Articles by Subject

Computer technology

GIS and cartography

2024 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The necropolis as a landscape of power: some reflections

Cristiano Putzolu

Abstract

This paper focuses on some methodological approaches specific to digital archaeology in the analysis of a particular type of landscape, namely Etruscan-Italic necropolises. First, it highlights the interpretation of a necropolis as a landscape of ancestors and the importance of material and immaterial practices in the formation of such a space. Then it addresses the theoretical framework of phenomenological landscape analysis, developed in recent decades by C. Tilley, as a privileged way to address both aspects. In order to reconcile the phenomenological approach to landscape with the use of digital spatial technologies, which according to Tilley are insufficient because they are at best ‘representations’ of landscape, A. De Guio’s reading of the Powerscape concept is introduced. De Guio presents various spatial analysis algorithms, as fundamental ‘hammers’ to shape our knowledge of multifaceted landscapes such as powerscapes (an example of which is funerary landscapes). The reconciliation between the phenomenological approach to landscape and GIS-based spatial analyses of perceptual fields (especially vision and hearing) allows us to confidently rely on new perspectives, such as J. Ortoleva’s recent research on auditory perception in Etruscan necropolises or the latest approaches to viewshed analysis.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.1, 31-40; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.1.2024.03

2024 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Le necropoli di Pontecagnano: archivi e supporti digitali per la tutela e la ricerca a 25 anni dall’elaborazione del GIS

Antonella Massanova, Carmine Pellegrino

Abstract

The paper is dedicated to the Geographic Information System developed for the filing and the analysis of Pontecagnano necropolises, where over 10400 tombs dated from the Etruscan to the Samnite phase (9 th-3rd century BC) have been excavated so far. The first version of the GIS was developed between 1999 and 2000 and initially tested on an area of the Western necropolis. It consists of an alphanumeric descriptive database, developed using Microsoft Access 2000, linked to a cartographic section implemented with the MapInfo software. The paper concludes with a preliminary presentation of the update of the information system, which is going to migrate to an open-source software.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.1, 41-50; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.1.2024.04

2024 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Esperienze da Monte Abatone a Cerveteri

Fernando Gilotta, Luca Lucchetti, Teresa Patriziano

Abstract

An overview is presented of ongoing initiatives within the frame of the Monte Abatone Project, focused on the large urban necropolis of the Etruscan city of Caere (Cerveteri). Excavation campaigns; a multi-layered GIS, suitable for archive data and new acquisitions onfield; an experimental processing and modeling of the multi-scalar Information System – architectural (BIM) and topographic (GIS) – of the Campana Tumulus; challenging restorations of thousands of sherds: all this should contribute to have a clearer picture of the necropolis and of the historical and cultural profile of the city.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.1, 51-66; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.1.2024.05

2024 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Per una ricostruzione dei paesaggi funerari in Etruria settentrionale: i casi di Pisa e Volterra

Emanuele Taccola, Lisa Rosselli, Massimiliano Grava

Abstract

The contribution aims to illustrate the potential of digital cartography in reconstructing the funerary landscape of Pisa and Volterra. These study cases represent different scenarios, albeit within the northern-Etruscan context. While in Pisa, the visible remains are almost non-existent, and the documentation is sparse and fragmented, the available information for Volterra is more complete and accurate. The research has resulted in two different databases integrating archaeological and cartographic information within a geographic information system produced by public administration. The two freely accessible GIS platforms offer an overview of the collected data and enable filtering, querying, and analyzing records to meet specific objectives. The article concludes with a methodological note on the importance of information systems in analyzing archaeological data and the requirement to create standard protocols for collecting and disseminating geographic data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.1, 81-98; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.1.2024.07

2024 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Archaeological data management and spatial analysis tools in the study of necropolises: case studies from Bologna and Spina (6th-3rd cent. BC)

Elisabetta Govi, Andrea Gaucci, Chiara Pizzirani, Anna Serra, Carlotta Trevisanello, Riccardo Vanzini, Enrico Zampieri

Abstract

This contribution deals with the use of relational databases (RDB) and GIS for the spatial analysis of Iron Age funerary contexts in the Italian peninsula through two projects by the Chair of Etruscology at the University of Bologna. The two selected case studies of Bologna’s western necropolis and Spina’s Valle Trebba necropolis represent distinct phases of research and discuss the challenges in updating historic systems and creating dialogue between systems adopted at different times. The Bologna case provides the opportunity to discuss the quality of data from old excavations in reconstructing funerary landscapes using GIS. The case of Valle Trebba exemplifies the difficulties in planning and managing information on 1215 tombs and over twelve thousand objects through an articulated relational archiving system. The iconography of Attic pottery allows us to understand the management of qualitative data. As far as spatial analysis in a GIS environment is concerned, we reassessed the solutions adopted for the Valle Trebba project, which are currently unsatisfactory, as they do not meet the principles of accessibility of such tools, nor Open Data Standards.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.1, 99-116; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.1.2024.08

2024 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

From the river to the sea of the setting sun: route networks between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean during the Iron Age (1200-600 BCE)

Mariacarmela Montesanto

Abstract

The study of ancient roads has been important in understanding political, social, and cultural transformations of ancient trade networks and economies. In the Near East, landscape-oriented research has immensely contributed to the analysis of pre-modern road systems. However, while for Roman and medieval periods this method produced a dataset that implemented the rich corpus of historical information, research on pre-Roman connectivity networks strongly relies on the archaeological record, mostly represented by data from surveys. The use of these data allows a long term and chronologically unprecise reconstruction of ancient itineraries. Therefore, gaps in the data are often filled by the transposition of later itineraries, risking reiterating the idea that road networks are static, stable over a very long period. This article aims to contextualise connecting networks and route landscapes from the Euphrates river to the Mediterranean sea during the Iron Age (1200-600 BCE). The study will make use of an integrated approach by using multiple datasets. The research will argue that by considering different data, it is possible to offer a critical interpretation of the main route network employed during the Iron Age to connect the Euphrates area with the sea.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.1, 251-268; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.1.2024.17

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Least-Cost Path analysis for the reconstruction of the communication networks between Thasian amphorae workshops and other sites in the 4th-3rd century BC

Francesca Tomei

Abstract

This article explores the application of Least-Cost Path Analysis to reconstruct potential transportation routes connecting amphorae production sites on the island of Thasos in northern Aegean. Characterized by wine production as a significant source of wealth during the Classical period, approximately 20 amphorae workshops-identified with surveys- date back to the 4th and 3rd century BC. By utilizing LCP analysis, the study demonstrates the strategic placement of these workshops and reveals their connectivity to the countryside and the port of Thasos. The proximity of the workshops to the main coastal road and maritime routes facilitated the efficient transportation of amphorae to the port. Furthermore, a network of rural pathways played a crucial role in linking the workshops with scattered farmsteads, ensuring a seamless supply chain for ceramic products. This research sheds light on the importance of spatial analysis in retracing ancient communication networks combined with historical and archaeological sources.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.1, 269-284; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.1.2024.18

2024 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Analisi di visibilità delle fortificazioni d’altura di epoca arcaica nella Valle Peligna (Abruzzo). Ipotesi, analisi informatiche e ricostruzione

Antonio Merola

Abstract

This paper analyses a new form of environmental visibility of ancient highland sites in Abruzzo (Central Italy) during arcaic period. This investigation offers unique opportunities for understanding the management of economic and political spaces of pre-Roman populations (i.e., Peligni). Through spatial analyses, the sites of valle Peligna are classified into different types. Then, they are contextualised within the historical and archaeological landscape. The results offer new clues for identifying a nonurban state system, which is well known in ancient literature but has yet to be traced in archaeological reconstructive models.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.1, 285-304; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.1.2024.19

2024 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Analytical approaches and digital methods in alluvial archaeology: the ‘Ancient Shipyard’ of Pisa-San Rossore as a case study

Teresa Tescione

Abstract

This paper aims to present analytical approaches and digital methods for the analysis of ceramic assemblages resulting from catastrophic alluvial flood flows. The study has been developed based on the principles of ‘alluvial archaeology’, a recently-developed field of archaeology. In this research program, ceramic records have been treated on a par with clasts in the geomorphological analyses of alluvial sediments. To test the different analytical procedures the ‘Ancient Shipyard’ of Pisa-San Rossore has been selected as a case study. This archaeological site represents a river channel, affected by several alluvial flood events. The analysis achieved several objectives, including the definition of the formation processes of the deposition (in synergy with the results of geomorphological data), the chronological framework of alluvial floods, the dynamics of flows, and locating the original deposition of the ceramic assemblage. In this regard, the combination of different approaches has proven particularly useful, ranging from computational analyses for chrono-typological determination of ceramic assemblages to intra-site spatial analyses, which have been useful in defining alluvial flood flows and the subsequent movement of ceramic assemblages.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.1, 305-328; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.1.2024.20

2024 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Dati aperti in archeologia: una riflessione sullo stato dell’arte nell’ambito del Ministero della Cultura

Valeria Acconcia, Valeria Boi, Annalisa Falcone, Ilaria Di Cocco, Mirella Serlorenzi

Abstract

The National Geoportal for Archeology (GNA), started in 2017 by the Central Institute for Archeology (Istituto Centrale per l’Archeologia – ICA) of the Italian Ministry of Culture, has the primary goal of making data resulting from all archaeological investigations carried out on the national territory freely accessible online. The project is part of the activities carried out by the Institute regarding the register and digitalization of archaeological research data. Its primary function is the creation of a dynamic archaeological map, easily implementable over time, free to access and easy to consult, open to reuse and integration by all users. The data-entry according to the GNA standard is entrusted to the use of a pre-set GIS project (template) developed using the open source software QGIS. GNA also receives data from other projects designed or managed by the Superintendencies in some areas of Italy, with the aim of preserving good practices already tested locally.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.2, 29-38; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.2.2024.04

2024 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Entertainment buildings in the Roman empire: a quantitative approach

Lucia Marsicano, Marco Montanari

Abstract

The project features the creation of a webGIS containing heterogeneous data about entertainment buildings in the whole Roman Empire: stadiums, circuses, theaters, and amphitheaters. Information available in earlier studies have been integrated with more recent historical information, modern maps, and satellite data. This geo-database of the Roman structures gives access to information such as localization, name, country, if there are any archaeological remains and if the monument is still visible. The results of the presented work are useful to 1) analyze the relationship between buildings and surrounding lands, 2) perform advanced hypothesis about the accessibility to the structures or the role of these type of buildings in the urbanistic context, 3) understand relationship between entertainment and society and 4) identify concentrations of structures in certain regions. This research is mostly focused on the study of satellite images, published and historical sources. A substantial level of attention has been dedicated to the reusability and availability of the collected data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.2, 55-62; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.2.2024.07

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Using Kart and GitHub for versioning and collaborating with spatial data in archaeological research

Andrea Titolo, Alessio Palmisano

Abstract

Distributed Version Control Systems are one of the common ways through which scientists collaborate and keep track of different versions of their work. Moreover, scientists, programmers, etc., have been using platforms such as GitHub to host and share their resources versioned through Git. While not as widely adopted as in other disciplines, Git has also been used in archaeological research. In fact, DVCS allow scholars to collaborate remotely and offer the transparency necessary to align with Open Science and reproducible research practices. However, Git is highly inefficient when versioning GIS data. Kart, described as «an open source DVCS for geospatial and tabular data built on git», is a software addressing the need for collaboration and finer incorporation of geospatial data, providing also an integration with QGIS. Kart and code-hosting websites offers unique resources for archaeologists, from collaboration to more efficient workflows. In this paper, an example of how the authors are using Kart, QGIS, and GitHub in the project ‘Governance Policies and Political Landscapes in the Southern Levant under the Neo-Assyrian Empire’ will be presented. With this case study, the authors hope to provide a solution to the current gap in the workflow of documentation and collaboration among archaeologists using GIS.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.2, 107-118; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.2.2024.12

2024 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The GISTArc webGIS for the accessibility and sharing of archaeological data in Campania

Giuseppina Renda, Carmine Civale, Sabrina Mataluna, Pacifico Cofrancesco

Abstract

The GISTArc project envisions the implementation of a webGIS environment for the management and visualization of geoarchaeological data from research included in the Archaeological Map of Northern Campania project, conceived and directed by Stefania Quilici Gigli. The creation of the new system began with the normalization of some completed research data. They were managed in a GIS environment and were subsequently imported into a Web geodatabase, with the preparation of layers containing all the textual, graphical/ photographical and spatial information of the catalogued archaeological evidence, together with the required bibliographical references. The GISTArc project has a threefold aim: make the results of archaeological research conducted in some sectors of northern Campania more usable; allow the researcher to consult, integrate and enter the data from future research, thanks to the connection to the system via the Internet and the possibility of recording data directly during the survey; and finally access via standard desktop applications, such as Quantum GIS and ArcGIS, rather than the internet-based GISTArc geodatabase, in order to use advanced data analysis and representation functions that may not be available online. This paper describes the technical and scientific approach to the creation of our webGIS. It focuses on the system architecture, operative environment, and development tools.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.2, 299-310; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.2.2024.32

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Mapping the archaeological landscapes of San Basilio (Ariano nel Polesine, Rovigo)

Jacopo Turchetto, Elisa Consolo, Giacomo Moro

Abstract

Between the end of the Seventies and the beginning of the Eighties of the Twentieth century, following the discovery of numerous occasional findings, the village of San Basilio (Ariano nel Polesine, Rovigo, Italy) had been the object of a series of archaeological campaigns, which made it possible to identify a pre-Roman settlement and a Roman villa/mansio linked to the passage of the via Annia/via Popillia. In the past few years, the research has been resumed in that area, carrying out both archaeological and topographical activities, aimed at reconstructing the organisation of the ancient landscape. The aim of this contribution is twofold: on the one hand, the planned research activities are presented and, on the other, the opportunity can arise to discuss about the potentialities of digital approaches in mapping the archaeological landscapes of San Basilio.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.2, 333-342; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.2.2024.35

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IN-ROME – The INscribed city: urban structures and interaction in imperial Rome

Barbara Borg, Eleonora Iacopini

Abstract

This paper describes the objectives and methodological approaches of the project ‘IN-ROME – The INscribed city: urban structures and interaction in imperial ROME’. The project aims at mapping as comprehensively as possible a wide range of activities that shaped both the physical environment and the relationships between its inhabitants. Focussing on the time period between the 1 st century BCE and the 3rd century CE, and on the area outside the 4th century BCE ‘Servian’ Walls up to about the 9th mile of Rome’s consular roads, it draws on archaeological, literary and archival sources. In addition, and crucially, it aims to virtually re-contextualise c. 50,000 inscriptions in the Epigraphic Database Roma with a known provenance from the area, thus restoring agency to the archaeological landscape. To this end, a new webGIS is being developed that allows for the topographical visualisation of all relevant data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.2, 343-354; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.2.2024.36

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Labels and symbols: using text on maps to investigate the antiquities on the ordnance survey maps of Great Britain

Valeria Vitale, Katherine McDonough

Abstract

This paper discusses the application of a machine learning pipeline to automatically digitise text on historical maps and make it searchable, as explored by the ‘Machines Reading Maps’ project. Looking at the Ordnance Survey Maps of Great Britain as a case study, we will suggest ways in which this new kind of open datasets, of both a textual and spatial nature, offers the unprecedented opportunity to study maps at scale, analysing map collections as digital corpora. These new approaches facilitate the use of map as historical sources in humanities research, and their investigation as complex cultural objects that combine heterogeneous knowledge. In particular, we will focus on the uncommonly detailed representation of ancient sites on the Ordnance Survey maps, and how a further layer of information around them is delivered not by the words’ literal meaning but by their appearance. We will propose ways in which this peculiarity could be digitally leveraged to retrace, investigate, and perhaps re-interpret the archaeological information on the Ordnance Survey maps. We will conclude by reflecting on the need for new, more sophisticated workflows that take into account the richness of information delivered by visual clues in words printed on maps.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.2, 355-362; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.2.2024.37

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GIS integration of heterogeneous data for the archaeological topography of the ‘Acquedotto del Paradiso’, Syracuse

Giuseppe Luongo

Abstract

This study explores the GIS legacy data integration for a reassessment of the archaeological topography of Syracuse, with a focus on the Acquedotto del Paradiso. The research updates the understanding of Syracuse’s ancient waterscape by combining traditional archaeological methods with advanced digital technologies. Legacy data, historical maps, and recent fieldwork were systematically integrated into a GIS software, enhancing the spatial analysis and re-evaluation of the aqueduct’s route and construction phases. The study incorporated topographical bases, LiDAR point clouds, and autoptic analyses, revealing new insights into the aqueduct’s structural phases, including potential multi-phase construction and a double gallery system. The integration of these diverse datasets not only refined the known path of the aqueduct but also provided a detailed 2D and 3D visualization of it. This multidisciplinary approach emphasises the importance of combining traditional and modern techniques to improve the accuracy of archaeological topography, offering a more comprehensive understanding of ancient urban water supply systems in Syracuse.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2024, 35.2, 431-444; doi: 10.19282/ac.35.2.2024.45

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il contesto urbano del teatro romano e l’area dell’ex Filanda Bosone a Fano (PU)

Annalisa D'Onofrio, Maria Raffaella Ciuccarelli

Abstract

This paper illustrates the usage and potential of the pyArchInit plugin, an open source tool created in Python language for the management and overall analysis of archaeological data on a single georeferenced platform (QGIS). Some of the functionalities of the application are highlighted in relation to the archaeological survey conducted in 2021 within the area of the Roman theater and the former Bosone spinning mill, in the historic center of Fano (PU), in the Marche region. Specifically, at the same time as the stratigraphic archaeological excavation operations were carried out, we proceeded directly on site, with the detailed management of both the identified stratigraphic Units and the finds recovered during the excavation, with direct data entry. In this way, it was possible to deliver to the Superintendence all georeferenced information layers in Gauss Boaga Est (EPSG3004) reference system, manageable in different GIS platforms and easily usable as a scientific research instrument for protection and planning of cultural heritage.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 31-38; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.04

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

pyArchInit at Castelseprio: progressive adoption of an integrated managing system for archaeological field data

Marco Moderato, Vasco La Salvia

Abstract

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.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 39-48; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.05

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

MASPAG & pyArchInit, the newborn collaboration of Sapienza and adArte in the Sultanate of Oman

Guido Antinori, Marco Ramazzotti, Francesco Genchi

Abstract

During the fieldwork season in November 2021-March 2022, the ‘Missione Archeologica della Sapienza nella Penisola Arabica e nel Golfo’ (MASPAG), as part of the research activities supported and financed by the Great Excavations of Sapienza since 2019 and MAECI since 2022, planned and launched a new landscape archaeological project in the Sultanate of Oman. The first survey was carried out in an area of the Al Batinah South Governorate unknown to archaeology, combining remote-sensing and ground verification activities. This operation also saw the first result of the collaboration between the MASPAG research group and adArte srl, developer of pyArchInit open sources plugin for QGIS. The first season of the survey not only made it possible to estimate the archaeological potential of the study area, but also served as a workshop, opening a dialogue between universities and private companies, to discuss open source solutions in archaeology.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 49-58; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.06

