Articles by Giuseppe Scardozzi

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Le cave antiche di Porto Miggiano (Santa Cesarea, Lecce): analisi metrologica e rilievo topografico dei settori estrattivi

Giuseppe Scardozzi, Ivan Ferrari, Francesco Giuri

Abstract

The ISPC-CNR is conducting research activities aimed at identifying ancient quarries that supplied the public building sites in the Athenaion of Castro, where excavations revealed dry-stone city walls made of calcarenite blocks and built in three phases between the 4th and 2nd cent. BC. The paper is focused on the large coastal quarries of Porto Miggiano, located approximately 4.5 km NE of Castro, where the extraction was carried out in function of sea transportation of the blocks. The extraction sites were documented through laser scanning and photogrammetry by a drone. In the main quarry, which covers an area of approximately 0.4 hectares, thanks to the metrological analysis of the stepped faces, four extraction areas were identified corresponding to at least five cultivation phases. The oldest and most extensive one affects the central sector of the quarry, where large blocks compatible (for dimension and macroscopic aspect) with those of the third phase of the Castro city walls, dated to the beginning of the 2nd cent. BC, were extracted.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.2, 163-184; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.2.2023.09

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La necropoli messapica di Monte d’Elia ad Alezio (Lecce): integrazione di rilievi topografici e indagini geofisiche a supporto delle indagini stratigrafiche

Ivan Ferrari, Francesco Giuri, Giovanni Leucci, Giuseppe Scardozzi

Abstract

The Messapian necropolis of Monte D’Elia (used from the 6th to the 2nd cent. BC) is about 300 m S of the modern town of Alezio (Lecce, Apulia), which lays on one of the most important ancient settlements of the Salento peninsula (ancient Messapia). The site was investigated between 1981 and 1985 by the Apulian Archaeological Superintendence. In 2020, archaeological investigations have been resumed by the Department of Cultural Heritage of the University of Salento, with the participation of researchers from the Institute of Heritage Science of the National Research Council. Their research activities focused on geophysical prospecting and topographical surveys, performed thanks to the combined use of laser scanner and digital photogrammetry by drone. This contribution illustrates these research activities, which are aimed at understanding the general plan of the necropolis, through the integration of the information published in the 1980s with data from new investigations and surveys, and, more generally, at the reconstruction of its topographic organization and extension.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.2, 143-162; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.2.2023.08

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La piattaforma 'Marmora Phrygiae'. Open data per la conoscenza delle cave di marmo della Frigia meridionale e per lo studio dei cantieri antichi di Hierapolis

Giacomo Di Giacomo, Giuseppe Scardozzi

Abstract

The ‘Marmora Phrygiae’ project deals with some of the main issues related to the study of ancient quarries and building sites with a systematic approach, integrating the skills of experts from different disciplines: archaeology, ancient topography, art history, architecture, geology, geophysics, chemistry, geochemistry, biology, remote sensing, computer science, and Roman law. This paper summarizes the main scientific results of the project and the computer techniques used for implementing the Marmora Phrygiae online geodatabase, a system aimed at data presentation on the web, sharing knowledge through Open Data. The Marmora Phrygiae database dynamically stores the results of archaeological research and archaeometric analyses in order to publish them online at the end of the project: after a registration process, free access to available data will be allowed. The same database is also interfaced to Geoserver, a web-oriented cartographic engine, in which the coordinates of each feature (monuments, quarries, artefacts, stone samples), acquired by a high-precision topographic GPS, are stored. This solution allowed acquiring important new data on the marble extractive district of Hierapolis, the organization of the urban building sites during the Roman Imperial age and the Early-Byzantine period, and their dynamics of supplying stone materials within the overall ancient marble extractive district of south-western Turkey.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, 27, 153-178; doi: 10.19282/AC.27.2016.08

2014 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS cloud per l’archeologia. Strumenti open source per la gestione e condivisione dei dati

