. Esemplare in tal senso risulta allora questo primo volume della serie, esito di una giornata emozionante dal punto di vista sia personale che scientifico, ma soprattutto di un convegno frequentato da personalità di primo piano appartenenti a diversi Enti e Istituti di ricerca e di tutela, che – riunitesi con l’intento di onorare Anna Maria Chieco Bianchi – hanno avuto modo di confrontarsi e di aggiornarsi sui temi più caldi e più cari al panorama archeologico veneto. Per questo motivo, affinché la giornata possa rappresentare un punto di partenza per ulteriori spunti, abbiamo ritenuto fondamentale divulgarne i contenuti in questo volume monografico.
The role of citizens in the construction of knowledge is undergoing a clear transformation from a passive position, as mere observers and/or receivers, to an increasingly participatory role. This issue, which is directly related to governance policies as well as to the ICT revolution, can be seen in the field of cultural heritage and particularly architectural heritage management. The present paper aims to generate methodologies to involve citizens as active agents who must be involved in a real way in decision making concerning the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage. The results present the creation of a rural heritage interactive cartographic viewer as a collaborative mapping tool. The conclusions drawn position the citizens of rural, dispersed, or vulnerable areas as informers and builders of knowledge about the cultural and architectural heritage of their environment in terms of citizen science. At the same time, it strengthens the development of innovation strategies in the intervention, management, and communication of the existing dispersed heritage in rural areas.
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.
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.
Photogrammetry provides an accessible, cost-effective means of creating a high-resolution, digital 3D record of archaeological artefacts. The methodology has been widely adopted, but a number of issues remain, especially in relation to model variability, and to misalignments that result in gaps in the models generated. Two new approaches are presented here that have been shown to increase standardisation during data capture and processing routines. This ensures that models are seamless and quantitatively accurate.
This chapter owes much to the trenchant criticism of Internet utopianism offered by Evgeny Morozov in his influential book, To Save Everything, Click Here (2014). As such, this essay reflects on some issues in the social and professional context of digital archaeology that rarely see public discussion. Digital archaeology is profoundly shaped by an institutional landscape that demands the commoditization, marketing, and branding of scholarship “as a service.” These forces make it extraordinarily difficult to sustain substantive and reflective intellectual engagement in our increasingly digitized discipline. As a strategy to overcome these issues, this contribution highlights why digital engagement requires much longer time scales in funding and greater professional commitment to recognizing the process and conduct of research rather than rewarding only the efficient production of measurable research outcomes.