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Archeology and conservation. Digital tools as digital bridges between disciplines: the risk map of the in situ mosaic and marble floor surfaces of the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo

Federica Rinaldi, Alessandro Lugari, Francesca Sposito, Ascanio D'Andrea

Abstract

In 2018 the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo set out on a three-year basis project, the ‘Risk Map of Floors Surfaces’, with the aim of preserving and monitoring all the in situ floor coverings of the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill areas (mosaics, sectile, cement floors, spicata). In order to systematically address this methodological approach a team of archaeologists, architects and restorers designed and created a comprehensive and functional information management system, the ‘Risk Map of the Mosaic and Marble Surfaces’, together with a web-based application with integrated webGIS tools. The platform is used daily to record historical-archaeological and archival data and it has become an essential tool in planning interventions in the field. This approach brings the Parco to move from emergency maintenance to a continuous cycle of systematic maintenance. At the end of the first three-year phase of the project, an interactive web map was published online in May 2022 to share selected data related to the ancient floors of the Parco with public users. At this stage, the web map (https://cdrweb.parcocolosseo.it) allows to obtain descriptive texts and a gallery of images of the ancient floors; there are plans in the next future to improve data sharing through API and web map services.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 77-84; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.09

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The road (not) taken. Reconstructing pre-modern roads in Viabundus. Methods and opportunities

Maria Carina Dengg

Abstract

The Viabundus pre-modern street map attempts to show medieval and early modern traffic connections. However, mapping medieval and pre-modern land routes comes with methodological challenges which are reflected upon in this paper. The reconstruction is based on written and archaeological sources, historical maps, and establishments of traffic infrastructure. Correlating the data with the origin places and finding places of pilgrim badges shows the research potential of the endeavor, as the simple co-visualization of the data already provides interesting connecting points.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 175-182; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.19

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From the Itinerarium Antonini and al-Idrisi to the movecost plugin: road network analysis in the Castronovo di Sicilia area

Gabriele Ciccone

Abstract

The area of Castronovo di Sicilia was analysed by integrating different methodologies. In terms of the road network, it was decided to compare information from traditional written sources, such as the Itinerarium Antonini and texts from the Arab geographer al-Idrisi, with the results of the Least-Cost Path Analysis (LCPA) conducted using the QGIS plugin ‘movecost’. The primary objective of this analysis was to evaluate how the centrality of the Castronovo area was determined by environmental factors that made it easily accessible along the main long-distance routes connecting the island. At the same time, the analysis aimed to highlight similarities and differences between the written sources and the LCPA results.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 183-192; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.20

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

“ArchaeoloGIS” a QGIS plugin for archaeological spatial analysis

Paolo Rosati

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to introduce a QGIS plugin named ArcheoloGIS. It is developed in PYQGIS and tested by the community of Una Quantum Inc. (Italy). It consists of a decorator algorithm named Tabula Peutingeriana, that outputs points at a regular distance, every one Roman mile, along a given path. The article shows its use, the construction of a possible dataset and its evolution, as well as a case study of its application.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 193-200; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.21

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Backward engineering historical maps: the update of the open hydrography dataset of Napoleonic cartography

Julian Bogdani, Domizia D’Erasmo

Abstract

Since 2019, the LAD team has been working on the digitisation of the Carte topographique de l’Égypte through a GIS platform. The data contained in this historical cartography, published in the early years 1800s, play a key role in research on the ancient Egyptian landscape, yet they show a still image from the late 1700s. Taking a step towards a Linked Open Data (LOD), this paper illustrates the work of updating the already published dataset of the hydrography of Napoleonic cartography by the LAD team, to which new information useful for the study of the Ancient Egyptian landscape will also be added.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 201-210; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.22

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Reconstruction of Epipaleolithic settlement and “climatic refugia” in the Zagros Mountains during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)

Anooshe Kafash, Masoud Yousefi, Elham Ghasidian

Abstract

The Iranian Plateau is an important geographical unit located in a key potential region for the Pleistocene population dispersals across Eurasia. Despite its important location and a long history of archaeological investigations, the Epipaleolithic sites distribution pattern and connectivity remained less explored compared to the Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods. In this study we used ecological niche modelling (Generalized Linear Models, Generalized Additive Models, Generalized Boosting Models, Maximum Entropy Modelling and Random Forest), together with corridor mapping methods, to reconstruct the Epipaleolithic settlements and their connectivity in the Zagros Mountains. We showed that the central parts and the western slopes of the Zagros Mountains were the most suitable areas for Epipaleolithic settlement during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Topographic complexity was the most important variable in shaping Epipaleolithic settlement distribution with a positive association. The niche model and corridors maps developed for the Epipaleolithic humans show areas potentially suitable for the presence of Epipaleolithic settlements but no site has been discovered in this area so far. Thus, these areas are having high priority for future field excavations.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 217-224; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.24

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Balancing between biases and interpretation. A predictive model of prehistoric Scania, Sweden

Giacomo Bilotti

Abstract

Southern Sweden, and especially the area around Malmo in southwestern Scania, is perhaps one of the most archaeologically investigated areas in the world. Our knowledge of the local Prehistory has greatly increased in the past decades although it is also the product of centuries of agricultural practices, urban expansion and a relatively early (18th-19th c.) interest for prehistoric monuments (e.g. burial mounds and megaliths). However, despite the deluging amount of available information (over 50,000 ancient sites recorded in Scania), their distribution is not homogeneous and archaeologists are restlessly trying to explain this pattern and its underlying causes. In addition, post-depositional factors (infrastructure works, agricultural practices, etc.) heavily affect site distribution and preservation, blurring the global interpretation. The aim of this paper is to reduce the impact of post-depositional factors on our interpretations on site distribution. In addition, the results can be used as a starting point for further and more elaborate analyses (spatial statistics and simulations). All the models presented here were computed in a reproducible way, relying on FOSS and open data only, in order to allow anyone interested to replicate the model and adapt it to their own purposes and study regions.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 225-236; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.25

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

From legacy data to survey planning? The relationship between landscape and waterscape in Southern Tuscany during the Upper Palaeolithic: towards a predicitive-postdictive approach

Giovanna Pizziolo

Abstract

During the Upper Palaeolithic, Southern Tuscany was strongly affected by geomorphological changes that significantly altered its coastal seaboard. In particular, during the Last Glacial Maximum, the sea reached a level below 100 meters. As a result of this, the prehistoric coastland included also the present Tuscan Archipelago, in particular the Islands of Elba and Pianosa, assuming a different layout during MIS3 and MIS2. In this context, the process of prehistoric occupation took place, according to different needs and criteria. The present work explores the possibility of investigating the dynamic relationship between the prehistoric landscape and waterscape by a predictive-postdictive approach. Alongside the simulation of coastal changes, the study makes use of legacy data, taking into account those derived from artefact surface scatters collected over the past decades by various research groups. The latter provide further evidence of the prehistoric occupation process. In this scenario it is crucial to highlight areas that potentially still retain some relict features of the Palaeolithic landscape. These are examined in order to better understand settlement strategies taking place during the Upper Palaeolithic and, at the same time, to investigate the relationship between inland and coastal sites in a diachronic perspective. Although still ongoing, preliminary results provide new elements for the planning of future field surveys.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 237-246; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.26

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Lo studio di siti archeologici di alta quota: metodologia e risultati del modello predittivo in ambiente GIS applicato nelle Valli di Lanzo (Piemonte, Italia)

Sandro Caracausi, Sara Daffara, Gabriele L.F. Berruti, Eugenio Garoglio, Marta Arzarello, Francesco Rubat Borel

Abstract

The aims of TPAA Project (Traces Prehistoric in the Alpine Environment) are the research, promotion and protection of the archaeological heritage in the Lanzo Valleys in Graian Alps, Western Alps (Turin, Piedmont, Northwest Italy). This paper illustrates the GIS predictive model results for the identification of archaeological sites in Lanzo Valleys and the 2019-2020 field survey. The archaeological data stem from occasional findings or traces of rock art. The aim of the GIS predictive model is to identify Potential Archaeological areas for the presence of archaeological sites and to hypothesize any reconstruction of human frequentation dynamics in Western Alps. Predictive GIS model has been elaborated through the interpolation and interpretation of the different environmental and archaeological data available. In the GIS predictive model, criteria such as the geomorphology, distance to water resources, aspect, slope and the use of land were considered. Also, the methodology is an evolution of the one that has already been successfully employed in the Sessera Valley. The results of the GIS model are compared with archaeological data collected during field surveys in the Potential Archaeological areas.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 247-256; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.27

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

A predictive model to investigate the agro-pastoral exploitation of ancient landscapes

Agostino Sotgia

Abstract

Thanks to the reconstruction of agro-pastoral land use of a territory, it is possible to obtain much information, both of an ecological nature, and about the populations. By the reconstruction of these dimensions of a community it is possible to understand not only the aspects linked to the exploitation of a territory, the subsistence and demography of a given group, but also more generally the group’s social organization itself. With a series of GIS tools, capable of applying the FAO’s land evaluation techniques, it has been possible to generate a predictive raster model of the landscape with the degree of agro-pastoral suitability inside each cell. Thanks to this model, the agro-pastoral exploitation of a territory can be simulated, calculating the food production of each settlement, as well as the consequent demography maximum sustainability. Thanks to the identification of specialized productions sites and of settlements capable of producing a ‘surplus’, or vice versa ‘not-self-sufficient’, it will be possible to articulate socio-political models, hypothesizing exchange networks or relationships between the different sites. The text illustrates in detail the structure and functioning of the developed model, as well as its applications in the archaeological context of the ‘Ager Tarquiniorum’ during the Final Bronze Age.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 267-278; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.29

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Testare sul campo la Least Cost Path Analysis: rifessioni intorno ai paesaggi dell’età del Bronzo della Sardegna centro-meridionale (Italia)

Marco Cabras, Cristina Concu, Paolo Frongia, Riccardo Cicilloni

Abstract

For about ten years this research team has been experimenting with techniques of spatial and visual perceptual analysis using GIS on the Nuragic landscapes (Middle and Late Bronze Age) of different areas of Southern Sardinia. Over time, various field campaigns have been developed on the monumental complexes built by the Nuragic communities. Towers, fortresses, villages, tombs of giants and sacred wells suggest a marked attention to the display of a message of power, strength and monumentality by the human group studied. An aspect often emphasized by these researches is the relationship of monuments with mobility and with the routes and strategic points of the territory, often verified through matches of different Least Coast Path Analyses (LCPA) that cross the territory by connecting different patterns of points. However, the real efficiency of the paths predicted by the GIS has never been directly tested on the ground. The paper presents the result of field analyses conducted by our group of archaeologists on the paths resulting from the GIS analysis in the Marmilla territories: travel times, energy expenditure and the real possibility of a path to actually cross a given territory are provided. Working with the LCPAs is still to be explored, however it remains a valid tool for territorial research, if an analysis unrelated to preconceptions and with a holistic evidence framework is carried out.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 279-288; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.30

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The Roman limes in Germania Inferior: a GIS application for the reconstruction of landscape

Vincenzo Ria, Raffaele Rizzo

Abstract

The Roman Limes represents the border line of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent in the 2nd century AD. It stretched over 5,000 km from the Atlantic coast of northern Britain, through Europe to the Black Sea, and from there to the Red Sea and across North Africa to the Atlantic coast. The remains of the Limes today consist of vestiges of built walls, ditches, forts, fortresses, watchtowers and civilian settlements. The limes system is focused both on the presence of natural physical barriers, such as the Rhine and Danube rivers in Europe and the Sahara Desert in North Africa, either on the presence of fortified sections such as the Hadrian’s wall or the Germanic-Rhaetian limes. The latter two are the best preserved and studied section. However, the limes sections in which natural barriers were exploited to mark the boundary of the area under Roman control are less well known. Over the past two decades considerable progress has been made in the knowledge of limes areas such as the Rhine sector. In this area the river was exploited as a natural barrier, and control of the area was based on the presence of two larger legionary camps around which, along the southern course of the Rhine, small auxiliary camps gravitated. Only some of these encampments have been investigated and their position confirmed by archaeological excavations. The position of the other encampments is still speculated and awaiting verification. In this contribution, in order to verify the position of these hypothetical forts, through GIS systems a visibility analysis and path distance analysis was carried out based on the location of certain sites and taking into account the ancient road routes and the geomorphology of the soil.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 299-310; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.32

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Modelo predictivo de aprovechamientos vitivinícolas. La colonia romana de Hasta Regia, Hispania

Pedro Trapero Fernández

Abstract

The Roman Limes represents the border line of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent in the 2nd century AD. It stretched over 5,000 km from the Atlantic coast of northern Britain, through Europe to the Black Sea, and from there to the Red Sea and across North Africa to the Atlantic coast. The remains of the limes today consist of vestiges of built walls, ditches, forts, fortresses, watchtowers and civilian settlements. The limes system is focused both on the presence of natural physical barriers, such as the Rhine and Danube rivers in Europe and the Sahara Desert in North Africa, either on the presence of fortified sections such as the Hadrian’s wall or the Germanic-Rhaetian limes. The latter two are the best preserved and studied section. However, the limes sections in which natural barriers were exploited to mark the boundary of the area under Roman control are less well known. Over the past two decades considerable progress has been made in the knowledge of limes areas such as the Rhine sector. In this area the river was exploited as a natural barrier, and control of the area was based on the presence of two larger legionary camps around which, along the southern course of the Rhine, small auxiliary camps gravitated. Only some of these encampments have been investigated and their position confirmed by archaeological excavations. The position of the other encampments is still speculated and awaiting verification. In this contribution, in order to verify the position of these hypothetical forts, through GIS systems a visibility analysis and path distance analysis were carried out based on the location of certain sites and taking into account the ancient road routes and the geomorphology of the soil.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 311-320; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.33

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Shaping a juridical district: a postdictive approach

Carlo Citter, Ylenia Paciotti

Abstract

How can we study the making of a medieval juridical space? Which were the agents that affected more? We try to answer to these questions thanks to a postdictive approach. We applied the QGIS algorithms to model the potential political space. We used several agents to get different outcomes. We tried both environmental and human agents to avoid the more deterministic side of this approach. We focused on the plain of Lucca in Northern Tuscany to study the making and development of its bishopric. Then we turned to the southern side of this region to study the district of a castle already excavated and whose territory is known quite well: Selvena. In this last example, we applied a regressive procedure, starting from the 19th century communities boundaries and making hypotheses about the relationship with medieval districts. This procedure can be applied to any context where a certain amount of data is available.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 321-328; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.34

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Spatial analysis as a tool for field research. Case-studies in progress for urban and landscape contexts

Angelo Cardone

Abstract

This paper concerns spatial analysis applied to urban and landscape scale; main aims are the reconstruction of the evolution in a specific settlement and the detecting of potential location for archaeological sites. Spatial analysis takes advantage of a GIS dataset containing different systems of sources (excavations, historical maps, toponymy, medieval documents, geomorphological data). Case studies at urban scale concern Monselice (Veneto) and Salpi (Northern Apulia). A retrogressive analysis aims to reconstruct the medieval urban fabric starting from the late morphology of these cities, using the modern cadastre or a magnetic survey. The Kernel Density Estimation and the evaluation of parcels orientation have been applied for a comprehension of the urban structure. At territorial scale, case studies regard two sectors of Northern Apulia. First step of these ongoing researches concerns the detection of landform (by TPI-Topographical Index, Geomorphons) and Wetness Index (TWI). This work helps us detect potential areas for settlements which are not preserved (dependencies of the city of Montecorvino and of the monastery of S. Egidio) and validate the outcomes of TWI (S. Marco in Lamis); moreover, it provides new hints about the relationship between settlement pattern, geomorphological elements, territorial/hydrological arrangement related to centuration.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 329-340; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.35

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

How to reconstruct the human mobility in mountainous area. A case from North-Eastern Italy

Chiara Mascarello

Abstract

The aim of this research is to define a new methodology in order to reconstruct the historical human mobility network in mountain areas in a perspective of ‘longue durée’. Through the match of different types of data, in particular historical and archaeological sources, the analysis of environmental features and the application of a series of algorithms on a GIS platform, we produced a series of maps of possible mobility networks. The comparison between them and with the historical cartography emphasizes both continuities and breaks over time and outlines the reliability of the elaborations obtained. Our focus is a small region in the North-Eastern Italy, called Feltrino (BL), on a time frame from the Bronze Age to the modern times

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.1, 341-348; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.1.2023.36

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Digital technologies and the archaeological topography of Castellito (Sicily): the reconstruction of a Roman villa

Rodolfo Brancato, Claudia Lamanna, Vittorio Mirto, Laura Manganelli

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the research undertaken through a series of on-site surveys and studies (2019-2022) of the site of Castellito di Ramacca (Catania, Sicily). The site, located on the top of a low hill (106 msl), was partly excavated in the late 20th century and interpreted as a Roman rural building, possibly with a special function (road station). Its name is also attested in ancient sources (Capitoniana). The site was re-evaluated using various non-destructive prospecting methods (aerial photogrammetry, fieldwalking survey, architectural recording), precise location with RTK GNSS and integration of the legacy data in GIS. This approach confirmed a new addition to the already known villa complex and contextualized it as a focal point of the rural settlement system. Based on the topographical data obtained from the survey campaign, conducted by integrating of different techniques, we propose a reconstruction of the villa’s elevation at its peak in Late Antiquity. This study illustrates the great potential of applying digital technologies for a new understanding of Roman villa remains.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.2, 185-206; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.2.2023.10

2023 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

MAGOH: un nuovo strumento per la gestione e la consultazione dei dati archeologici del Nord della Toscana

Francesca Anichini, Gabriele Gattiglia, Antonella Rosa Saponara

Abstract

The MAGOH (Managing Archaeological data for a sustainable Governance of Heritage) project is a two-year project funded by Regione Toscana, co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture (MIC) and coordinated by MAPPA Lab of the University of Pisa. The project was designed to address the needs of the Superintendencies of Florence, Pistoia and Prato and of Pisa and Livorno to manage archaeological data. The project represents the development of the MAPPA project on a larger geographical area of 72,000 km², corresponding to almost all of Northern Tuscany. MAGOH system is composed of a web-based back-end which allows collecting textual and vector data and the archaeological documentation. It contains around 8000 archaeological interventions openly accessible through the web platform and reusable as open data following FAIR principles. Furthermore, through an appositively developed API, it is entirely interoperable with GNA, the National Geoportal for Archaeology, managed by the MIC.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2023, 34.2, 277-296; doi: 10.19282/ac.34.2.2023.15

2022 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Come nasce una base GIS per l’archeologia opensource, sviluppata da archeologi per gli archeologi: lo scavo di Poggio Gramignano, Lugnano in Teverina (TR)

Luca Mandolesi, Roberto Montagnetti, David Gerald Pickel

Abstract

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.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2022, 33.1, 93-112; doi: 10.19282/ac.33.1.2022.06

2022 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Modélisation spatiale au Proche-Orient phénicien à l’époque hellénistique (IVe-Ier s. av. n. è.)

