Articles by Alberto Belussi

2018 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The Archaeological Urban Information System of Verona: an approach to interoperability through standard-based conceptual modelling

Alberto Belussi, Sara Migliorini, Piergiovanna Grossi

Abstract

Since 2011 the Archaeological Geographical Information System of Verona, SITAVR, has been implemented based on the existing and well-consolidated Archaeological Information Systemof Rome, SITAR, developed since 2008. The main objective of the two projects is collecting information about the archaeological findings regarding the two Italian urban centres with the aim to support a complete archaeological analysis and allow for easy data reuse. The purpose of this research is twofold: (i) archaeological studies, aimed to collect data and contents, and (ii) information systems applied to cultural heritage, aimed to organize, use and preserve the data on the basis of the innovations related to methodologies, technologies and standards. In this regard, the first step in SITAVR project was to create a domain model of archaeological data, by applying standard methodology for producing an abstract conceptual schema. Next steps were the definition of web services and a common format for data exchange; further in this direction was the creation of a mapping between this model and other international standards. The definition of the conceptual schema and the metadata, the common format for data exchange and the mapping on international standards have supported and encouraged the cooperation between SITAVR and SITAR projects. Moreover also some practical tests of interoperability between the two systems have been performed, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach. In particular, an experiment regarding the integrated execution of some queries on the two systems (funerary contexts and the road network of the two towns) was successfully implemented. In conclusion, our work further demonstrates that interoperability requires an initial large investment of resources, but allows to achieve results in terms of data analysis that by means of non-integrated systems cannot be easily accomplished.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2018, 29, 223-240; doi: 10.19282/ac.29.2018.19

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Da Roma, a Verona, alle zone dell’Agro: andata e ritorno. Una sperimentazione di interoperabilità tra SITAR, SITAVR e SITAIS

Patrizia Basso, Piergiovanna Grossi, Brunella Bruno, Alberto Belussi, Sara Migliorini

Abstract

The collaboration between the SITAR and SITAVR projects, started in 2013, has continued thanks to a shared process of consolidation including: the conceptual model (GeoUML), the metadata, the documentation of the physical database and the publishing of data in XML format. The work also continued with a study on modelling and managing the time dimension in the context of archaeological databases and an experiment aiming to use the developed methodology and tools on a small town, Isola della Scala, in the province of Verona as part of the SITAIS project. Given the availability of three autonomous systems for three different territories linked by a single conceptual model, it was possible to test interoperability between the three implemented systems. The first experiment was developed by navigating an XML complex schema, where all the catalogued objects and associations between them were represented. A Web Feature Service was implemented for accessing data and a web application is currently being developed to allow users to query, navigate data and interrogate the three systems at once. A second experiment involved the generation of an XML simplified schema, where data are accessible on a single and flat form. Again, a Web Feature Service was implemented and a common GIS software was used to visualize the data provided by this service. The sharing of a conceptual model and vocabularies proved to be a winning approach for archaeological research and for the future interoperability between systems.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, Supplemento 9, 157-170; doi: 10.19282/ACS.9.2017.15

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il progetto SITAVR (Sistema Informativo Territoriale Archeologico di Verona). Il racconto di un esempio di riuso e collaborazione virtuosa in ambito di Pubblica Amministrazione

Patrizia Basso, Piergiovanna Grossi, Brunella Bruno, Giuliana Cavalieri Manasse, Alberto Belussi, Sara Migliorini

Abstract

In 2011 a joint venture between the Archaeological Superintendency of Veneto and the University of Verona initiated a project for the creation of a Geographical Information System to collect the huge amount of data related to the historical and archaeological heritage of the city. In order to avoid the development of this project from scratch, a very useful collaboration was initiated with the Special Archaeological Superintendency of Rome and, in particular, with the team in charge of creating a similar application (SITAR Project). During the project, the application schema was documented using GeoUML while the metadata for the dataset were described using ISO Standard 19115, that allows us to bring standardization and define interchangeable data formats for archaeological data among several European institutions. At the same time, all of the available data, already published or not, were being collected and validated under the supervision of the Superintendency. A lot of work still remains to be done on the two fronts. On the technical side, the existing user interface has to be improved and put on the web; on the contents side, geological data and data for the medieval period have to be added to the database, in order to allow studying the evolution over time of the area we are examining.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 72-79

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Progetto SITAVR - una carta archeologica per Verona

Brunella Bruno, Patrizia Basso, Piergiovanna Grossi, Alberto Belussi, Sara Migliorini

Abstract

Between 2011 and 2013, a project for developing the archaeological information system of Verona (called SITAVR) was started by the University of Verona and the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici of Veneto and with the financial support of the Regional Agency and the Bank institute Banca Popolare di Verona. The first step was determined by a collaboration with the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma (SSBAR), which since 2007 has been developing an Information System for the Italian capital. Thanks to the support from the colleagues and the conventions between the public administrations involved, it was possible to start the project using the data model and databases created for Rome as a basis. The second step was to study and adapt these artefacts to a smaller town like Verona, taking into consideration the different cataloguing necessities. During this phase, a new methodology (based on GeoUML model) and its tools were used in order to analyze the database of Rome and to create the conceptual schema as a reverse engineering process. The usage of the GeoUML tools allows us to obtain automatically the physical schema and the documentation for the new database of Verona. All the data collected will be available to the general public, both for a better public comprehension of the Information System content and eventually for reuse in other similar projects.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 155-167