Material analysis and archaeometry

Items

• Dataset

  The MedAfriCarbon radiocarbon database and web application. Archaeological dynamics in Mediterranean Africa, ca. 9600-700 BC

  MedAfriCarbon radiocarbon database and web app are outcomes of the MedAfrica Project —Archaeological deep history and dynamics of Mediterranean Africa, ca. 9600-700 BC. The dataset presented here includes a collection of 1584 calibrated archaeological 14C dates from 1587 samples collected from 368 sites located in Mediterranean Africa (plus some additional dates whose published information is incomplete). The majority of the dates are linked to cultural and environmental variables, notably the presence/absence of different domestic/wild species and specific material culture.
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  Dataset

  Raman spectra of architectural terracottas from Populonia (Tuscany)

  This contribute aims to provide new insight on the production and circulation of full-figure architectural terracotta images adorning temples, namely fictiles, in northern Etruria. The investigation focuses on the recent discovering of a relevant corpus of architectural terracottas in Populonia, emerged during the excavation in La Casaccia locality, on the eastern slopes of Poggio del Castello (Baratti, Livorno, Tuscany). The review of the typological study and the archaeometric analysis on a selection of representative antefixes and relief plaques disclosed a complex scenario revealing the presence of both local and imported fictiles. Future and already planned investigations of architectural terracottas from Volterra promise to enlarge the frame on the circulation of imported fictiles from the nearby Campanian areas, redrawing the dual interpretation of mobility of goods vs mobility of men for decorating public buildings in northern Etruria.
• Dataset

  Italian Ceramics: Compositional and Descriptive Data

  This dataset contains compositional (elemental abundance) and descriptive data for a total of 127 ceramic specimens from Italy, analyzed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). These data were generated by neutron activation analysis (NAA) at LBNL between the late 1960s and early 1990s. Data from the LBNL were transferred to the Archaeometry Laboratory at the University of Missouri, where they were digitized for distribution through tDAR. Elemental abundance data could not be located for 4 of these specimens. All descriptive and contextual data are drawn from the Berkeley archives, and may be incomplete.
• Dataset

  DObsiSS: The Database of Obsidian Sourcing Studies

  The Database of Obsidian Sourcing Studies is a listing of chemically characterized archaeological obsidian, compiled from published journal articles, excavation reports, conference papers and other scholarly records. The database lists the amount of obsidian artefacts uncovered at sites in southwest Asia and Anatolia made from material derived from various volcanic sources based on geochemical analysis and comparison with geological samples.
• Dataset

  Dataset Illuminated Manouscripts

  La collezione è composta da sei manoscritti custoditi presso la Biblioteca Augusta di Perugia, databili ai secoli XIII e XIV. Di questi, quattro sono di ambito umbro, uno è di provenienza bolognese e uno è riconducibile ad area toscana. Nel 2011 i codici sono stati oggetto di indagini diagnostiche non invasive eseguite dal Centro di Eccellenza SMAArt dell’Università di Perugia e dall’Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari del CNR, che hanno restituito elementi utili a ricostruire i materiali impiegati, le tecniche esecutive, la distinzione delle mani tra i diversi miniatori impegnati nella decorazione dei volumi nonché la loro localizzazione.
• Dataset

  Characterization of medieval-like glass alteration layers by laser spectroscopy and nonlinear optical microscopy

  The study was undertaken in six medieval-like model glass samples UG (unaltered glass), MAK, MAR, MTA, MTB and MTN subjected to various environmental and atmospheric conditions in order to generate alteration layers of different characteristics. A potash-lime silicate glass, with composition similar to that of medieval glasses, was melted at 1400 °C during two hours, poured in a brass mould of rectangular cross section and annealed at 650 °C. The resulting glass ingot was cut in slices of around 10×10×2 mm3 and then polished using emery paper and an aqueous suspension of cerium oxide to obtain optical quality surfaces. Alteration of the glass slices was conducted by exposure to five different laboratory corrosion tests: SO2 corrosion for MAK sample, synthetic river water degradation for MAR, and degradation due to acid, basic and neutral medium for MTA, MTB and MTN, respectively. This dataset consists of images of the samples; Laser-induced Breakdown Spectrocopy (LIBS) spectra; Laser-induced Fluorescence (LIF) spectra; Optical Microscopy (OM); FT-Raman spectroscopy and Multi-Photon Excitation Fluorescence (MPEF) signals obtained with a Nonlinear optical microscopy (NLOM). This information allows characterizing the composition of both body glass and determining the thickness of the degradation layer. Images are presented in JPG. All spectra are presented in cvs format, in a single page.
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  Interactive Resource

  Banca dati dei materiali archeologici della Villa Romana di Cottanello

  I materiali archeologici provenienti dagli scavi della villa e suddivisi per categorie, oltre ad essere oggetto di specifiche pubblicazioni scientifiche, vengono presentati in questa sede in formato digitale. Si tratta di una selezione dei materiali ceramici, dei laterizi, dei frammenti di intonaci e mosaici e del repertorio completo delle monete e delle terrecotte architettoniche. Il database permette ricerche per categorie e caratteristiche dei materiali e si propone come strumento di lavoro e di divulgazione dei risultati delle ricerche.
• Interactive Resource

  Apenninescape - WebGIS

  La mappatura delle evidenze archeologiche rappresenta l’azione preliminare per la comprensione del popolamento. Il progetto ha previsto una prima raccolta di tutte le informazioni disponibili per l’elaborazione di un GIS correlato di tabelle attribuiti dedicate ai siti e ai campioni delle analisi archeometriche. Per questo scopo sono stati consultati gli archivi storici del territorio (Archivio Topografico del Museo Civico Archeologico di Bologna; Archivio Topografico e Storico presso la Soprintendenza Archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio per la città metropolitana di Bologna e le province di Modena, Reggio Emilia e Ferrara), integrati con la documentazione edita negli anni. Il cuore del progetto APENNINESCAPE è un database georeferenziato che integra dati archeologici, geomorfologici e ambientali. Realizzato con tecnologie open-source, il database raccoglie informazioni su siti, risorse naturali e percorsi storici, offrendo una piattaforma unica per l'analisi e la condivisione. Grazie a strumenti GIS avanzati, il database supporta modelli predittivi per identificare nuovi insediamenti e tracciare antiche rotte transappenniniche. Accessibile a diversi livelli, dai ricercatori agli stakeholder locali, rappresenta uno strumento fondamentale per valorizzare il patrimonio territoriale e promuovere la conoscenza del passato.