Elodie Guillon

Abstract

This article focuses on a multidisciplinary and experimental approach on the relationships between the Phoenician cities (Lebanon, Syria, Israel) and their hinterlands in the Hellenistic period (4th-1st century BC). The article presents the successive stages of this approach. The first one is the construction of the corpus and the recording of the historical and essentially archaeological data in a relational database. The next step is addressed to spatial modelling. In other words, it means applying a spatial analysis to the data. For this purpose, we select a model, the gravity model, which relates the distance between archaeological sites, their comparative importance, and their capacity to interact between each other. Then we set up the model, thanks to our historical and geographical knowledge of the region. The results are visualisations, i.e., potential maps that include modelled networks extending across the region. They must be commented on in the light of the historical and archaeological knowledge that we have about the area: they confirm or question our reading of the Phoenician territories and get into dialogue with the archaeological and historical data, to improve our understanding of the cities. Then, we carry out a second experimentation, with the addition of six archaeological sites in the corpus, identified by archaeological survey and dated to the Hellenistic period. A new spatial modelling is carried out, with the same model and the same parameters. The partial reconfiguration of the networks is again commented on. The conclusion, finally, deals with the contribution of the approach, as a new tool available to archaeologists and historians in the study of Phoenician territories.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2022, 33.2, 77-94; doi: 10.19282/ac.33.2.2022.05

2022 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Soundscape and catchment analysis for a spatial geography of Medieval monastic estates in southeastern Tuscany (11th-12th centuries)

Stefano Bertoldi, Gabriele Castiglia, Angelo Castrorao Barba, Cristina Menghini

Abstract

This contribution is the result of experimenting with methodologies linked to the understanding of soundscapes in the context of medieval monasteries. In our specific area, the approach was not focused on the cognitive concept itself so much as the perception of the spirituality of the ringing of bells. The premise was to understand whether, and how, the bells functioned as a soundmark for controlling the territory. The case studies examined are the Abbey of Farneta, the Monastery of Camaldoli and the Abbey of San Fedele, today located in the Province of Arezzo: the three religious structures differ in their historical development, geographical position, and economy. However, what links them (and what links the great majority of medieval monastic complexes) is a tight control of their territory for production purposes, in order to guarantee the profitability of their material heritage. Analyses of the diffusion of the sound of the bells was compared (and integrated) with visibility and catchment analyses. The aim was to understand whether this type of analytical approach could contribute to the definition of a monastery’s ‘catchment area’. The data that emerged describe a complex economic landscape in which identified anomalies at settlement level can be worth analyzing and trying to understand.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2022, 33.2, 95-114; doi: 10.19282/ac.33.2.2022.06

2021 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Estensione delle valli di Comacchio tra 1000 e 1500 d.C.: geoarcheologia, cartografia storica e informatica

Alessandro Alessio Rucco

Abstract

The paper proposes the representation of the evolution of the Comacchio Valleys between the 11th and 16th centuries CE. The bases for this representation are provided by stratigraphic, topographical, cartographic and historical-documentary data; the frame is offered by information technology. The possibility of reconstructing the physical characteristics of a landscape in a diachronic perspective with a certain degree of detail offers valuable insights not only in order to refine our knowledge on the given topic but also in view of the evaluation of the archaeological potential and planning of research.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2021, 32.1, 137-154; doi: 10.19282/ac.32.1.2021.08

2021 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Raptor reloaded. Un geodatabase gestionale per la tutela archeologica: nuovi aggiornamenti per un sistema aperto

Matteo Frassine, Stefania De Francesco, Alessandro Zambetti

Abstract

RAPTOR is a geo-database built for the management of the archaeological administrative procedure of the Superintendencies. The system allows the recording of any kind of work carried out in any geographical context and the mapping of the archeological outcomes so that the archaeological maps can be constantly updated. A set of the archaeological data recorded in the system can now be freely accessed on the map by external users; archaeologists in particular can see full information of the archaeological sites. In order to support preventive archaeology, a new section of the system currently allows to map the preventive archaeology investigations and to obtain automatically the vector data of the archaeological sites within the project areas. Moreover, RAPTOR enables now to record and show the plans of the archaeological phases of each single site or urban context; on the other hand a new specific section is dedicated to the drawing of the areas of archaeological potential.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2021, 32.1, 307-324; doi: 10.19282/ac.32.1.2021.17

2021 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Reconstructing the funerary landscape: natural environment and topography of the necropolis

Michele Silani

Abstract

The short note illustrates the activities carried out within the ‘Almaidea’ project of the University of Bologna for the reconstruction of the ancient funerary landscape of the Davanzali necropolis in Numana. While waiting for new geological-geomorphological research aimed at the acquisition of data at a territorial scale, the landscape shapes, reconstructed so far on the basis of published data, are recalled for the contextualization of the necropolis sector under study. Attention is focused on geomatic techniques for the documentation of the different ancient topographical plans, the starting point for subsequent topographical reconstructions of the evolution of the landscape of the necropolis over the centuries.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2021, 32.2, 45-51; doi: 10.19282/ac.32.2.2021.05

2021 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Rome: NE slopes of the Palatine hill. Archaeology of architecture and ancient masonries deep analysis

Emanuele Brienza, Lorenzo Fornaciari

Abstract

The NE slopes of the Palatine hill and the Colosseum valley area have a long archaeological research history. Here the continuous urban development has produced the overlap of architectural complexes distributed over time. The huge amount of archaeological documents produced by the research is managed within a GIS environment. For the analysis of ancient walls we introduced the use of image-based-modelling photogrammetry in order to create a very detailed 3D documentation linked to a DBMS dedicated to ancient structural features. Through this methodology we can evaluate specific aspects of ancient construction yards for each period. We can also refine the chronological sequences of the architectural structures and verify the contextual relationships of the surrounding buildings in order to formulate wide-ranging reconstructive hypotheses.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2021, 32.2, 177-186; doi: 10.19282/ac.32.2.2021.16

2020 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Integrated multi scale archaeological analysis in Béni Mellal-Khenifra District (Morocco). The case of the fortress of Ighram Aousser

Lorenza-Ilia Manfredi, Pasquale Merola, Chiara Cecalupo, Abdelillah Dekayir, Brahim Ouchaou, Yosef Bokbot, Mabrouk Seghir, Silvia Festuccia, Leopoldo Repola, Marilena Cozzolino, Vincenzo Gentile, Hassan Bounajma

Abstract

The fortress of Ighram Aousser is located in Morocco, 10 km W of M’rirt and 120 km S of Meknés, on the so-called mines route. The lack of an organic and complete documentation and a concrete need to acquire new data about unexplored areas have required a multi-methodological research including the analysis of historical sources, archaeological surveys, topographic investigations, laser scanner modelling and geophysical prospections. All data were stored in a Geographic Information System, which allowed spatial analyses and the creation of thematic maps. The integrated geoarchaeological approach has led to a new archaeological map providing an updated view of the rich archaeological heritage in that territory. The article also offers a complete account of the valorization processes, the international promotion of the site and its long-lasting mining tradition.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2020, 31.1, 97-120; doi: 10.19282/ac.31.1.2020.05

2020 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Quantitative approaches to sacred Roman spaces in southern coastal Latium

Michael Teichmann

Abstract

The present paper aims at studying Roman sanctuaries from the late 4th century BC to the early 4th century AD in southern coastal Latium, a region of crucial importance for the development of Roman religion. Quantitative GIS-based research was undertaken to study sacred spaces in their natural and cultural landscape context. A first research question concerned the role of good accessibility of sanctuaries as a factor, which could have influenced the choice of construction sites for villas. Further research focused on the visibility of sanctuaries in respect to other elements of the cultural landscape such as villas and roads. Cost-distance and viewshed analyses were undertaken to answer these questions. As the analyses are based on published and archived site data, several issues related to the use of legacy survey data had to be faced. Results show that the role of sanctuaries as factors of attraction might not have been extremely high. While a few major sanctuaries with extraordinary visibility conditions are situated in the study area, the overall trend does not confirm the choice of particularly visible spots as a general rule.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2020, 31.1, 121-144; doi: 10.19282/ac.31.1.2020.06

2020 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Settlement and viewshed dynamics between the ancient sites of the Erei as a key of historical landscape interpretation

Emanuele Brienza, Massimo Cultraro, Eleonora Draià

Abstract

The inner Sicilian area of the Erei hills, crossed by rivers and important streams directed to the Catania’s lowland, witnessed very ancient human occupation and activities, starting from the Upper Palaeolithic. Here the dynamics of human activities and the organization of the supply basin during early times were distinctive in certain historical periods: some featured a substantial continuity with the earlier phases, while others showed a complete discontinuity with the older human settlement framework and a new organization of the area and activities connected with the environment. These agricultural, proto-urban and urban communities organized their existence on the exploitation of natural resources, distributing themselves according to the local morphology. They built, mostly on top of the hills, constructions used as control viewpoints of the area, and created a complete communication network to connect settlements of the same or different level. Those features in several cases had a long-term continuity that survived to dramatic historical changes and represent today the optimal way for a right perception of current landscape and its millenary history.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2020, 31.2, 199-210; doi: 10.19282/ac.31.2.2020.19

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The urban planning of Doclea: remote sensing and topographical survey

Francesca Colosi, Pasquale Merola, Paola Moscati

Abstract

The paper presents the study of Doclea by remote sensing (satellite, aerial photos, drone) and the first results of the topographic survey conducted within the urban walls. The analysis of the images has highlighted buried structures that follow the same alignment as the walls visible above ground. The same anomalies are detected on the geophysical maps. The territorial survey, conducted with the aid of a differential GPS to position the emerging structures, has allowed one to identify numerous ancient structures, sometimes preserved to some height, which have the same orientation of the buildings of the forum and a stone paved road corresponding to a cardo of the city. Analysing the archaeological findings, the geophysical results and the measurements of the principal monuments and the roads, a hypothetical reconstruction of the Doclea urban plan is presented, which, naturally, can only be verified with further research and with excavation on the spot.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, Supplemento 11, 59-75; doi: 10.19282/ACS.11.2019.06

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Modellazione di superfici di età romana nel centro urbano di Treviso per lo studio del paesaggio antico e la tutela archeologica

Marianna Bressan, Alessandro Pellegrini

Abstract

Treviso, as many other historical towns in Italy, is a large and multi-stratified site occupied since the Bronze Age to the present time. This study was oriented to model trend surfaces, representative of the ground level of the city in Roman Age, on the basis of stratigraphic data. GIS spatial analyses were performed to select a reliable dataset. DTM was obtained by the interpolation of elevation points related to significant features, with the aim to contribute to the study of the ancient landscape and to support the evaluation of risks connected with public works that may impact local archaeological heritage.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, 30, 289-308; doi: 10.19282/ac.30.2019.17

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS mapping of the archaeological sites in the Molise region (Italy)

Ettore Valente, Marilena Cozzolino

Abstract

The Molise Region, on the Adriatic coast of southern Italy, experienced human presence since prehistoric times. Site distribution is not homogeneous throughout the region and a comprehensive census of all known archaeological sites has never been performed. In this paper, we present the results of a three-year project for the GIS mapping and database creation for all the known archaeological sites of the Molise Region. As a result, 3111 archaeological sites have been mapped, stored in a GIS database and then analysed through Spatial Analyst tools. Most of the mapped sites have been classified as area of archaeological finds (57.1% of the total sites), followed by settlements (12.9%) and buildings (9.8%). Site distribution is mainly clustered along the Biferno river valley, in the central and in the south-western sectors of the Molise Region. The largest human occupation of the region occurred during the Samnite and Roman ages. Archaeological sites are also located at different elevation a.s.l., with a general increasing trend of site elevation through time. This GIS database is, up to now, the most complete census of archaeological sites in the study area, thus representing a powerful tool to promote the archaeological heritage of the Molise Region and to address urban planning.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, 30, 367-385; doi: 10.19282/ac.30.2019.21

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Georiferire la stratigrafia archeologica

Roberto Montagnetti, Paolo Rosati

Abstract

This article offers an example for a quick and smart procedure for geo-referencing archaeological stratigraphy and managing it digitally in a GIS environment, through the open source software QGIS and pyArchInit. Specifically, the authors propose two ways of obtaining a geo-referenced survey of the archaeological features identified: 1) a handmade manual survey carried out with triangulation measurements; 2) a digital survey through Structure from Motion algorithms.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, 30, 463-466; doi: 10.19282/ac.30.2019.30

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

PAThs: sulla creazione di un geo-database aperto dedicato all’Egitto tardoantico e medievale

Julian Bogdani

Abstract

PAThs - Tracking Papyrus and Parchment Paths: An Archaeological Atlas of Coptic Literature (P.I. Paola Buzi) is an ERC Advance project based at the Sapienza University of Rome. It focuses on compiling a catalogue of literary manuscripts in Coptic language, organized by their archaeological and geographical contexts. The Atlas is an open access publishing platform, built on the top of open source technologies and backed up by a web database based on Bradypus system, a MIT licensed RDBMS highly specialized in the management of archaeological and other cultural heritage data. The Atlas and the web database are being constructed to become a linking hub for automated access to the data by third party software and other applications. Specific interconnecting output formats (mainly RDF) are being developed to link this platform to other collaborative systems (such as those developed by Pelagios Commons) utilizing geographical representation, i.e. places, as a common reference point.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, 30, 471-474; doi: 10.19282/ac.30.2019.32

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Gestire la geografia della complessità, dai dati alle storie: il progetto ‘percorsi biografici’ tra archeologia pubblica e rigenerazione urbana

Samanta Mariotti

Abstract

Percorsi BioGrafici is a project conducted by the Archaeological Department of the University of Siena in collaboration with the Municipality of Monforte San Giorgio (Messina, Italy). The project examines Monforte through time, starting from an intensive survey of the modern town and the mapping of all the building units. The method relies on a contextual approach, the use of modern technology (a GIS and a wiki platform) to register the data, and a community-based archaeological practice to foster social and economic sustainability and shared knowledge. The whole dataset was gathered in a non-invasive manner, combined with archive material, oral sources and the works of local historians. The resulting set of fresh information was circulated both through city tours and by artistic and urban regeneration projects, developed together with artists and architects. Using open source software (QGIS and Mediawiki) and a free storytelling platform (izi.TRAVEL) has allowed the local administration and community to take part in the research process.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, 30, 475-478; doi: 10.19282/ac.30.2019.33

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Da depositi invisibili a risorse visibili. Il GIS per la gestione dei depositi di materiale archeologico

Federica Rinaldi, Alessandra Tronelli, Alessandro Del Brusco

Abstract

The paper presents a GIS platform for the management of archaeological warehouses located in the territory of the IV Municipality of Rome. The need to create a GIS was owed to the distribution of archaeological material in at least 15 different stores. The contents and provenance of the boxes and their archaeological material have been recorded. A GIS platform has been developed, based on QGIS Desktop (version 3.0) and a geodatabase built on PostgreSQL/ PostGIS. As a cartographic base, both the existing cartography in the WMS format and the free downloadable cartography in .shp format were used. Further, a single table was created, merging the existing tables of different formats from the various warehouses examined.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, 30, 491-494; doi: 10.19282/ac.30.2019.37

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

L’approvvigionamento idrico a Leopoli-Cencelle (Tarquinia VT). Elaborazioni geomorfologiche e territoriali

Giulia Doronzo

Abstract

The archaeological research at Leopoli-Cencelle (Tarquinia, VT) has enabled the definition of the urban structure and the network of infrastructures. In particular, water infrastructures were investigated by recording their physical remains, their position in the urban topography, manner of construction and technical solutions pursued. A GIS dataset was then set up incorporating the GPS tracks obtained from field surveys, integrated by their geo-referenced points.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, 30, 503-506; doi: 10.19282/ac.30.2019.40

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il sito medievale di Montecorvino (FG) e il suo territorio. Analisi spaziali in ambiente GIS Open Source

Luca d'Altilia, Pasquale Favia

Abstract

Since 2016, the Montecorvino project has studied the topics of intervisibility and of the movement of humans and goods in the area of Monti Dauni (Foggia, South-Eastern Italy) in the late Middle Ages. This has been accomplished through the use of spatial analysis in an Open Source GIS. The use of Digital Terrain Models in a hilly area has been crucial in analyzing the influence of geo-morphological contexts on the genesis and development of settlements. Single and cumulative viewshed analyses have been applied to figure out if and to what extent these settlements could keep sight of each other, their surroundings and the communication routes. By means of a cost surface analysis, some site catchment areas have been defined and the potential and easiest (least costly) paths between some of these settlements have been generated. The results have then been integrated into a much wider research-field, which features archaeological, historical and bibliographical sources of information, to produce a comprehensive and integrated study of the ancient landscapes.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, 30, 507-510; doi: 10.19282/ac.30.2019.41

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Compilazione in ambiente QGIS delle schede per la gestione degli inquadramenti topografici: il popolamento della banca dati SITAR

Fabio Zonetti

Abstract

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

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, 30, 511-514; doi: 10.19282/ac.30.2019.42

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Rappresentare l’armatura culturale del territorio con QGIS: l’esperienza del PTRA della Franciacorta

Filippo Carlo Pavesi, Michele Pezzagno, Andrea Azzini, Fulvio Adobati

Abstract

Landscape features are the result of interrelated actions of man-and-nature and can provide ecosystem services that need to be protected. Since urban planning policies can impact negatively on the conservation of cultural ecosystem services, urban plans must map them and make provision for their protection. For the Plan of Franciacorta (22 municipalities in Lombardy), we chose QGIS to set up a geo-database and map cultural heritage information. QGIS can provide more flexibility than a typical map, thanks to its graphics tools. To plan the development of actions to protect the landscape and suggest a range of planning opportunities for municipalities, an integrated representation of the landscape and protected ecological elements can highlight some critical issues: municipal borders can prove an obstacle in the implementation of supra-municipal projects and protected areas can include enclaves potentially vulnerable to urban pressures. Such maps have proved useful in guiding the planning choices in the development of the landscape protection schemes. The geo-location of critical aspects has brought out a range of inter-municipal planning opportunities.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, 30, 515-518; doi: 10.19282/ac.30.2019.43

2019 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

QGIS, database ed epigrafia: un progetto in corso

Silvia Gazzoli

Abstract

The study of epigraphical and archaeological evidence related to a specific topic, in this case infant mortality, has led to the creation of a geo-referencing project in order to collect, store and analyze information about the young deceased and their families. This paper presents a geo-referenced storage and management system that combines both open source software as QuantumGIS and PgAdmin. The use of a RDBMS has been implemented and purposively structured, taking into account the content and the form of the inscriptions studied.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2019, 30, 519-522; doi: 10.19282/ac.30.2019.44

2018 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Apud Baulos. L’utilizzo della viewshed analysis per la risoluzione di un quesito di topografia flegrea

