Articles by Marco Moderato

The first stage of the Mapping the Archaeological Pre-Columbian Heritage in South America (MAPHSA) initiative integrates transregional datasets from Brazil and Colombia, encompassing a broad spectrum of cultural heritage. MAPHSA aims to construct an integrated database of legacy and new information pertaining to the pre-Columbian archaeological heritage of South America. It aims to provide an open-access digital repository grounded on the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data principles, thereby facilitating resource accessibility and fostering collaborative research. This database will benefit researchers within the surveyed countries, the international archaeological community, and national heritage agencies, consequently fortifying heritage preservation and promoting cross-border studies. MAPHSA adopts a multidisciplinary approach, combining archival research, remote sensing techniques, machine learning methodologies, and ground surveys to identify and evaluate the preservation status of archaeological sites. The workflow integrates diverse datasets into a Postgres/PostGIS geodatabase, complemented by the Arches information management platform incorporating a CIDOC-CRM ontology data model, drawing insights from analogous large-scale projects. By accentuating the heritage significance of regions such as the Amazon and the often-neglected Cerrado savanna, MAPHSA aims to alter public perceptions and stimulate concerted efforts towards their protection.

Archaeology, in its pursuit of advanced methodologies for data analysis and interpretation, has embraced with increasing enthusiasm emerging technologies from the now massive use of drones to recent developments in Artificial Intelligence. As part of the ‘Castelseprio centre of power’ project, the authors began the excavation of the structure known as Casa Piccoli in 2021 with the idea of building a digitized and open source field workflow that not only allows for the processing and archiving of stratigraphic documentation but also aims at the construction of a three-dimensional virtual environment. All the data acquired are transferred into a multi-metaverse (MAPOD4D), created in an open source environment, which offers the possibility of archiving and sharing data in a more accessible way, and of immersive displaying archaeological contexts. This creates the conditions for a complete virtual reconstruction of the excavation context, a sort of digital excavation laboratory that provides a way towards a more open and collaborative methodology, recomposing the contextual unity of the deposits.

In the framework of the project ‘Castelseprio, centre of power’, the authors began excavating the structure known as Casa Piccoli in 2021. The area, already investigated by Piccoli in the 1970s, presents itself as an interesting case study for the application of an open and integrated solution for the management of stratigraphic data, specifically pyArchInit. Being an academic excavation project and, therefore, characterized by both research and training issues, it was decided to progressively and incrementally include the use of pyArchInit within the documentation protocols on site and post-excavation, over the three years of the permit granted by the Ministry of Culture for the excavations. Master’s degree students who participated in the excavation, at the end of the planned period, will have the basic skills to use the plugin also in a professional environment. At the end of the first two years of implementation, a SWOT analysis will show the results obtained within the site for both training and research purposes.