Giacomo Di Giacomo, Giuseppe Scardozzi

Abstract

Digital maps linked to GIS platforms are extremely effective tools for the knowledge of the archaeological heritage and its management. Currently available GIS cloud is very useful for the remote sharing of archaeological data, because it is able to index and quickly retrieve heterogeneous information from large databases. A cartographic engine embedded in the system makes the cloud more powerful and allows users to share geospatial archaeological data quickly on the web. This is very important in collaborative research projects and for dissemination. The Laboratory of Ancient Topography, Archaeology and Remote Sensing of IBAM CNR is experimenting an open source suite to create a fully working GIS in the cloud system. This suite is composed of different databases (MySQL, postgreSQL, postGIS), a cartographic engine and a web client (QGIS server, QGIS Web Client), and a http server (Apache Web Server), all embedded in the owncloud cloud system. The system is currently being tested for the realization of the digital archaeological maps of the cities of Lecce and Taormina, now in progress in cooperation with the University of Salento and Messina and the Archaeological Superintendence of Apulia Region and Messina Province.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2014, 25, 93-112; doi: 10.19282/ac.25.2014.05

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Dalla cartografia archeologica digitale al restauro virtuale: recenti casi di studio a Hierapolis di Frigia

Massimo Limoncelli, Giuseppe Scardozzi

Abstract

The paper concerns the recent research conducted at Hierapolis in Phrygia for the creation of the digital archaeological map of the city and surrounding necropolises, which is linked to a GIS. These activities have focused on updating the map with new data from systematic archaeological and topographical surveys, geophysical prospecting, aerial and satellite remote sensing, and from studies regarding the hydrogeology, geomorphology and seismic and tectonic characteristics of the site. In some cases, 3D reconstructions and virtual restorations of monuments are based on the data from this inter/multidisciplinary research on the ancient city. In fact, for several years now a project called Virtual Hierapolis has been in progress and has resulted in the production of 3D models of many monuments in the city, using data from stratigraphic excavations, archaeological and geophysical surveys, and art-historical studies. An example in this regard is the recent reconstructive study of the so-called South Bridge, a monumental viaduct/aqueduct-bridge, probably built in the first century AD, the remains of which are in a deep gorge to the South of the archaeological site. The survey and mapping of the monument, using differential GPS and robotic and motorized total station, have made it possible to obtain a detailed study and the production of 2D and 3D reconstructions.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, 24, 75-99; doi: 10.19282/ac.24.2013.04

2010 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La cinta muraria di Hierapolis di Frigia: il geodatabase dei materiali di reimpiego come strumento di ricerca e conoscenza del monumento e della città

Immacolata Ditaranto, Giacomo Di Giacomo, Giuseppe Scardozzi, Laura Castrianni

Abstract

Despite the impressiveness of its remains, until 2008 the city walls of Hierapolis of Phrygia (4th century AD) were one of the lesser known monuments of the city. The preserved and reconstructed remains of the fortifications are about 2.1 km long and are characterized by the systematic reuse of many blocks and architectural materials from necropolises and monuments that were demolished at the time of the construction of the walls. The study and the topographical survey (using a differential GPS) of the city walls were employed along with the analysis and centimetric positioning of all the main reused architectural elements (1142 items), i.e. those which are easier to recognize and to trace back to the buildings from which they came. The fieldwork was carried out using a Tablet PC and a specially developed computer schedule to record the characteristics of the recycled materials and their location. The data were uploaded into a dedicated and specially developed geodatabase, aimed at managing information related to the heterogeneous materials reused, integrating the intrinsic characteristics of objects and their positions. In the geodatabase, every architectural element was catalogued so that spatial queries could be made to identify the existence of homogeneous materials and determine their positions along the walls; they are also correlated with their monuments of origin when this information is available.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2010, 21, 93-126; doi: 10.19282/ac.21.2010.05

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Motori cartografici open source per la ricerca archeologica: applicazioni a Hierapolis di Frigia (Turchia)

Giacomo Di Giacomo, Giuseppe Scardozzi

Abstract

In this paper we describe two Web-GIS open sources created by CNR IBAM, in cooperation with Italian Archaeological Mission at Hierapolis of Phrygia and the methods and techniques for the development of the two systems: the former for remote use of Cultural Heritage and the latter for cataloguing and analysing the Byzantine wall.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 131-144

2007 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Immagini satellitari ad alta risoluzione e ricerca archeologica: applicazioni e casi di studio con riprese pancromatiche e multispettrali di QuickBird