Gervasio Illiano

Abstract

The location of the ancient district of Bauli has always had a central role within the archaeological research in the so-called Campi Flegrei, in the Gulf of Naples. Ancient literary sources mentioned this place in relation to the well-known phenomenon of ‘villa society’ that characterized the Gulf of Naples, especially the Baiae-Misenum peninsula. Cicero, Pliny the Elder and Varro mentioned Bauli as the place of the orator Q. Hortensius Hortalus’ maritime villa, which was particularly famous for its many fishponds. Other literary sources have contributed to reinforce the thesis, strongly defended by Amedeo Maiuri, that ancient Bauli was located at the place of modern Bacoli, where many remains of fishponds and other ancient buildings are considered to have been part of Hortensius’ villa in Bauli. Few eminent scholars - such as Karl J. Beloch - contrasted this theory, proposing a different interpretation of the ancient texts that has led to locate Bauli near the Lucrino Lake, E of Baiae. The goal of this paper is to present new data from GIS spatial analysis that can contribute to evaluate both theories and to answer the question about the location of Bauli. The viewshed analysis tested Cicero’s passage stating that from Hortensius’ villa in Bauli it would have been possible to see his villa in Pompeii if the distance was shorter. The viewshed rasters calculated for three observation points corresponding to Maiuri’s and Beloch’s location of Bauli provide new important data for the solution of this topographical question. By relating spatial analysis to the information reported by the ancient sources, together with the archaeological traces, it is possible to confirm the hypothesis that Bauli was located between Baiae and Misenum, in the modern town of Bacoli.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2018, 29, 185-200; doi: 10.19282/ac.29.2018.17

2018 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Archeologia preventiva a Pontelatone (CE): nuovi dati sulle dinamiche insediative in prossimità del fiume Volturno

Natascia Pizzano, Pasquale Merola, Elisa Di Giovanni

Abstract

The research project, carried out as part of the preliminary planning for the environmental requalification of the Barignano area (Pontelatone, CE), consists in a multidisciplinary application model for the best practice of preventive archaeology. The project started thanks to a recent agreement between the Municipality of Pontelatone (CE) and the Institute for Technologies Applied to Cultural Heritage (ITABC) of the Italian CNR, encharged of drawing up an archaeological map of the territory of Barignano and the surrounding territory. Recent surveys increased the knowledge about the exploitation of the Pontelatone district since prehistoric times and defined a more articulated settlement model of the perifluvial part of the territory, providing it with a different economic position in the ancient world. Research data, confronted with geographically and historically comparable areas, propose a new territorial and economic development model for the areas located on the Volturno river, both in Roman and in earlier periods. Starting from archive research and published scientific literature, the survey was supported by remote sensing data and new software to map land markers - both historical and archaeological - and for their 3D representation. The dataset have been organized in different topics and informative layers on a GIS platform. The survey and the interpretation of remote sensing data provided new elements for the topography of the area. Traces that suggest a different environmental model for some regions of the Volturno plain have been identified. Furthermore, today’s research supported by targeted geophysical surveys represents an actual prospect for future research.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2018, 29, 201-222; doi: 10.19282/ac.29.2018.18

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

A method for modeling dispersed settlements: visualizing an early Roman colonial landscape as expected by conventional theory

Anita Casarotto

Abstract

This paper proposes a GIS quantitative method for simulating dispersed distribution of sites in a landscape. A certain number of sites might have escaped archaeological detection due to the adverse surface visibility conditions experienced during field survey (the so-called missing sites). As regards early Roman colonial landscapes of central-southern Italy, these surface visibility factors were traditionally seen to be so dramatic as to have allegedly hampered the detection of the conventionally expected dispersed and densely-settled colonial farm landscape. In this paper the regional and site-oriented field survey conducted in Venosa (Basilicata, Italy) is used as a case-study to simulate a large amount of hypothetical early colonial sites. The aim of this theoretical exercise is to show how the rural dispersed settlement pattern expected by the conventional theory could appear on a map, and to visually highlight the divergence between survey data and conventional spatial expectancies.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.1, 147-163; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.1.2017.09

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Topographical survey and digital models

Stefano Santocchini Gerg, Enrico Zampieri, Bojana Gruška, Giacomo Mancuso

Abstract

In this paper we will briefly discuss the evolution of the solutions that the Chair ofEtruscology of the Bologna University applied to the topographic survey of the archaeological excavation in the Etruscan city of Marzabotto (BO). The operational choices, the instruments and the software used in the latest excavation fields will be presented here. We will then illustrate the applied experimental workflow and its possible further development in order to take full advantage of the possibilities and benefits offered by the 3D survey techniques.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 129-139; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.08

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Contemporary landscape and the archaeological record. An integrated approach to the study of the Etruscan-Samnite site of Pontecagnano (SA)

Carmine Pellegrino, Amedeo Rossi

Abstract

Pontecagnano is a large Etruscan-Samnite settlement located 8 km SE of Salerno, at the northern edge of the Sele plain. The well-investigated necropolis provided data that made it possible to analyse the structure of the ancient community and reconstruct its long-term development. Over the last few years, after archaeological investigations carried out during roadwork to widen the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway, a more systematic study of the site was begun. The analysis of archaeological data was combined with environmental and landscape studies, shedding light on the reasons behind the spatial organisation of the settlement, which was influenced by natural or man-made landscape elements such as streams, non-uniform dislocation of geological formations, terraces, roads, canals, etc. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the methods and instruments we used to develop a system that can dynamically combine archaeological and geomorphological data. The paper focuses particularly on the reconstruction of paleo-topographical areas of the ancient settlement. Our investigation outlined the physical and environmental limits within which the old town developed, especially as regards the archaic and classical period. Part of the work was devoted to reconstructing in detail the connections between the modern and the ancient landscape, not only by reading and interpreting the aerial photographs from 1945 to the present-day, but also by analyzing the evidence from the excavations. This approach allowed us to draw up a detailed geomorphologic map of the area of the ancient settlement - part of the GIS platform - and develop a three-dimensional model of the ground (DEM).

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 189-199; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.13

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Pyrgi, harbour and sanctuary of Caere: landscape, urbanistic planning and architectural features

Maria Paola Baglione, Barbara Belelli Marchesini, Claudia Carlucci, Laura Maria Michetti

Abstract

The study of the urban alignment of the settlement of Pyrgi and of the arrangement of the sacred areas was favoured by its abandonment after the phase of Romanization and by the possibility of performing large-scale research over its territory. The harbour and the sanctuary of Pyrgi were a fundamental pole of attraction for foreign haunters as the outpost of the metropolis of Caere. Their development was strictly linked to Pyrgi’s favourable geographical position along the Tyrrhenian maritime routes and to the presence of a water spring. The settlement was founded at the end of the 7th century BC, and was connected to Caere by means of a large road. The excavations conducted since 1957 by the Sapienza University of Rome next to the terminal section of the Caere-Pyrgi road brought to light a large sacred district. The new excavation area (2009-2016) is located in the district between the sanctuary and the settlement. It includes different buildings datable to 600 BC-4th century BC erected along a pebbled road that departs from Caere-Pyrgi and leads towards the harbour. The buildings, together with votive deposits and a fire-altar, outline a residential quarter that was perhaps attended by a priesthood, where ceremonial practices were also performed. The new evidence can be related to the sanctuary itself and sheds light on its overall organisation. The results of recent fieldwork have also contributed to a better understanding of Pyrgi’s urban alignment, possible defensive systems (suggested by the Greek name Pyrgoi) and the topographic relationship with the later Roman maritime colony. Thanks to the involvement of scholars from different disciplinary fields, wide-range research is being carried out to reconstruct the original landscape and the evolution of the coastline, with an aim to determining the morphology of the coast and the harbour in the Etruscan period.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 201-210; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.14

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The last ten years of research at Tarquinia

Giovanna Bagnasco Gianni, Matilde Marzullo, Andrea Garzulino

Abstract

The Centro di Ricerca Coordinata ‘ProgettoTarquinia’ of the Università degli Studi di Milano is a LERU (League of European Research Universities) exemplary interdisciplinary research project that involves groups from the Università Statale di Milano (Archaeology, Information and Communication Technologies, Geoarchaeology, Palaeoanthropology), the Politecnico di Milano (Architecture and Topography) and bridges the gap between soft and hard sciences. This project stems from the ‘Progetto Tarquinia’ conceived by Maria Bonghi Jovino in 1982. During the last ten years, our integrated system of tools and services, supported by ICTs (ArchMatrix), through which multidisciplinary domain experts can examine all the typologies of data of a given culture, has made it possible to concentrate on the links between data-sources focusing on the recurrence of association rates within different aspects of material evidence and phenomena. The fields of application of our methodology in the domain of archaeology and epigraphy are multifaceted as regards the inside and outside connections of the Tarquinian heritage, whose necropolis with the famous painted tombs is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Research includes areas of the Civita plateau: the ‘monumental complex’, the Ara della Regina sanctuary, fortifications, and archaeological sites previously explored. In the past ten years, research in the necropolis (roughly 6,000 tombs, of which 400 are painted) and in the surrounding territory has also been implemented and has produced the complete corpus of the painted tombs of Tarquinia. Our holistic approach encompasses archaeological analysis of small (mobile finds), medium (archaeological contexts) and large scale (territory and landscape) architectural analysis and applications for integrated solutions for the cultural heritage, including the first bilingual Virtual Museum dedicated to an Etruscan city.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 211-221; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.15

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Civita Musarna (VT), il suo territorio e la chora di Tarquinia in età ellenistica: uno spazio ritualmente suddiviso?

Giuseppina Enrica Cinque, Henri Broise, Vincent Jolivet

Abstract

A new season of studies on the Etruscan-Roman city of Musarna have allowed us to establish that the city was occupied from the end of the 4th century BC up to the beginning of the 7th century AD, and that its foundation depended on a strategic and economic need of the Etruscan metropolis of Tarquinia, of which Musarna maintained its role of colony up approximately to 280 BC, when the entire territory was conquered by Rome. Later, the inscriptions and the epitaphs found in the site and in the nearby necropolis show that until the 1st century BC the only language spoken in Musarna was Etruscan, and that at least throughout the Hellenistic period, the administrative organization remained based on the model of a large Etruscan city. Therefore, the infrastructural networks, only partially restored later on, are fully Etruscan, as are the entire defense system and some public buildings, including a market and a portico built during various stages of the renovation of the square between the 3rd and 2nd century BC, as well as sacred buildings, such as two temples probably dedicated to Hercules and Bacchus. The excellent quality of the documentation of the urban plan made it possible to undertake a study aimed at determining the city’s spatial tracking practice. Some important considerations and insights on the organization of the territory have already emerged from this study and, in particular, we were able to verify on a territorial basis the size of the design module which had already identified on an urban scale. While this may already be considered an important result, the evidence of a design set on particular geometric properties prompts the investigation to highlight particular aspects of the Etruscan plan.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 223-232; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.16

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Open architecture RDBMS and GIS as tools for analysing the Etruscan presence in the Po Plain: towards a model of the urban/non urban landscape

Tommaso Quirino

Abstract

The Po Valley was occupied by the Etruscans starting in the 9th century BC. This presence experienced a significant transformation from the mid-6th century BC, when the territory underwent a widespread colonisation process, which brought about a new pattern in the organization of the landscape. A network of farms and secondary settlements appeared and expanded around both old and new cities. Through the structuring power and the analytical potential of GIS, this research develops new perspectives on the reconstruction of the ancient landscape. In addition to cultural aspects closely related to Etruscan society, in this study we have taken into consideration the role played by the resources of the territory itself, both from economic and the transport network points of view. First, we briefly present the conceptual and physical structure of the GIS. It includes an archive of all the known sites N of the Apennines (541), dating to between the 6th and 4th century BC (managed in a relational database), and a set of geographic and thematic data of general interest, recorded in the same cartographic reference system, handled with GIS software. Second, on the basis of certain distinctive characteristics of settlements such as the size of the occupied area, the internal organization and the building techniques employed, a possible hierarchical subdivision of the settlements is identified. Further, the optimal pathways between major cities are hypothesised considering factors such as slope and the presence of rivers or streams, and a possible road network is calculated using the MADO model (optimal accumulation model of movement from a given origin). The final aim is to propose a settlement model that can then be compared to the reality of the current archaeological record.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 253-266; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.19

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Reshaping the urban space: Bakchias in Ptolemaic and Roman times

Ilaria Rossetti

Abstract

The paper focuses on some important results obtained by an integrated approach using archaeological evidence, papyrological sources and different kinds of technologies in order to reconstruct the urban development of the site of Bakchias, located in the north-eastern part of the Fayyum region (Egypt). The Mission of Bologna University has excavated ancient Bakchias at Kom Umm el-Athl for over twenty years. In particular, the latest studies, conducted in partnership with Sapienza University of Rome since 2005, have revealed several new elements which are useful for reconsidering the urban development of the kome. In 2011, a GIS was constructed not only in order to store and manage the large quantity of data collected during these years, but also to analyse and process the information and to optimise the research goals. Indeed, the latest-field activities have brought to light numerous structures, both public buildings and private houses in different sectors of the archaeological area. At the same time, an analysis of the papyrological and epigraphic sources was carried out so as to comprehend the useful information about the spatial content, activities and buildings recorded for the settlement. The research was completed using different surveying approaches. All the data thus obtained were merged together in a GIS environment, in order to collect and manage all the information and to integrate the individual elements in a coherent workflow process. Spatial or distributional analysis of the data relating to the site enabled us to draw a series of thematic and phase maps of the Bakchias site. The execution of these diachronic plans, representing different chronological phases of the town, allowed us to evaluate the historical development of the site and urban plan transformations.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 291-300; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.22

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Reconstructing the ancient urban landscape in a long-lived city: the Asculum Project, combining research, territorial planning and preventative archaeology

Federica Boschi, Enrico Giorgi, Michele Silani

Abstract

The Asculum Project started in 2012 by the Bologna University in agreement with the former Soprintendenza per iBeni Archeologici delle Marche and the Municipality of Ascoli Piceno, mainly as a project of urban archaeology and preventative archaeology in a city which has been inhabited for a very long period of time. A proper integrated methodology and the combination of a wide range of data, including that gathered from geophysical surveys, archaeological digs, historic cartography, bibliographic and archival data, allowed us to reconstruct the cityscape during the Roman Age and its development over the centuries. The understanding of the ancient urban landscape also included a detailed morphological study aimed at the reconstruction of the Roman paleosurface, carried out using data derived from coring samples and stratigraphic digs. In parallel, particular attention was directed to the modern 3D documentation of the historical buildings of the city, by means of laser scanner and the analysis of the stratigraphy of the surviving walls. The new surveys covered, in particular, the still extant Roman buildings, such as the temples incorporated by the churches of San Venanzio and San Gregorio Magno, as well as the Sostruzioni dell’Annunziata. These last acquisitions made it possible to reconstruct the overall layout and urban plan of the town during the Roman Age, as well as to shed new light on the conformation of the ancient landscape at the time of the oldest Piceni settlement. One of the most interesting aspects of the operating practices applied in the project was to reconcile the needs for preservation and research with the aim of a sustainable urban development.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 301-309; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.23

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

A city and its landscape across time: Samarkand in the ancient Sogdiana (Uzbekistan)

Simone Mantellini

Abstract

Located in the heartland of Central Asia, Samarkand has always been an economic, cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious hub along the ancient Silk Road. A regional approach, based on a GIS remote sensing assessment followed by field validation, was used here to reconstruct the urban evolution of Samarkand in connection with its hinterland. The basic archaeological features in the landscape (anthropic mounds, canals and burials) allowed us to reconstruct the main forms of land use and resource exploitation according to site distribution and chronology. If Samarkand was established as early as the Achaemenid period (late 6th century BCE), the evidence dated to that time from its hinterland is scarce. A first significant increase occurred during the post-Hellenistic centuries (3rd-1st centuries BCE), and reached the peak at the time of the most intense trade along the Silk Road just before the major changes following the Arab conquest of the early 8th century CE. Data also demonstrated how the development of Samarkand must be closely linked with a proper exploitation of its territory. A massive and complex irrigation system in the floodplain ensured the supply of water necessary to develop extensive farming and daily-life activities, while rain-fed foothills were used as pastures.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 333-342; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.26

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Numana and its ancient territory: new data and research perspectives

Stefano Finocchi, Vincenzo Baldoni

Abstract

Numana is one of the most important centers for the Picenian civilization and prospered in the Marche and Abruzzo regions during the Iron Age. Almost all of the archaeological evidence found until now refers to the necropoleis spread over a broad territory, while data concerning inhabited areas are quite scarce. Although findings are plenty, the study of Ancient Numana is quite incomplete. As a matter of fact, all the published materials are related to single burials or finds and there are no overall studies on its territory. A recent research project involving a wider sector of the largest Numana necropolis (Quagliotti-Davanzali), has not been published yet but offers a detailed description since the excavation documentation is available. The project sets out to consider burials as organized systems, offering information on cultural transformations and on the social organization of the ancient community. The systematic analysis of the data from the burial and the single funerary sets - to be organized in a specific GIS - will be accompanied by an investigation of the ancient landscape in its many components - necropolis and inhabited area - in its diachronic development, thanks to the results of other recent analyses carried out in the Numana territory (geomorphology, GIS of the archaeological map, new surveys of the territory). The scope of the project is therefore to analyze times, ways of arrangements, shapes of the Ancient Numana, in its definition of a territorial, inhabited, rural space, by using methods and techniques to record and read new data, to build knowledge in a scenario which can be integrated with results coming from future research.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 345-351; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.27

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Misenum: the harbour and the city. Landscapes in context

Gervasio Illiano

Abstract

The interest of archaeological research on the Phlegraean Fields, in the Gulf of Naples, has been often concentrated on different topics: monumental architecture, thermalism, coastal otium villas. However, we are still missing a reasonable reconstruction of the ancient landscapes of the area with special regard to the peninsula between Baiae and Misenum. The recent PhD project at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has had the task of filling in the gap in local modern archaeology, and shifting the level of analysis from the ‘site’ to the ‘territory’: the study of individual monuments and surviving archaeological assemblages of the Roman town of Misenum, the main harbour for the Imperial navy, is now a part of the investigation of the urban organization of the municipium. The use of a dynamic and multidisciplinary research strategy has led to the creation of a new archaeological map for the area being investigated.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 379-389; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.31

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The future (?) of effective protection

Giovanni Azzena, Roberto Busonera, Chiara Perini

Abstract

This paper aims at a comparative reading of some archaeological remains in the island of Sardinia, starting from a reflection on the UNESCO discipline, which introduces a hierarchy of cultural heritage based on the level of worthiness of protection and provides enhanced protection for the goods that are on its list. The main goal of the study is to investigate in parallel the application of this ‘selective appreciation’ on the actual context of the protection of the so-called ‘real cultural heritage’ (article 9 of the Italian Constitution). The study proceeds by comparing some important sites on the island having similar contextualization, but different strategies for protection: the Archaeological Park of Porto Torres, Su Nuraxi in Barumini, registered since 1997 in the World Heritage List of UNESCO, and the archaeological area of Neapolis (Oristano). From comparisons and analysis carried out in selected areas it was possible to focus attention on some critical aspects of the UNESCO rules and on contradictions between the operational guidelines and the objectives that the organization provides for the protection of property. In the wake of new reforms for the reorganization of the Ministry of Heritage, Culture and Tourism, the critical issues discussed in this paper appear even more evident in Sardinia. The idea of a ‘protection of the exceptional’ appears to reduce the opportunities of intervention, by isolating the evidence from its context and making the action of protection inadequate for the territory and for the same items contained therein.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 549-560; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.45

2017 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Gropello Cairoli (PV): computer applications for historical topographic synthesis

Sara Loreto

Abstract

From an archaeological perspective, one of the sites that best represents the western area of the province of Pavia, Lomellina, is Gropello Cairoli, due to the large number of discoveries, which had already been made by the end of the 19th century. Archaeological data chiefly concern the necropoleis, located in various parts of Gropello, while traces regarding settlements are scarcer. The chronological span goes from the end of the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. Until now, the attention of experts has been focused principally on the detailed analysis of single necropoleis and on the numerous funerary furnishings, while a general overview of the development of Gropello has rarely been offered. A reconstruction of the chronological evolution of the territory and a historical-topographic synthesis has been proposed using a Database Management System and a Geographical Information System. All available spatial data, consisting of historical maps, aerial photos and sketches, were inserted in the GIS platform and the single burials were georeferenced, wherever possible, using the system of topographic overlay. At the same time all the information of non-spatial type, including the data relative to the artefacts and the burials, were fed into a specially created Relational Database. Therefore, it was possible to create specific queries, underlining particular chronological phases and analyzing the distribution of the evidence. The interpretation of the resulting data has suggested the presence of a widespread distribution of small settlements, with the funerary areas along the roadsides. An important demographic growth between the second half of the 1st century BC and the first half of the 1st century AD is evident, after which there is a slow decline suggested by the increasing rarity of archaeological finds.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2017, 28.2, 563-569; doi: 10.19282/AC.28.2.2017.46

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Sériation des gravures piquetées du mont Bego (Alpes-Maritimes, France)

Thomas Huet

Abstract

The site of Mount Bego is one of the most important rock art concentrations in Europe for recent Prehistory. After a study conducted for more than 45 years by Henry de Lumley, the majority of the 4,000 engraved rocks have been positioned and the near 36,000 engravings have been drawn. The engravings were firstly attributed to Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, on the basis of a comparison between the engraved weapons and real weapons that have been discovered in an archaeological context. During his PhD (2012), the author carried out the first systematic geostatistical analysis of the entire corpus, bringing out a series of effects (iconographic and geographic seriation, preferential location, etc.) in the engravings distribution. Thanks to the study of superimpositions, these quantitative results allow to consider a periodization of the main families of engravings. While weapon representations appear to be the most recent layer of engravings, reticulated figures and schematic horned figures seem to be the most ancient ones. Therefore, dating on the basis of weapon representations can no longer be considered valid for the entire corpus of engravings. Besides, Mount Bego site shows early occupations, as documented by archaeological artefacts (Cardial ceramics, Chassean flints, Recent Bell Beaker ceramics, etc.) and indices of human activities (certain since ca. 2400-1800 BC). This article presents the geostatistical predicates, methods (unimodality of realization periods of engraved themes, correlations, seriation, toposeriation, etc.) and principal results on which a first periodization frame has been built.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, 27, 27-45; doi: 10.19282/AC.27.2016.02

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Nuancer et améliorer l’analyse des systèmes de peuplement basée sur les données de prospections pédestres: l’étude de la dynamique d’occupation antique du Plateau lorrain

Antonin Nüsslein

Abstract

Research on settlement dynamics is mainly based on data from archaeological field survey. This exploration method gives access to a large amount of information that enables to identify distribution tendencies and to establish a model of evolution of the settlement structure at different scales. Nonetheless, field survey data, even if chronologically dated, provide a partial record and a snapshot of the settlements. This static information lacks a certain number of parameters, which are essential to perceive the inherent evolution of the settlements and therefore to visualize it within the dynamics of the settlement trajectory networks. On the other hand, data from archaeological excavations enables to detect those phenomena. This paper proposes a methodological approach to use information collected during excavations in order to qualify and reinforce the analysis of the dynamics that rely on elements from field survey. While studying the dynamics of the settlement system during Antiquity in the Plateau lorrain (France), the use of evolving data from excavations offers solutions which balance and improve the static approach stemming from field survey data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, 27, 47-64; doi: 10.19282/AC.27.2016.03

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Gestion de l’incertitude dans une portion originale du paysage sacré gallo-romain: les sanctuaires des eaux

Damien Vurpillot

Abstract

The study of water cults in Gaul suffers not only from a great deal of variability in the quality of the available data, which is a common issue in archaeology, but also, more specifically, from the burdening of past historiographical approaches, which contributed to conveying a distorted view of the phenomenon. Accordingly, our main problems lie in site identification and reliability assessment. Until recently this uncertainty was avoided by widening the study to all sites with at least one characteristic attribute, or conversely, by limiting the corpus to the best documented sites. It seemed necessary to develop tools that would exploit this uncertainty, to study the phenomenon in the most complete possible way. These tools take the form of a database, associated with a GIS, leading to the practical evaluation of a site potential using a calculation grid.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, 27, 65-82; doi: 10.19282/AC.27.2016.04

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Modélisation des dynamiques spatiales: des registres et plans fiscaux aux graphes. Les exemples de Blandy-les-Tours (77) et de Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val (82)

Amedeo Rossi, Cécile Rivals

Abstract

The understanding and representation of spatial evolution over the time are at the core of two PhDs. These studies largely rely on the comparison of diverse inventories of the same territory from tax documents and maps: terriers and compoix. These documents provide a lot of information on the structure of rural and/or urban areas. However, comparing this kind of information, which was compiled in successive periods, is sometimes difficult, especially because of frequent absence of maps related to the registers. Thanks to ANR ModelEspace’s work, it is now possible to study these documents by exploiting their topological properties: information from textual and/or planimetric sources is modelled as a graph which permits a comparison in order to analyse the spatial dynamics of land over time. That is why this method for processing spatial data is applied to the territory of Blandy-les-Tours (77) and Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val (82) to observe land tenure, social and landscape dynamics.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, 27, 83-106; doi: 10.19282/AC.27.2016.05

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Una proposta di analisi GIS per la lettura degli assetti insediativi nell’Abruzzo interno tra l’età del Ferro e la romanizzazione

Valeria Acconcia, Serafino Lorenzo Ferreri

Abstract

This paper presents a territorial analysis focused on a sample area in the inner region of Abruzzo, delimited by the Gran Sasso and the Sirente mountain ranges and characterised by strong geomorphological irregularities. Archaeological data from the Final Bronze Age/ Early Iron Age to the beginning of the Romanization process are analysed through a computer-based approach, using CAD, DBMS and GIS. Published data about this region are quite disjointed, both for methodological reasons and for various interferences in the archaeological record. These aspects influenced the landscape analyses proposed in previous studies and the hypothesis about the territorial exploitation patterns during the pre-Roman times. Research has been mainly concentrated on sites with better visibility, such as fortified hilltop sites and necropolises, frequently compared to the Roman settlement pattern, based on valley floor sites along the main pathways. Nevertheless, recent surveys suggest that these data should be reconsidered, taking into account both the presence of other kinds of sites (such as the Iron Age/Archaic period small rural sites localised in the valley floor) and continuity in the settlement pattern up to Roman times. The available archaeological data have been processed within a GIS, in order to investigate placement and visibility/intervisibility factors in hilltop fortified sites, starting from an expressly projected DEM. The territorial sample has been filtered using qualitative and quantitative parameters, proving that hilltop sites during the pre-Roman times were likely to control the natural catchment area. In Roman times, this pattern lost its mainly defensive character, with hilltop sites being abandoned, and was incorporated in the so-called ‘paganus-vicanicus’ system, connected to the administrative subdivision gravitating on urban centres (coloniae and then municipia) and on new monumental cult places.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, 27, 179-195; doi: 10.19282/AC.27.2016.09

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Applicazioni GIS all’archeologia urbana: il caso di Ravenna

Enrico Cirelli

Abstract

Over the past few decades Geographical Information Systems in archaeological practice and above all in urban archaeology have become a standard tool for understanding the development of late antique towns. This paper analyses the city of Ravenna as a case-study, illustrating some standard and innovative GIS applications in a city characterised by non-systematic archaeological research. GIS helped us to systematize archaeological investigations and to guide city planning. New important excavations, in Piazza Kennedy, with the discovery of the 5th c. church of S. Agnese, and other smaller trenches in the city centre, add a fundamental collection of archaeological data. The creation of new chronological evaluation maps highlighted empty research zones in the old city, where urban archaeology should focus new excavations and archaeological evaluation projects.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, 27, 209-226; doi: 10.19282/AC.27.2016.11

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il comprensorio della catacomba di San Callisto tra la via Appia e la via Ardeatina (Roma) alla luce delle indagini geofisiche estensive

Cristina Felici, Stefano Campana, Vincenzo Fiocchi Nicolai, Lucrezia Spera, Gianluca Catanzariti, Gianfranco Morelli, Francesco Pericci, Ken Saito

Abstract

The paper presents and discusses results from the integration of various methods of geophysical prospection on the plateau between the Via Appia and the Via Ardeatina on the ancient suburb of Rome. The use of large-scale magnetometry, georadar and electromagnetic survey in an area of particularly dense archaeological remains is a highly effective methodology for revealing important information on previously unknown archaeological features. Of particular interest in this case is the comparison between geophysical data and the results of previous excavations, and newly-targeted test investigations that suggest the survival of the documented but previously undiscovered basilica of Pope Damasus as well as unknown catacomb tunnels at San Callisto and elsewhere on the plateau.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, 27, 227-249; doi: 10.19282/AC.27.2016.12

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Fotomodellazione 3D e rilievo speditivo di scavo: l’esperienza del Philosophiana Project

Marco Sfacteria

Abstract

The author illustrates the graphic documentation process that has been developed during the excavations at Sofiana in the Municipality of Mazzarino (CL, Sicily), as part of the Philosophiana Project. The project started in 2012 thanks to the cooperation between the Universities of Cornell, Cambridge and Messina and since the beginning it was necessary to document the excavations speedily, but without the loss of measurement accuracy featuring a well-established methodology of archaeological survey. The pipeline of the work has consisted in digitising archaeological contexts in a GIS platform from an orthophoto produced with 3D photomodeling. This process resulted in an optimal documentation according to the project requirements. The author also focuses on the importance of graphic documentation, which should be as important as the excavation process itself. Despite archaeology having a long tradition in the field of archaeological survey, this process is often perceived as a necessity rather than a key research tool. For this reason surveys are not always carried out by a professional figure, causing a lack of homogeneity in the final data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, 27, 271-289; doi: 10.19282/AC.27.2016.14

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Open Data in archeologia: una questione giuridica o culturale

Mirella Serlorenzi, Ilaria Jovine, Valeria Boi, Milena Stacca

Abstract

Archaeological research responds to the ultimate purpose of increasing common knowledge, the conservation and dissemination of which are entrusted to the State on behalf of the citizens. Following this basic principle, which is not only legal but first and foremost cultural, the SITAR, a project designed and managed by the archaeological Superintendency of Rome, is dealing with the issue of making archaeological data accessible to the public. The office’s archives represent a major repository of archaeological field reports, often unpublished. To date, SITAR has made archaeological data freely accessible online, through the publication of summary sheets of information extracted from field reports, previously validated by State Officials. Up to now the documents have been accessible only to registered users, but they are not published online because of privacy protection and authorship rights. The debate about the rights of publication of those documents is still open, so this persistent legal uncertainty prevents this great fund of knowledge from taking advantage of the digital revolution.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 51-58

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

RAPTOR 1.5. Aggiornamenti e sperimentazione

Matteo Frassine, Giuseppe Naponiello, Stefania De Francesco, Alessandro Asta

Abstract

RAPTOR (Ricerca Archivi e Pratiche per la Tutela Operativa Regionale) is a geo-database developed in order to supply officials of the Italian Superintendency for Archaeological Heritage with a user-friendly instrument to handle those daily administrative practices that have an impact on the territory. The system, two years after it was presented for the first time during the 2012 ArcheoFOSS, has been tested and developed in order to refine the computer-supported procedure that now enables us to manage the whole variety of work carried out in every kind of geographical context, including urban and marine sites. The mapping of the archaeological results is also envisaged. Part of the computer procedure consists of a quick recording system, which allows the official archaeologist to register the basic data including geographic features of an archaeological site or of areas with no archaeological evidence. At the same time, a more detailed analysis is also possible. Geometries can be linked to the site information sources and the whole available scientific record can be uploaded. In this way, it is also possible to manage the most complex sites. Archaeological firms can log on to the system to upload the excavation reports drawn up in line with the standards outlined by the Superintendencies.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 61-71

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

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

QuantumGIS per il monitoraggio e la conoscenza del patrimonio archeologico e ambientale dell’Area Marina Protetta di Porto Cesareo (Lecce, Italia)

Cristiano Alfonso, Giacomo Di Giacomo

Abstract

Morphological changes in the coastline are related to numerous natural factors of erosion and accumulation, in addition to human actions. These changes have their effects on the entire coastal landscape and, over time, they have left their mark on the territory, enabling us, with the help of archaeological analysis, to hypothesize the scenario of previous landscapes. In this project, we tested a multidisciplinary study of these phenomena, through an innovative system for the interpretation of the modern landscape, based on the diachronic reading of previous landscapes. A level of knowledge of this type implies the integrated management of a large amount of heterogeneous data. Datasets available for this project include information acquired through the use of instruments to scan the seabed as well as data from aerial and satellite platforms both historical and recent, as well as Lidar data. QuantumGIS has proved the most effective tool to manage all the data through their indexing. Geographical data has been stored in a geospatial database based on PostgreSQL with PostGIS extension. All the data acquired were managed through QuantumGIS thanks also to the acquisition of new information. When the project is completed, it will be possible to reconstruct the evolutionary dynamics that led to the current situation and also to predict, with relative accuracy, future scenarios. In this paper we are presenting the preliminary results of this study, focusing on the methodologies used and the results obtained.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 80-87

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

QuantumGIS per la gestione dei dati dalla survey 2013 a Helawa nella piana di Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq

Luca Peyronel, Daniele Bursich, Giacomo Di Giacomo

Abstract

The 2013 season of fieldwork of the Italian Archaeological Expedition in the Helawa/Aliawa Area (MAIPE-Missione Archeologica Italiana nella Piana di Erbil, Kurdistan) was conducted by the University IULM of Milan, with the cooperation of IBAM-CNR of Lecce and the Sapienza University of Rome. The investigation focused on a small part of the South-Western Erbil plain and included two main mounds, Helawa (South) and Aliawa (North). A complete topographic plan was created starting from the measurements taken with differential GPS (for DEM and GIS elaboration). The collection of materials on the surface enabled us to make a preliminary assessment of the main periods of occupation at the site, spanning from the Late Neolithic (Halaf and Ubaid periods, 6th millennium BC) to the Middle Assyrian period (13th-12th century BC). The project of acquisition of topographic and archaeological records from the intensive survey conducted on the site involved the use of open source tools. All data were organized in a GIS system based on QuantumGIS and metadata are now stored in a PostgreSQL/PostGIS database, allowing for the subsequent phases of mapping elaboration. The topographic work produced a complete archaeological space-map, with distribution of materials on the surface, sections of the site, a digital elevation model and all the data collected during the survey entered in a webGIS. This paper illustrates the state-of-the-art of this GIS project, and introduces future developments like the web data-entry interface written in PHP, and the webGIS based on GeoServer and GeoExplorer.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 88-96

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il Sistema Informativo Archeologico di Roma antica e del suo territorio: una migrazione verso sistemi Open Source

Fabio Giorgio Cavallero, Gianluca De Rosa

Abstract

The Sistema Informativo Archeologico di Roma Antica e del suo Territorio was created by the Sapienza University of Rome. The system was initially designed on a proprietary software platform. Its complexity stems from the fact that it included all the structures and the objects found in Rome within the Aurelian walls. A research team led by F.G. Cavallero assisted by G. De Rosa is dealing with the system migration to an open source software (QGIS and PostgreSQL/PostGIS). The difficulties encountered in this process and the strategies used to overcome them are the subject of this paper.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 97-105

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Dai sistemi proprietari non comunicanti a un sistema integrato di gestione dei dati di scavo e delle indagini geofisiche: il caso del sito della Casa delle Bestie Ferite (Aquileia)

Lucia Michielin, Guglielmo Strapazzon

Abstract

This paper illustrates a GIS system for the management of the excavation and geophysical data of the Aquileia Bestie Ferite Domus research project. Since 2012 all the project data have been collected in different systems set up with closed software without a means of dialogue between the two systems. An AutoCAD file collected the SU (Stratigraphic Units) survey while all the alphanumeric data were organized within a FileMaker Database (AdaM: Archaeological DAta Management). In recent years a GIS platform (Esri ArcGIS) has been added, containing the output of the georadar surveys. The first step dealt with the selection of the cartographic reference system (Gauss-Boaga). On the basis of the Gauss-Boaga reference system, the transformation from CAD to shape files was conducted. Simultaneously, the cartographic and the geophysical data were implemented within this system. The project is still in progress and the next steps will deal with the linking of the database and with the updating of the new excavation campaign data. The final goal is the implementation of a QGIS based platform for the filing of archaeological data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 106-114

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

L'acquedotto romano di Alba Fucens (AQ). Un GIS per il processo di ricerca, tutela e valorizzazione del sito

Dario Rose, Emanuela Ceccaroni

Abstract

The study case of the Roman aqueduct of Alba Fucens, Massa d’Albe (AQ), Abruzzo region confirms that GIS is an essential tool for archaeological research on the territory and for the planning of archaeological safeguarding activity. The colony of Alba Fucens, founded at the end of the 4th century BC, during the late-republican age, was provided with water by an aqueduct that, thanks to the channel and to an inverted siphon, was capable of bringing water from a distance of 10 km. All research records are organized within the GIS, which is a necessary tool for many reasons: the development of the study, the constant verification of the data, the publication of the research results, and also the archaeological safeguarding and monitoring activities. The GIS open source (gvSIG) is the ideal common platform for the institutions working on the cultural site (Superintendency for the Archaeological Heritage, University, Natural Regional Park), as it allows us to share the data and to perform particular thematic elaborations and planning activities. The possibility to share the difficulties with the community of reference (gvsig-italian at lists.osgeo.org) and to participate in their solutions, stimulates open software development and assures the longevity of GIS products, which is always subject to upgrades and research requirements. On the GIS platform other kinds of useful information are mapped, considering that the aqueduct runs in an urbanized area. Therefore, every single problem detected can be marked for security and maintenance intervention. The GIS platform can also be used for touristic control and vigilance purposes. The development of a walking tour along the course of the aqueduct, from the sources to the archaeological area of Alba Fucens, which is inside the Sirente-Velino Natural Regional Park, will allow visitors to discover it and to enjoy learning about the ancient Roman construction, thanks to a guide and to the educational contents using the webGIS interface.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 115-120