Rosa Lasaponara, Nicola Masini, Giuseppe Scardozzi

Abstract

The paper concerns the research activities of the IBAM-CNR and the IMAA-CNR in the field of archaeological remote sensing with the use of very high resolution images of QuickBird, the satellite with the greatest geometrical resolution available for civil use. These images have an enormous potential in the study of ancient urban and territorial contexts and for the identification and spatial characterization of archaeological sites, particularly when aerial photos and recent detailed maps are not available. During the archaeological research in Hierapolis of Phrygia (Turkey) and in southern Italy (Monte Irsi, Monte Serico, Jure Vetere and Metaponto), the examination and the study of panchromatic and multispectral images of QuickBird made it possible to detect surface anomalies and traces linked to ancient buried structures or to paleo-environmental elements; moreover, panchromatic images were georeferenced and used as the base field maps for the survey in Hierapolis, together with GPS systems. The satellite images were analysed both for the identification of archaeological features and for the characterisation of the contexts in which these elements were found. During field work, the traces and the anomalies identified in the images were constantly verified, so as to determine their actual relevance to archaeological elements, to interpret them and, where possible, to specify their chronology, thus avoiding misunderstandings and errors. The images were used in all phases of the research in combination with the aerial photographs and the available maps; they were also used for presentation of the results and were draped on DEM for the 3D visualization of the territories and of the archaeological features. In order to highlight particular archaeological traces and anomalies some image processing methodologies were adopted: multispectral processing and algorithms of data fusion (with the integration of the high spatial resolution of panchromatic images with the spectral capability of multispectral images), of enhancement (such as PCA, NDVI and TCT) and edge detection.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2007, 18, 187-227; doi: 10.19282/ac.18.2007.10

2007 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Hierapolis di Frigia. Applicazioni informatiche alle ricognizioni archeologiche e telerilevamento da satellite: l’esempio degli acquedotti della città

Giuseppe Scardozzi

Abstract

The paper deals with some of the results of the research activities of the IBAM-CNR in the project «Il Mediterraneo antico e medievale come luogo di incontro tra Oriente e Occidente, Nord e Sud», conducted as part of the activities of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Hierapolis of Phrygia (Turkey). During the archaeological surveys in 2004-2007 satellite images with high geometric, radiometric and spectral resolutions, that constituted important tools for the research in the city and in its territory, were used because vertical aerial photos and recent detailed maps were not available. During the surveys some computer applications were also developed, such as a system which is able to facilitate and accelerate the task of positioning and managing the archaeological finds, using a palm-top computer or a Tablet PC integrated with a GPS antenna and a software for archaeological navigation and management of survey records called Ulixes, which is still in the prototype phase. The purpose of the system is to enable the users to navigate employing maps which they have chosen, or, as in the case of Hierapolis, using high resolution satellite images. In the event of an archaeological discovery, it is possible to memorise its position and metadata consisting of a record in which the geographical coordinates and a detailed description of the type of discovery are inserted. Exemplificative of the applied methodologies is the study of the aqueducts which brought water to Hierapolis. During the surveys in the territory around the ancient city three main routes were identified, documented and positioned. For the study, the reconstruction and the visualization of these routes, DEMs were also used, on which high resolution satellite images and imported waypoints from the GPS receivers used in the field work were draped.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2007, 18, 331-353; doi: 10.19282/ac.18.2007.18

2007 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

From the object to the territory: image-based technologies and remote sensing for the reconstruction of ancient contexts

Francesco Gabellone, Giuseppe Scardozzi

Abstract

This paper deals with the results of an experiment that was conducted as part of the CNR Project entitled Iraq Virtual Museum, the goal of which is the construction of a Virtual Museum that will allow the public to enjoy the main archaeological treasures of the ancient civilizations that flourished in the territory of modern-day Iraq. The work was aimed at the contextualization of the ancient objects in the territory of origin. This result was achieved by recourse to image-based technologies and remote sensing. In the exemplary case of the city of Ur, the process of contextualization began with the modelling of the golden helmet of king Meskalamdug, and continued with the reconstruction of the tomb in which it had originally been placed, together with the rest of the funerary objects. This tomb was then contextualized within the Royal Cemetery and the urban layout of Ur. High resolution satellite images made it possible to observe and document the archaeological area as it is today, for a virtual visit and in preparation for a potential real visit in the future. Furthermore, research activities have made it possible to acquire new knowledge of the objects, the monuments, the urban layout and the historical landscape.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2007, Supplemento 1, 123-142