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Fotointerpretazioni archeologiche su dati cartografici web-based in ambiente QGIS: alcune applicazioni nel territorio aquilano-vestino

Serafino Lorenzo Ferreri

Abstract

This paper concerns the archaeological potential of the cartographic data available online, such as satellite imagery used by Bing Maps and Google Earth and orthophotos published on the National Geoportal or in that of the Regione Abruzzo. The characteristics of these data, together with their immediate availability and the ability to uploaded in QGIS, allow us to operate photo-interpretations by video, vectorizing archaeological traces and anomalies. This methodology was applied in the Vestino territory, in the province of L’Aquila, a particularly suitable area for archaeological research based on the use of remote images, as demonstrated by IBAM-CNR project, that led to the identification of many traces of burial areas, buildings, roads and farming systems. Through the procedure mentioned above, we added several new traces of archaeological sites. Only a very small portion of them - limited to burial sites - were excavated between 2012 and 2014 by the University G. D’Annunzio of Chieti.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 121-125

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La digitalizzazione dei documenti, i database e il GIS nell'ambito della ricerca topografica: l'esempio dei possessi dell'abbazia di Farfa (RI) tra VIII e IX secolo

Alessio Innocenti

Abstract

Through modern technologies we are able to use medieval documents for topographic studies in a more efficient way. It is easier to read and use a document once it has been digitized and recorded in a topographic database. The present study is based on a partially computerized archive of one of the most important medieval cartularies, the Regestum Farfense. The topographic database was linked to a GIS software, QGIS, in order to create a thematic cartography about the properties of the Farfa abbey. Both cartography and database were made with open source software (LibreOffice and QGIS). Thematic layers were created using data collected in the database, which contains some important fields, such as Chronology, Property Type (Fundus, Casales, Gualdus, Curtis, Ecclesia, Monasterium), Acquisition Type (Purchase, Donation, Exchange), Location (Known-Hypothetical, Exact-Areal), useful for cartographic purposes. Thanks to these computer applications, new insights into some important historical and archaeological questions emerge, like the role of the abbeys in Italy during the Lombard and Carolingian periods. In addition, it is vital for research activity to be able to read a document in a faster and easier way. In fact, documents often reveal new information when we manage them with new instruments.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 126-131

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

OpenCiTy Project. Open Data, GIS, webGIS per l'archeologia urbana e il patrimonio culturale di Catania

Daniele Malfitana, Giuseppe Cacciaguerra, Antonino Mazzaglia, Samuele Barone, Valerio Noti

Abstract

The intent of the OpenCiTy Project is to create a platform able to produce, collect, manage and share heterogeneous information, in order to increase community awareness about the history of Catania. The first goal is to provide a powerful and versatile instrument linked to the research needs, the protection, enjoyment, appreciation and promotion of the Cultural Heritage. The core of the project consists of a relational database specifically structured and placed inside an Open Source GIS Platform, allowing a full management and analysis of the data on a geographic basis. The data in the platform will cover different areas of interest. The archaeological, monumental, environmental and cultural evidence of Catania are stored with a high level of detail in order to offer a better understanding of the complex urban stratification. The final output is represented by a webGIS platform showing the information on geographical base.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 150-161

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Uno strumento webGIS per lo studio e l'analisi dei percorsi spazio-temporali del patrimonio culturale di Cipro

Valentina Vassallo, Niki Kyriacou, Sorin Hermon, Ioannis Eliades

Abstract

The Byzantine Museum of the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation in Nicosia (Cyprus) hosts numerous artefacts, dating from the 6th to the 20th centuries A.D. Some were looted from the Turkish-occupied areas of the island and have recently been repatriated. A webGIS tool under development, stores information regarding these artefacts and their spatial and temporal characteristics. The user can navigate through the history of the artefacts and have different views of the area. The GIS structure is based on micro geographical scale and it will be expanded to macro. In the micro scale the artefacts originally located within the city walls of Nicosia have been mapped. The macro scale project will cover Cyprus and other countries, where the artworks were initially located and to which they ‘travelled’. The aim is to visualize the spatial and temporal movement of the artefacts and retrieve some statistical data regarding their original provenance and the places where they were located after being illegally exported. The users can visualize information through the artefacts metadata documentation.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 162-169

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

ArcheoFi (archeologia.comune.fi.it): un sistema informativo per la gestione e condivisione dei principali dati archeologici di Firenze

Gabriele Andreozzi, Giuseppina Carlotta Cianferoni, Carlo Francini, Annica Sahlin, Emiliano Scampoli

Abstract

ArcheoFi is a tool for sharing archaeological information between the City of Florence, the Superintendence and private companies operating in the city. Its purpose is to help scholarly research and build a city planning project that takes into account the complex reality of the urban underground. ArcheoFi aims to provide a simple interface, easily accessible via the web, with the main archaeological data and maps of excavation from 1860 to the present. ArcheoFi has a public open access part and a private one, accessible thorough a login and password. The public part is a web site that allows search of archaeological data, viewing of photos and maps. The private part is reserved for authorized users and contains more specific information and the forms for data entry. ArcheoFi is made with open source client and server side software (php, js, java). The data is stored in a Postgres-PostGIS geo-database and is shared through WMS services that can be displayed in all desktop GIS.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 170-180

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Sperimentazione di un sistema GIS cloud open source per la condivisione e la valorizzazione del patrimonio archeologico

Giacomo Di Giacomo

Abstract

The ability to index and quickly retrieve heterogeneous information from a shared space, makes the cloud an extremely effective tool for the remote sharing of archaeological data. It becomes even more useful when there is a cartographic engine in the dashboard that can handle the geographic information in the cloud. The Laboratory of Ancient Topography, Archaeology and Remote Sensing of IBAM-CNR, is experimenting a GIS cloud entirely made by integrating a variety of resources with open source licence. The cloud platform of the system is implemented with the software own cloud, which, through a MySQL database server, implements the access control. A hyperlink in own cloud redirects users to the mapserver, which at this stage of development is QGIS server; the data entry is done through QGIS Desktop and a QGIS project allows users to enter data into a PostgreSQL db. Through this configuration, data entered from any desktop device are available immediately in the cloud. Testing of the system has already begun on Lecce and Taormina, where the creation of archaeological digital maps are in progress. These research activities are parts of more complex projects that also involve other agencies: the Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Salento for the Archaeological Map of Lecce, and the Department of Classical Studies, University of Messina and the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage and Environment of the Province of Messina for the Archaeological Map of Taormina.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 181-187

2016 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Condividere la conoscenza di un progetto: la knowledge base del SITAR

Arjuna Cecchetti, Federica Lamonaca

Abstract

On the occasion of the 2013 edition of ArcheoFOSS, the SITAR Project presented the first steps towards the setup of a Knowledge Base dedicated to the Archaeological Information System of Rome. After one year, it is interesting to present a summary of the progress of this platform. The SITAR Knowledge Base was created to promote collaboration among different partners and to facilitate the dialogue and the interaction of the users with the Information System. The project itself intends to be a meeting-point between the Institution, that has the objective to preserve, organize and represent archaeological data, and all the parties that need to use and reuse them. The dialogue is well-supported also by a wiki environment, a SITAR-glossary with official definitions of the specific terms of the project and with an open wiki for the contributions of specialized users. This paper intends to explore the perspectives of the SITAR Knowledge Base, as a system for open content management and as a dissemination instrument for archaeological and technical knowledge, creating constant two-way traffic for the construction of new archaeological knowledge while, at the same time, disclosing to the public the dataset represented through the webGIS encountering the communities that live in the city in a perspective of Public Archaeology.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2016, Supplemento 8, 188-194

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

From CIL to 2D and 3D GIS

Karin Lundqvist, Giacomo Landeschi

Abstract

Paper presented at the Italic inscriptions and databases workshop.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, 26, 25-27; doi: 10.19282/ac.26.2015.08

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

From the Archaeological Map of Italy to the National Geographical Archaeological Information System. The Sardinian experience

Giovanni Azzena, Roberto Busonera, Federico Nurra, Enrico Petruzzi

Abstract

The Office for the Archaeological Map of Italy was established by Royal Decree in 1889. In 1926, as an ideal continuation of the Archaeological Map, the first volume of the Forma Italiae was published. Subsequently, with the advent of information technology, a new era of archaeological mapping began, adjusting the Forma Italiae to the latest technological developments. Inheriting this solid methodological basis, and benefitting from the latest digital innovations, we present the Sardinian node of the national archaeological computer network. This is not the proposal for the creation of yet another archaeological information system, but a project for the creation of a tool aimed at data sharing and identification of archaeological heritage property. The project intends to be a point of reference for data exchange on a national and international scale and at different levels of detail.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, 26, 115-129; doi: 10.19282/ac.26.2015.21

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Pattern analysis of Chalcolithic settlements in the valley of Sarfirouzabad, Kermanshah, Iran

Kamal Aldin Niknami, Vahid Askarpour

Abstract

The advent of new technologies has had a profound impact on the evolution of archaeological methodological approaches, allowing archaeologists to refine traditional assessments about the nature of past human societies and to expand their theoretical horizons. GIS-based technologies are among the new technologies aimed at reconstructing spatial-related aspects of past human communities. The paper illustrates the use of some ArcGIS tools supplemented with satellite low resolution images to produce a layered workable archaeological map suitable for analyzing specific issues such as ancient cultural ecology and landscape reconstruction. Integrated satellite imagery and GIS analyses are applied to reconstruct spatial distribution patterns of the Chalcolithic period in Central Zagros as seen from the Sarfirouzabad valley adjacent to Mahidasht inter-mountainous plain, near Kermanshah, Iran. The search for considerable changes in the settlement distribution patterns relating to the ecological attributes is one of the aims of the paper, using GIS-based methods such as Thiessen polygons analysis, site-point spatial distribution analysis and buffer analysis. The results are discussed through categories covering distribution of Chalcolithic sites over the different environs of the study area, spatial distribution of pottery styles, and spatial models of Chalcolithic distribution patterns.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, 26, 131-147; doi: 10.19282/ac.26.2015.22

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Studio dell’insediamento protostorico in un’area della Sardegna centro-occidentale tramite strumenti GIS ed analisi multivariate

Riccardo Cicilloni, Alberto Mossa, Marco Cabras

Abstract

The authors analyze, as a sample-area, the region that includes the municipality of Mogoro, in central-western Sardinia, with the objective to reconstruct, through the study of the settlements and their relationships, some economic and social aspects of the human groups of nuragic culture that inhabited this area between the 18th and the 8th century BC. The territory is located at the foot of Monte Arci, along the Mogoro river that runs through the southern part of the plain of the Campidano of Oristano. The area has been intensively investigated from the half of the past century; an in-depth stratigraphic investigation was carried out since 1994 near the nuragic site of Cuccurada, the main center of an articulated territorial system including a rich network of monuments related to the nuragic civilization. The results are illustrated through various research methods: GIS, with the application of spatial analysis tools, and multivariate analysis (cluster and principal components analysis) that allowed to set out new hypotheses on occupation and populating dynamics and to identify among pre-historical monuments one or more homogeneous and distinguishable groups, resulting from a database in which geomorphological characteristics are recorded. A hierarchical organization and a specific criterion for exploiting and monitoring the landscape have been developed, in which settlement choices depend on functionality criteria, having nuraghi and villages a key role on the strategic control of the territory.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, 26, 149-168; doi: 10.19282/ac.26.2015.23

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

A hand to the plough. A GIS-based cartographical analysis of changes in elevation due to terrain modification and erosion in the settlement area of ancient Crustumerium

Jorn Seubers, Tom Trienen

Abstract

Plough zone archaeology is revealed to us by post-depositional processes that move, abrade, disperse, obscure and change the composition of surface find assemblages, biasing the interpretation of survey data. The tuff bedrock that is characteristic of the geology of large parts of Central Italy is well known to be prone to erosion, which has been accelerated due to the long and intensive agricultural exploitation of the landscape. In the case of the ancient Latin settlement of Crustumerium (North-Rome) the adverse effects of erosion on the preservation of the archaeological record have been stressed by several scholars. One of the objectives of the archaeological fieldwork on Crustumerium by the Groningen Institute of Archaeology, in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma, is to investigate the nature and impact of these taphonomic processes for the archaeology of this ancient urban area. The current paper investigates the history of land-use on the site of Crustumerium on the basis of elevation information in topographical maps covering a period of a century. The authors will quantify the geomorphological changes on the basis of a diachronic analysis of digital elevation models generated and compared within a GIS. The result is a series of maps in which the degree of erosion and subsequently the expected preservation of subsurface archaeology is defined for the entire settlement area. Maps like this can help guide future research plans, but can also assist in the interpretation of currently available data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, 26, 169-188; doi: 10.19282/ac.26.2015.24

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Analisi di distribuzione delle ceramiche dell’età del Bronzo: il caso dell’Italia centro-settentrionale

Maurizio Cattani, Florencia Debandi

Abstract

The huge amount of available records belonging to the Italian Bronze Age and the necessity to find a methodological support in data treatment prompted the research group of the University of Bologna to build and test IT solutions. In particular, material culture data were processed within a database system, in order to develop a typological classification, linked to the table containing provenance data (site and context) and to a GIS. Therefore, through the geostatistical analysis it is possible to visualize and easily evaluate the distribution of each type or of any other result. The system includes a visualization module of cumulative graphic documentation resulting from queries to the database for a better reconnaissance and validation of the typological classification. Final aim of the project is the possibility to share with other scholars and institutions any record or any result of distributional analysis through a webGIS, now available in a preliminary testing form.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, 26, 255-264; doi: 10.19282/ac.26.2015.30

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Archeologia dell’architettura in Romagna: la banca dati territoriale

Andrea Fiorini

Abstract

This article describes the methods used within the Archaeology of Architecture in Romagna research project and in particular the structure and principles of the database. The results obtained in the following fields are illustrated: transformation of the architecture of churches and castles, medieval building technologies, ancient measuring standards, and clients. We selected 47 sites, including 7 ecclesiastical and 40 defensive buildings (castles). In the urban landscape the research focused on one of the most significant ecclesiastical buildings in Ravenna: the church of Santa Croce. Expanding into the field of monumental landscaping, a new project focused on a census of moulds and the forms of ancient building materials (campioni mensori) in northern Italy. In medieval Italian communes craftsmen and traders had to follow many rules to ensure the honesty and integrity of trades. All the members within the same administrative district had to use same systems of linear measurements and weights. Samples of these were exhibited on the walls of public buildings. Our methodological approach for the study of a monument uses the ancient measurements in order to understand the identity of clients, the origin of the workers and the chronology of architectures. The last part of the article suggests future goals of the research project.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, 26, 275-288; doi: 10.19282/ac.26.2015.32

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS and remote sensing for a preliminary assessment of the archaeological landscape in the Eblaite chora (Syria)

Simone Mantellini

Abstract

The paper focuses on the preliminary assessment of the archaeological landscape around Tell Mardikh-Ebla (Syria). The ERC funded Ebla Chora Project allowed to conduct a systematic collection of findings from the site and its surrounding neighbors. The information from previous surveys was combined with the data from spatial datasets (topographical maps, aerial photos, satellite images, DEMs) in order to provide a first inventory of sites of the Eblaite chora. A preliminary interpretation of the development of settlement pattern and territory exploitation is now possible, especially for the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC) when Ebla was the capital of a vast kingdom. Many potential sites were also detected, however their validation requires a field inspection which is currently suspended because of the civil war.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, 26, 289-299; doi: 10.19282/ac.26.2015.33

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

L’alta Valle del Taro: strategie locazionali in ambiente montano

Cristiano Putzolu

Abstract

A case-study is examined concerning the location/allocation strategies of the High Taro Valley (Parma-Italy) during the Middle to the Late Bronze Age and a predictive analysis is performed on the basis of a locally-sensitive application of T. Higuchi's (1998) model. The current work derives from a PhD project carried out by the author at the University of Padova. First, the research project database is presented, then three different analyses performed in mountainous environment are illustrated: two viewshed-based and one distance-based. The first is intended to analyze the visual control of each site on the surrounding landscape and to propose the clustering of sites in different geographical districts following the datum of their intervisibility inside a given buffer. The second seeks to highlight the high rate of overall control of Bronze Age sites over the entire landscape. The distance-based analysis shows a high correspondence between Bronze Age sites and ophiolites formations, known in academic literature as geological formations rich in chalcopyrite and possibly related to bronze metallurgy.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, 26, 315-323; doi: 10.19282/ac.26.2015.35

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Dalle ricerche topografiche all’archeologia preventiva. Il GIS del progetto Ager Lucerinus: modelli di indagine e strategie di intervento nei Monti Dauni

Maria Luisa Marchi, Giovanni Forte, Italo Maria Muntoni, Alessandro De Leo

Abstract

This paper presents the ongoing Ager Lucerinus project, as part of the Archaeological Map of Italy - Forma Italiae project. The main aim of the study was to undertake a complete historical reconstruction of the cultural landscape of the colonial territory of Luceria (Apulia), including the border area between the Tavoliere and the Daunian Subappennines. The extensive and systematic survey of the whole study area was combined with the collection of GPS georeferenced data integrated into an ad hoc GIS. All monumental and structural archaeological features, as well as scattered materials on the surface were georeferenced, their shapes and sizes perfectly represented. The paper also illustrates the project to safeguard the settlement at Chiancone (Pietramontecorvino) as a representative example of the synergy between Universities, the Superintendency and local authorities. The survey allowed us to identify a vast settlement dating back to the 5th-4th centuries BC. The extensive archaeological excavations undertaken in 2012 and 2014 confirmed the presence of a Daunian settlement and brought to light the earthen grave of a warrior, characterised by the richness of the grave goods. These data are also of great importance for understanding the boundaries and the connections between the so-called Daunian and Samnite territories, also confirmed by ancient literary sources.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, 26, 325-340; doi: 10.19282/ac.26.2015.36

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Verso la creazione di un Sistema Lazio: la collaborazione istituzionale con la Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Lazio

Elena Calandra, Maria Grazia Fiore, Giovanna Alvino, Micaela Angle, Giovanna Rita Bellini, Giuseppina Ghini, Stefania Panella, Annalisa Zarattini

Abstract

At the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici of Lazio Region, a number of diverse databases are in use for cataloguing and management of cultural heritage. The existing databases have been designed in different moments, for different purposes and in different ways, so interoperability is impossible between them. In order to ensure interoperability and to promote the sharing of cultural information and services, the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici of Lazio has started a collaboration with the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma (SSBAR), which since 2007 has been developing SITAR. The data model and database, created by SITAR for the Italian Capital, will be used as a basis for a common infrastructure, so the previous databases can progressively flow into a unique platform for sharing cultural data with an increasingly wide audience, not only researchers and public bodies, but also all citizens.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 63-73

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Verso la creazione di un Sistema Lazio: la collaborazione istituzionale con la Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell’Etruria Meridionale

Alfonsina Russo, Flavia Trucco

Abstract

The paper gives an overview of the various databases currently used in the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici of Etruria Meridionale, which are non-interoperable due to the adoption of different technical solutions and data-models. The idea is to bring together the existing databases and make them interoperable and accessible to a wide audience, creating a sort of Sistema Lazio, a unique platform for the storage, management and sharing of the Southern Etruria cultural heritage. The main goals are the systematization of the archive documents, their digitization and, ultimately, their sharing with the stakeholders: public bodies, researchers and professionals, in order to make data available for study, research, preventive archaeology, but also edutainment and tourism. In order to reach this objective, a collaboration with the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma (SSBAR), which is developing SITAR, was started. SITAR is designed to store the archaeological record of Rome and thanks to its modular and easy to extend data-model, can be easily reused for a different and wider territorial context like Southern Etruria.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 75-80

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

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Raptor 1.1. Archeologia nella pratica: dai progetti alla documentazione di scavo

Matteo Frassine, Giuseppe Naponiello, Stefania De Francesco, Alessandro Asta

Abstract

RAPTOR (Italian acronym for Ricerca Archivi e Pratiche per la Tutela Operativa Regionale) is a geodatabase specifically designed to manage the administrative procedures of the Italian archaeological superintendencies. The software was originally developed by the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici of Friuli Venezia Giulia and it is currently shared with the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici of Lombardy and Veneto, in order to define and support the use of common standards. The system does not require any particular skill in computer sciences and, given the lack of human and financial resources, it is intentionally structured to allow an autonomous approach for each user, in order to offer the possibility of a collaborative work. Currently the development has been focused on a suite of applications, which helps to redact those documents that are in direct relationship with the territory and cultural heritage protection. Thanks to a wizard, which guides the Superintendency officers through the compilation of few simple forms in the database, in combination with the use of a set of drawing tools, it is possible not only to map every single project carried out in the territory of jurisdiction, but also to have a general overview of the archaeological excavation’s outcome. For this reason, a specific section of the system is dedicated to professionals and private society, so that the documentation of their work, compiled in accordance with the given standard, can be directly uploaded in the archives of the Superintendency.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 169-178

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Strategia progetto e sviluppo tecnologico del portale NADIR-network archeologico di ricerca

Antonio Gottarelli, Giuseppe Sassatelli

Abstract

The portal NADIR (Network of Archaeological Research) is developed from the work of the Commission Carandini of 2009 for the SITAN (Sistema Informativo Territoriale Archeologico Nazionale) and aims to build integration between scientific information systems and infrastructure of computer networks, the physical locations and the various functional areas of research that are developed at the national level. It aspires to be a cooperative network of shared work between the different databases spread throughout the country.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 179-185

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

L’arte di valorizzare il Cultural Heritage: il modello STeMA nel progetto NEWCIMED

Maria Prezioso, Maria Dolores Fernandez-Mayolares Perez

Abstract

The contribution of research in territorial planning involving cultural heritage highlights some scientific questions relative to: 1) territorial diversity as the main factor for managing impacts and effects of the tourism development by offering endogenous and sustainable solutions; 2) the capacity of territories to achieve these goals by means of general directives and common methodologies and procedures; 3) the potential of territorial dimensions to generate a competitive reaction by translating general directives in endogenous place-based strategies and by applying common planning methodology. In particular, this paper discusses issues related to the European NEWCIMED project (New Cities of the Mediterranean Basin, ENPI CBC Med Programme). By adopting an innovative methodological approach named STeMA (Sustainable Territorial environmental/economic Management Approach), the project is realizing sustainable, integrated, strategic and competitive touristic management plans in seven new Mediterranean cities. Respect of local identities, economic growth, social inclusion and employment goals are developed by ex ante and ex post assessment of Cultural Heritage’s territorial potential capital.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 187-198

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La costruzione della Forma Urbis digitale di Roma medievale: il progetto dell’Università di Roma Tor Vergata

Alessandra Molinari, Nicoletta Giannini

Abstract

Aim of this paper is to introduce the Medieval Forma Urbis project which is part of an agreement between Lazio Region and Tor Vergata University (Rome-Italy). The analysis starts from an assumption: surely, the urban history of ancient and medieval Rome has a wide bibliography with important summaries and several detailed studies related to medieval buildings, by architects and art historians but also by archaeologists. Furthermore, historical far-reaching reviews contained in the recent essay by J.C. Maire Vigueur or in the one by C.J. Wickham apply a stringent use of the archaeological record and material culture. Why then propose a cohesive and, at the same time, detailed study about what remains of medieval Rome? The first observation we can make about all this literature, is that this kind of approach rarely used methods specific to Building Archaeology and, in any case, never when they concern the entire urban area. We believe, instead, that only stratigraphy and typology methodically applied to the reading of historical buildings can allow us to read and unravel the complex palimpsest of the city. The typological and stratigraphic analysis, managed through geo-referenced databases, is then a proper solution to reading the different building phenomena in quantitative diachronic and synchronic terms.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 213-225

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il restauro della Domus Tiberiana e la nuova piattaforma di raccolta ed elaborazione dei dati scientifici SITAR

Maria Grazia Filetici, Mirella Serlorenzi, Raffaella Palombella, Lino Traini

Abstract

For decades, the complex of Domus Tiberiana has been the object of continuous monitoring and restorations of structures for understanding the phenomena of displacement and ruin; at the same time, archaeological excavations and architectural surveys have continued. In 2013 new projects aimed at the general restoration of the monument and at its reopening to the public were launched, and a comprehensive and integral program of renovation of historical and archaeological knowledge of the monument was begun. The prerequisite for conservation and archaeological research is the management of a lot of data, published or not, produced over time: this was possible thanks to the use of SITAR, in which data were systematized. In this way, it was possible to improve the knowledge of the history of research and by highlighting the outstanding issues in the historic-archaeological and static-structural knowledge of the monument, it was possible to improve the planning of the most urgent restorations and the most useful archaeological investigations for detailing the lesser known aspects of the monument.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 253-270

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La sistematizzazione dei dati dell’Aventino. Prospettive di ricerca

Roberto Narducci, Miriam Taviani

Abstract

Between the Republican and Imperial Age the Aventine Hill was a popular quarter characterized by a huge number of inhabitants and many buildings; later on it became an elegant residential area of the city. The hill was almost abandoned during the Late Antique period, and later, after the construction of oratories and monasteries, it acquired an almost agricultural aspect which did not change until the beginning of the 20th c., when the main construction work was concentrated between the 1930s and 1940s. Starting in 2009, the use of SITAR made it possible to add previous records about various interventions carried out by the main service managers. For the most recent data, like the excavations carried out on the via Marmorata, which brought to light structures built from the 1st to the 8th c. A.D., a chronological type that allows a diachronic vision of the excavations data was used to insert the records in the Archaeological Partitions system.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 271-283

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La sistematizzazione dei dati del II e del XV (già XX) Municipio: approfondimenti sulla via Flaminia

Marina Piranomonte, Alba Casaramona, Cristiana Cordone

Abstract

This paper illustrates some results of rescue excavations carried out during public and private work executed between the third and sixth mile of the ancient Via Flaminia before and beyond the Milvian Bridge. The excavation data are still being studied, while the graphic documentation has already been scanned, georeferenced and vectorized by the SITAR. Due to the nature of the places, the adoption of multiple methods of investigation was required. In addition to the archaeological survey, geo-archaeological drillings and prospections using ERT (Electrical Resistivity Tomography) were undertaken. The findings, arising from the various sites investigated, mainly consist of funerary buildings (like Mausoleums under the Stadio Flaminio and remains of burial chambers under the Villa Flaminia) that escaped demolition of the early 20th century, when the road was involved in an intensive building campaign, which erased it from the city landscape. On the other side of the Tiber, a portion of the ancient Via Flaminia has been unearthed in the area of a gym, Mondofitness, at the fourth mile of the Via Flaminia, and trial excavations in the area of Saxa Rubra brought to light the ruins of a Roman Villa Rustica with a thermal complex.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 285-296

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La sistematizzazione dei dati del III (già IV) Municipio. Prospettive di ricerca e sviluppo

Francesco di Gennaro, Paola Filippini, Anselmo Malizia, Andrea Ceccarelli, Arjuna Cecchetti, Peter A.J. Attema, Barbara Belelli Marchesini, Jorn Seubers

Abstract

The III municipality (formerly the IV) of Rome, ever since the 1970’s, has been archaeologically documented in a particularly intensive way by the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma (SSBAR) in collaboration with a range of Italian and foreign scholars and institutes. This has resulted in an invaluable corpus of analogue and digital data archived by the SSBAR that is now being brought together in a single spatial database on protohistoric and Roman to medieval settlement and land use features, called SITAR. In this paper the contributors discuss the genesis, workings and actual state of SITAR, highlighting the cases of the Roman villa complex of Vigna Chiari or ‘di Faonte’ and the protohistoric settlements of Fidenae and Crustumerium, the latter serving as an example of collaboration between SSBAR and a foreign institute, in this particular case the Groningen Institute of Archaeology of the University of Groningen.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 297-309

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La sistemizzazione dei dati dell’VIII (già XI) Municipio: prospettive di ricerca e sviluppo

Antonella Rotondi, Rachele Dubbini

Abstract

The area enclosed within the VIII municipality of Rome is marked by the presence of the ancient Via Appia, which includes extraordinary and widespread archaeological sites and monuments that brought to the establishment of the namesake natural Park (LR 29/97). The synergy between the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma (SSBAR) with SITAR and the territorial Landmarks Departments brought about important results, such as the recognition and identification of archaeological investigations and the set up of devices aimed at the institutional protection of the SSBAR. In 2012 and 2013, a considerable amount of data was added by the SITAR into its GeoDB. This synergy also brought about the set up of technical and thematic maps aimed at territorial protection, preventing unauthorized constructions. As for the application of SITAR in scientific research, this system offers the possibility to analyze, either in a typological and contextual point of view, a huge conglomeration of environmental and anthropogenic data leading to the analysis of several system landscapes in all their aspects. As part of the research project Settlement and spatial dynamics along the ancient Via Appia, between the Suburbium and the city of Rome, the SITAR was fundamental for analyzing the layout and visibility of the burials as expression of social promotion, for building identity and memory.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 311-322

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Roma. La sistematizzazione dei dati del Municipio IX Ovest (già XII Ovest): prospettive di ricerca

Anna Buccellato, Fulvio Coletti, Raffaella Palombella

Abstract

Recent investigations in the S-W area of the Roman suburbs, from the Via Ostiense and the Via Laurentina until the coastline near Ostia (IX and X municipalities), produced important knowledge that allowed the reconstruction of the complex network of roads, the imperial villas system and the economic reality of this wide territory. The aim of this article is focused on the activity carried on by the SITAR and the consequent important data which has been collected from its implementation, as provided by the recent law on the transparency of the public administration offices.between the Suburbium and the city of Rome, the SITAR was fundamental for analyzing the layout and visibility of the burials as expression of social promotion, for building identity and memory.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 323-340

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il Municipio XI (già XV) di Roma. Il SITAR a supporto della tutela del territorio

Laura Cianfriglia, Carmelina Ariosto, Milena Stacca, Petra Gringmuth

Abstract

This contribution provides an overview of the historical and topographical XI municipality Arvalia Portuense - that is part of the southwestern suburbs of Rome. The dynamics of exploitation of this area are conditioned by the presence of the Tiber river and of important roads such as the ancient Via Campana and Via Portuense. In this paper some sites are presented, which describe the complexity of settlement of the Portuense district, particularly between the archaic and the Republican era, through an analysis of the traces of infrastructures, land use and necropolis. Starting from some sites in which the presence of major emergencies makes the establishment of strategies for the protection of archaeological resources increasingly urgent, the SITAR office started the digitization and cataloguing of archaeological data and the webGIS platform was implemented with the new data. A tool like SITAR, which offers a detailed, easy to update picture of the territory, allows us to steer the archaeological record in the current topographical context and represents a valuable support, useful, on the one hand, to speed up the procedures of data-entry and, on the other to direct the planning of a continuously expanding urban area.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 341-352

2015 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La sistematizzazione dei dati del XIII Municipio Ovest (già XVIII Ovest): prospettive di ricerca

Anna De Santis, Annalisa Treglia, Federica Lamonaca

Abstract

This study describes the most important archaeological finds of the western part of the XIII municipality, dating back from the prehistoric age to the Roman empire. Thanks to the work of surveys and supervision of Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma (SSBAR), several protection procedures (like Castel di Guido, Polledrara di Cecanibbio, Cava Esi, Cava Mapi) have been already started. The gradual data capture of all the archaeological finds in the SITAR database is essential for an exhaustive knowledge of the territory in order to organize the conservation activity. At present, the data entry concerns all the findings since 1997 up to the present day; the sites analyzed are streets that testify the presence of the ancient Via Cornelia and Via Aurelia and other secondary roads, aqueducts (Aqua Alsietina), graves and villas of the Roman period. The SITAR system offers the possibility to analyze this data not only from a historic-archaeological point of view, with the study of the ancient settlement’s distribution and evolution, but especially with regards to the modern landscape’s transformation, becoming pivotal areas that the authorities should take into consideration for their conservation.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2015, Supplemento 7, 353-364

2014 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

SIT e database. Archeologia del paesaggio tra le valli dello Jato e del Belìce Destro

Antonio Alfano, Sebastiano Muratore

Abstract

The paper illustrates the results of the surveys carried out along the Jato Alto and Belìce Destro rivers, and the research methodology based on computer applications. The study was conducted through the integration of analytical techniques based on a GIS platform to manage and process spatial data. The principles followed in the settlement distribution (possibility of water supply, exposition, slope and intra-site visibility) and the influence of foreign elements in the territory were examined with innovative methodologies. Specific attention was therefore directed to describing the relationships between settlements and the neighbouring area, by applying landscape archaeology to study this part of Western Sicily from Prehistory to the Middle Ages, and to develop a methodology for studying the ancient landscape. The area that was chosen extends about 180 km2, to the S-E of Palermo, between the mountains near the town of Monreale and the Oreto Valley. The use of Geographic Information Systems in archaeology shows how it is an ideal tool to quickly and effectively manage, store and analyze the large amount of data produced by surveys. This system allows us to query both graphics and alphanumeric data, for statistical calculations or complex spatial analysis, aimed at identifying distribution models or relationships between different elements otherwise not visible. A fundamental part of this system is the organization and construction of a database, which requires a careful analysis in planning the phases of the project.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2014, 25, 71-91; doi: 10.19282/ac.25.2014.04

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

2014 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Alcune proposte metodologiche per l’impiego di un GIS intra-site nella documentazione di un relitto: l’applicazione sul brick Mercurio (Punta Tagliamento, Italia)

Carlo Beltrame, Stefania Manfio

Abstract

The wreck of the ship Mercurio lies at a depth of 17 m, off Punta Tagliamento, between the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. It was discovered in 2001, and was excavated in 2001, and again between 2004 and 2011, by Carlo Beltrame (Università Ca’ Foscari) in collaboration with the local archaeological superintendency. It was a brigantine, belonging to an Italian-French squadron, sunk during the battle of Grado in the 1812. Problems typical of post-Medieval ships (especially when military), such as the complexity of the aspect because of the presence of metal concretions and a lot of items of different materials and typologies and the difficulties in documenting very small objects (such as the many buttons of uniforms) with the photogrammetrical system, were solved with the use of an intra-site GIS on a Quantum GIS open source application. The GIS allowed us not only to manage the large amount of information (site-plans, topological positions of the items, photos, etc.) produced during the excavations, but also to answer questions about the dynamics both of the sinking and the formation processes and, thanks to the use of a system of virtual frames, about the location of the nautical equipment, the links between the human skeletons and the personal objects and parts of the uniforms and the location of the caulker store-room.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2014, 25, 113-129; doi: 10.19282/ac.25.2014.06

2014 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Développement d’un SIG 4D pour la ville médiévale de Cluny

Juliette Rollier, Zoé Petty, Alexandre Mazuir, Sébastien Faucher, Jean-François Coulais, Gilles Rollier

Abstract

The Cluny Abbey, the greatest building of European Christendom in the 12th century, has been transformed during its long history. The evolution of the place can be studied thanks to an abundant documentation, through archeological excavations and the study of landscape. The stratigraphic complex¬ity of the successive buildings and the vastness of the territory in relation with its hydrographical system, convinced us to install a SIG database and research system. The Abbey is located at the confluence of two rivers, progressively converted by the monks, in order to obtain an extremely rational use of the water. The installation of a collaborative and interdisciplinary platform, called SIG 4D, dedicated to the history and archeology of the Cluniac landscape, requires the grouping of various types of data, that are often very diverse. The integration of 3D elements and their geolocalization in the geographic system bring technical difficulties which have to be solved. Starting with the documentary study and the excavations, we examine the questions linked to interdisciplinary use of various types of SIG and CAO data, and their dissemination amongst various researchers. Numeric tools offer new possibilities which encourage us to elaborate treatment procedures and data dissemination which are better adapted to the hybrid nature of archeological artifacts and to the study process of the historical traces in architecture and territory.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2014, Supplemento 5, 164-179

2014 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

SIG des Merveilles: analysing rock art distribution with a web cartographic platform

Gabriel Vatin, Nicoletta Bianchi

Abstract

The Vallée des Merveilles (Valley of Marvels), in the Mercantour National Park (France), is a major place for studying the late Neolithic Age until the beginning of the Bronze Age: since the early 20th century, more than 4000 engraved rocks have been listed, representing 40,000 carvings. The Laboratoire Départemental du Lazaret has been studying these engravings for more than forty years: a large database describes the whole rocks and figures and is still filled with new findings. But such a large amount of data from a vast archaeological site needs efficient tools for its study, such as mapping the location of the rocks. Many improvements regarding the study of the carvings and their spatial distribution were made possible by the development of a web GIS: consulting the data is made easier and clearer with a web-mapping platform and specific tools. Filtering for choosing the data to display and automatically generated maps allow an overall view of the spatial distribution of the Marvels’ engravings. Using both the IGN’s Geoportal data and cartographic web libraries produced an efficient and complete web service for consulting and analyzing the engraved rocks of the Valley of Marvels. This one can be used for any area in the Mercantour Park, as long as new data are added to the databases.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2014, Supplemento 5, 190-200

2014 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Méthodologies et apports du projet ALPAGE pour l’espace parisien médiéval: l’exemple du géocodage des contribuables vers 1300

Caroline Bourlet, Laurent Costa, Hélène Noizet

Abstract

The ALPAGE project is conducted by a large team of archaeologists, historians, geomatics and computer scientists coordinated by Hélène Noizet, totalling about twenty researchers from several laboratories, including the LAMOP, ArScAn, LIENS, L3i as well as IGN-COGIT, IRHT, and the Centre de topographie historique de Paris (National Archives). Together they built a historical GIS, in order to examine the spatial dimension of historical events for the city of Paris. The project began in September 2006, lasted 44 months, and it is now hosted by the TGE Humanum (http://alpage.huma-num.fr/fr/). Through a digital webmapping platform accessible via the Internet, information co-produced by the researchers can be superimposed on present-day spatial data (blocks, parcels, roads, addresses). After presenting the general framework of the project and the application of webmapping tools, the authors illustrate the results coming from the analysis of a database which collects a series of tax records dating back to the period of Philippe le Bel, conducted together with the IRHT-CNRS, and its integration within the ALPAGE GIS platform.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2014, Supplemento 5, 201-210

2014 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Le webmapping: outil de travail des archéologues. Exemple du projet Marais de Brouage

Frédéric Pouget

Abstract

Under the PCR (Collective Research Project) entitled “The Charentais marshes from the Middle Ages to the modern era: population, environment and economy” a webmapping platform was implemented. The goal is to reconstruct the context and the lifestyle of the inhabitants of these coastal areas over a period from the Early Middle Ages to modern times. This requires multidisciplinary research work, which involves a process of gathering information from multiple sources in that territory. The webmapping site allows the integration of geographic data, nature, provenance and various dates, and makes them accessible in a simple manner to all members of the project. Researchers can then easily cross-check all this information, which supports different thoughts, assumptions and conduct analyses. The tool also allows users to acquire new information, for example from new discoveries or simply from maps, documentation or existing databases. The webmapping site quickly took a central place in the project. The various examples presented in this article illustrate the interest of such a solution which suggests a rapid development of the use of this kind of platform in the field of archeology.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2014, Supplemento 5, 211-227

2014 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

ArkeoGIS v2.0, Elements d’analyse de la mise en ligne de bases multilingues sur fond cartographique: fonctionnalités, apports et limites

Loup Bernard

Abstract

Two years after the presentation of the first version of ArkeoGIS during the JIAP meeting, version 2 is now functional. It allows French and German archaeologists working in the Rhine Valley to have an online tool, free, easy to approach and searchable on four levels. ArkeoGIS combines on a single map the available archaeological information on several thousand deposits located on both sides of the river. The chronological range takes into account the sites from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. The program, which is funded by INTERREG IVa Upper Rhine, is ongoing and provides the archaeological community with the source code of the software, allowing other researchers dealing with the study of border territories to adapt this tool to their needs.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2014, Supplemento 5, 228-237

2014 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Les apports d’un modèle conceptuel de données à l’étude des composantes urbaines d’Ostie

André Del, Julien Schoevaert

Abstract

The study of Roman cities relies on architectural typologies created before the middle of the 20th century. The recent use of computer and especially of GIS in archaeological studies requires new approaches and the definition of efficient typologies. The study of the shops of Ostia between the 1st and the 4th c. AD is based on the concept of an entity-relationship model that requires redefinition of some urban components. Through a few case-studies this paper aims to describe the contribution of an entity-relationship model to the study of Roman cities.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2014, Supplemento 5, 238-246

2014 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

De la tablette PC à la cartographie de terrain: exemple de méthodologie sur le chantier d’archéologie préventive de Noyon (Oise)

Aurélien Bolo, Marjolaine De Muylder, Caroline Font, Thomas Guillemard

Abstract

Stratigraphic recording is at the basis of any scientific archaeological investigation. It is the memory of what has been excavated and then destroyed, and it allows scholars to collect information following a reasoned and rigorous procedure. The use of databases and their implementation through increasingly complex tools force us to harmonize and rationalize field recording and helps save time and improve efficiency, a primary issue for preventive archaeology. At the Inrap, in the context of the Seine-North Europe Canal project, a technical platform is working hand in hand with the field teams. This technical support has been used in Noyon (Oise) for the implementation and the follow-up of the recording system. The vastness of the operation influenced the choice of several techniques. Four field tablets, made available by the Inrap Direction Scientifique et Technique, were used. Each one was equipped with the database CADoc (by T. Guillemard) and the system Stratifiant (by B. Desachy) for the treatment of stratigraphical data. In addition, management and querying of spatial data were carried out directly on the terrain. The example of Noyon is the departure point for the presentation of these methods and allows the authors to discuss their advantages and drawbacks.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2014, Supplemento 5, 247-256

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

SICAC: an information system for the Conjunto arqueológico de Carmona (Carmona Archaeological Ensemble) (Seville, Spain)

Ignacio Rodríguez Temiño, Daniel González Acuña, José Ildefonso Ruiz Cecilia, Alejandro Jiménez Hernández, José Manuel López Sánchez

Abstract

The Roman necropolis and amphitheater of Carmona (Seville, Spain) were excavated and opened to the public at the end of the Nineteenth century. Because of this long continuity, the Carmona Archaeological Ensemble boasts a special trait: a broad archaeological documentary archive. Efficient management of this store of information that is updated and added to on a daily basis required a computer application that could gather, integrate, conserve and facilitate the use of this volume of data from different sources. At the same time, it was considered necessary for researchers to have online access to the core substance of the information. Our information system for CAC was developed over the course of five years and is called SICAC. All of the graphic and alphanumerical data is organized in the same environment, thereby guaranteeing their integration, availability, quality and accessibility. SICAC has three platforms: desktop, online and mobile.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, 24, 101-117; doi: 10.19282/ac.24.2013.05

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Magna Sila: la tecnologia GIS nello studio e ricostruzione del paesaggio archeologico

Dimitar Uzunov, Franca Caterina Papparella, Pietro Brandmayr, Carmen Gangale, Salvatore Larosa, Antonio Mazzei

Abstract

This study belongs to the branch of research dedicated to the interpretation of the archaeological landscape using innovative models for the information analysis, managing and fruition of the land. To this aim, a preliminary analysis was carried out in order to identify the characteristic elements of the area being studied which are fundamental for landscape description. The study of material evidence is directly related, in this sense, to environmental resources in a diachronic key. The territory of Sila (Calabria) was considered as a case study and the work was divided into different essential steps, respectively concerning fact-finding elaboration, description and evaluation of data in the historical, environmental, settlement, functional and relational system of this territory. Using matrixes represented by descriptive elements of the landscape, it is possible to relate the natural, environmental, historical and archaeological features of places. The main point in this kind of approach is not territorial analysis but the development of synthesis models that make it possible to interpret the complexity of human-environment interaction. The Geographic Information System is one of the techniques for landscape analysis based on qualitative and quantitative environmental data with a great capacity for spatial interpretation of the structural properties of the landscape according to different natural and human gradients. GIS was designed to compare spatial data to temporal ones and this feature made it possible for us to elaborate interpretative approaches for understanding the way in which ancient populations made use of natural resources over the centuries.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, 24, 119-138; doi: 10.19282/ac.24.2013.06

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Tecnologie digitali integrate per lo studio del sito archeologico di Adulis (Eritrea)

Giulio Bigliardi, Sara Cappelli, Enzo Cocca

Abstract

The Adulis Project started in 2011, directed by the Ce.RDO in collaboration with the Centre for GeoTechnologies of the University of Siena and the National Museum of Eritrea. The project aims to investigate and promote the cultural heritage of the ancient port site of Adulis, one of the most important archaeological sites in Eritrea and East Africa. The paper presents the results of the first two campaigns. First of all, we analyzed the satellite imagery to identify traces of buried archaeological elements. Then, three excavation areas were opened to unearth some of the structures already identified in the excavations of the last century, as well as to investigate the stratigraphy of the site in areas where archaeological excavations have never been conducted. In conclusion, a GPS survey was conducted on the whole area to elaborate a detailed map of the site, to create a DEM and to position all the archaeological structures that are visible on the surface. All the stratigraphic, topographic and cartographic data were managed in an open source GIS, based on the combination of the desktop mapping software Quantum GIS and the plugin pyArchInit.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, 24, 139-162; doi: 10.19282/ac.24.2013.07

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Valutazione delle potenzialità archeologiche della Laguna di Venezia: la frangia lagunare sud in età post antica

Elisa Corrò

Abstract

This study shows how the analyses conducted using different kinds of disciplines (geo¬morphology, archaeology, history) can be an excellent way to focus on the origin of settlements and their attributes. The relational database is based on a ranking of archaeological, geological and historical data, followed by a single form of recording, such as excavation documentation (mapping and topography of settlements), or historical and hydrographical details. The use of a standard lexicon simplifies the implementation of data, according to a SQL language, while the data entry appears as a single window with direct access to all of the system. The GIS platform can be used for the analysis of geological (morphological and geological studies, coring), histori¬cal (cartographical sources) and archaeological data (survey, study of known materials). As a result, this approach led us to create different kinds of thematical maps, like morphological and hydrographical reconstructions of the past, by studying the underground and georeferencing historical charts. Subsequently, through a subdivision of layers, archaeological evidence was classified also by chronological and typological levels. This study allowed us to obtain a cross analysis between the concentration of archaeological material and environmental conditions at different levels of visibility. These results made it possible to evaluate the archaeological potential and the units, which were calculated by the relation between the density of evidence, the presence of alluvial deposits, the urbanization level and the water-bearing stratum, gave us an overview of the landscape evaluation.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, 24, 163-186; doi: 10.19282/ac.24.2013.08

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Discovering Chan Chan: modern technologies for urban and architectural analysis

Francesca Colosi, Roberto Gabrielli, Roberto Orazi, Eva Savina Malinverni

Abstract

Since 2002, the Italian Mission of CNR-ITABC has been operating in the archaeological complex of Chan Chan (Peru), which is the largest pre-Columbian settlement entirely built with adobe. In 1989 Chan Chan was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main purpose of the work is aimed at the conservation, documentation and use of the site and of the territory that is related to Chan Chan from a historical and cultural point of view. The urban structure of Chan Chan, which is spread over a surface of 14 km2, has a number of buildings which characterizes the town at both an architectural (ciudadelas, huacas, huachaques) and decorative level (bas-reliefs, geometrical motifs). In order to achieve our research goals, we had to arrange for the combined use of various analysis techniques that would provide both urban and architectural information about the town. The data we obtained allowed us to make a more up-to-date interpretation of the urban fabric and revealed intriguing details regarding the construction phases of one of its palaces which will be helpful both for the planning of the Archaeological Park and the restoration project of the Palacio Rivero.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, 24, 187-207; doi: 10.19282/ac.24.2013.09

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Archeologia e open data. Stato dell’arte e proposte sulla pubblicazione dei dati archeologici

Mirella Serlorenzi, Ilaria Jovine, Valeria Boi, Milena Stacca

Abstract

This article is based on the SITAR project experience, which was conducted by the Special Superintendency for Archaeology in Rome. In compliance with recent legislative developments about the open data of the Public Sector, the overall goal of the SITAR project is to propose a way to publish the archaeological data on the web, combining the protection of intellectual property rights and the necessity of sharing of information. Some archaeological data, indeed, must be considered as public data and must be shared with licenses that allow their use for research and learning, as well as the development of preventive archaeology. This paper presents a summary of the topics related to the dissemination of archaeological data, with special attention to unpublished data and to the rights related to their publication, in relation with both the protection of intellectual property rights of field archaeologists and scientific directors and the use of proper licenses.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 60-78

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

RAPTOR 1.0. Archeologia e pubblica amministrazione: un nuovo geodatabase per la tutela

Matteo Frassine, Giuseppe Naponiello

Abstract

RAPTOR is a project, still under development, designed to build an easy and versatile tool in order to computerize the administrative procedures of the Italian Superintendencies for Archaeological Heritage. Its purpose is to ensure a faster response to any kind of external request and to align, as much as possible, the Superintendency offices to the new Code of Digital Administration. RAPTOR geo-database is based on open source software PostgreSQL and PostGIS, while the web-interface management is provided by PHP, JavaScript, GeoServer and OpenLayers. In this way all vector data can be entered into the system through specific compilation forms and displayed on a map, where they can also be queried. In short, RAPTOR will provide the users a complete and accurate mapping module, which will be able to show in real time a thematic cartography both with known archaeological evidence and negative areas.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 88-95

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Pianificazione e salvaguardia del territorio attraverso l’analisi di fonti in ambiente GRASS-GIS: il paesaggio a prato-bosco di Sagron Mis

Alberto Cosner, Simone Gaio

Abstract

The subject of this paper is a research project focusing on the meadow-wood system in a mountain micro-community (Sagron Mis, Trento). The project studies the evolutive/involutive dynamics of the meadow-wood system at medium-high altitude above sea level.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 96-103

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Verso una metodologia condivisa per l’analisi del paesaggio antico: il progetto Valle del Tevere

Antonia Arnoldus-Huyzendveld, Augusto Palombini, Eva Pietroni, Ulrico Sanna, Sara Zanni, Fabio Remondino

Abstract

The Tiber Valley Project aims to create a series of digital applications for 3D reconstructing, visualization and real time browsing of the ancient and current Tiber Valley landscape (particularly for the Villa dei Volusii and Lucus Feroniae areas), in four different historical phases. In this perspective, the first problem to face is the need for a valid methodology for ancient landscape ecosystem reconstruction, before dealing with monuments and building. On the basis of an intense multi-disciplinary discussion and the previous VH Lab experience in this field, in this article we are presenting a scheme for a standardized reconstruction procedure, where the landscape is built using all available sources and elevation data obtained by a photogrammetry process on historical pictures. Ecosystem areas are then calculated through GIS elaboration in GRASS-GIS environment, through a procedure which may be shared for any situation of historical landscape reconstruction, allowing the matching and the mathematical processing of geographical data aimed to the definition of different ecological areas (both in terms of natural vegetation and cultivated lands). Maps are then created to be imported in procedural landscape generation engines: the last part of the paper focuses on the lack of effective open source software in this field, and a possible proposal implementation in this sense.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 104-111

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il webGIS del SITAR: riflessioni, approcci e percorsi metodologici per la pubblicazione e la multi-rappresentazione dei dati territoriali archeologici

Mirella Serlorenzi, Andrea De Tommasi, Raniero Grassucci, Andrea Vismara

Abstract

The development of the SITAR project took place in a time of new approaches in the management and use of archaeological geospatial data, even at the higher central levels of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage (MiBAC). SITAR represents an important technological and institutional challenge for the Special Superintendency for Archaeology in Rome, the governmental institution in charge of the safeguarding and exploitation of the Roman archaeological heritage. The aim of the SITAR project is the construction of the Archaeological Territorial Informative System of Rome for the management of the enormous and heterogeneous amount of data and for the multi-dimensional representation of the valuable historical context of a constantly evolving city like Rome. After a first phase of conceptual analysis, data model definition and taxonomic structures description, currently the technological development is focused on the SITAR project web platform and more specifically on the webGIS. The paper discusses the use of basic GIS functions integrated with specific tools for dynamic dataset multi-representation and web editing. These implementations allow all the users, both scholars and archaeology amateurs, to build their own new geospatial information; users now play an actual role in the system and in the enrichment of collective knowledge.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 112-119

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Una volta era il webGIS. La cartografia archeologica sul web: passato, presente e prospettive future

Anna Maria Marras

Abstract

The aim of this paper is a critical survey of webGIS in Archaeology and its real usability. Generally, webGIS users can search, visualize, print, download and, in a few cases, upload data; so the system seems to be the ideal platform to share information. However this wonderland does not exist in the real world. First of all, because it is not easy to find projects on-line: wrong or expired links, slow page loading, system crashing. Second, because, even when it is possible to download or upload data, bridges or connections between different systems are missing. Starting from the point of view of a web user, different webGIS projects on-line were surveyed, in order to give a global overview of Internet cartography applied to archaeology.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 120-127

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

PyArchInit: gli sviluppi dopo ArcheoFoss 2009

Luca Mandolesi, Enzo Cocca

Abstract

The Project pyArchInit-Python for archaeology began in 2005 with the aim of developing a python plug-in for the open source software Quantum GIS. pyArchInit comes mainly from the needs, increasingly present in the archaeology community, to computerize the archaeological records using software which handle alphanumeric, multimedia and topographical data in a single solution. This package aims to meet these requirements with a unique solution that over time guarantees stability, development, easy installation and updating. The final goal is the creation of a GIS platform with a high interoperability between different operating systems, in which alphanumerical tables, GIS geometries and multimedia data are within a single system. This allows us to maintain the integrity of the raw data as much as possible, providing the archaeologist with an approach which is both very fast and powerful and, in the meantime, offering a system open to changes and customizations by other developers. The database management system of archaeological data is automatically installed both in PostgreSQL and in Spatialite. Different user interfaces, created to support the entering of data, manage the database. It is structured in seven management user interfaces: Stratigraphic Units, Site, Chronology, Infrastructures, Taphonomy Record, Archaeological, Multimedia. The first part of the package includes the management of stratigraphic units (pyarchnit_US module) because of the need to manage on site the documentation of excavations in progress. With pyArchInit we will try to bridge the gap between skills and knowledge acquired on an academic level and daily life in archaeological fieldwork; moreover, it will help the interaction with engineers, urban planners, government, Cultural Office administrators and all the agencies that gravitate around the archaeological world.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 128-138

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La migrazione dei dati geospaziali dai sistemi di riferimento catastali a Gauss-Boaga: un confronto sperimentale tra gli strumenti software e le librerie proprietarie, free e open source

Fabio Zonetti

Abstract

In this paper we compare, through a case study located within the municipal boundaries of Rome, various proprietary, free and open source software libraries, in view of the coordinate transformation from the cadastral system Cassini-Soldner in the Gauss-Boaga system. The analysis was based on comparison of the Gauss-Boaga coordinates given in cadastral benchmark monographs and results of processing carried out with the libraries examined. Specifically, benchmarks were chosen for their representation both in IGM national geodetic network and in cadastral network in order to compare respective values in the final analysis. Aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the transformation made from Cassini-Soldner to Gauss-Boaga in order to obtain statistical values that allow us to choose or discard the libraries for topographical and GIS application within the metropolitan area of Rome.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 157-164

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

ArcheOS 4.0 Caesar: novità e aspetti della distribuzione GNU-Linux dedicata all’archeologia

Alessandro Bezzi, Luca Bezzi, Fabrizio Furnari, Denis Francisci

Abstract

This article illustrates the fourth release of ArcheOS, the first GNU-Linux distribution developed for archaeological aims and released under GPL. Since the first version in 2005, this free operating system has attempted to satisfy all the needs of an archaeological project, covering every single step of the operating workflow, from data collection and storage to elaboration, publication and sharing. The main target of the project is to spread the use of Free and Open Source software and to apply the ideology of the Free Software movement to archaeology itself (a central postulation of the Free Software Foundation is the free circulation of data and ideas). The new release Caesar, based on Debian Squeeze 6.0, has some important changes in the organization of the structure of the entire project. In fact, the developer team focused more on the stability of the operating system and an on-line service to keep the different programs (APT deb-repository) up to date. Caesar ensures a better hardware integration and a more accurate selection of software. The research of new technological solutions is one of the most important aspects of the project, which, from this aspect, is strongly connected with innovation in archaeological methodology.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 165-173

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Utilizzo di strumenti free e open source per la fruizione di modelli 3D di siti archeologici basati sul formato PDF

Andrea Scianna, Rosanna Sciortino

Abstract

In the last ten years there have been several steps ahead towards the GIS 3D, in particular for the visualization of 3D objects within a GIS; few, instead, are the prototypes of GIS systems operating in 3D. The use of 3D Pdf is an intermediate solution that uses an open format such as .pdf and a series of free and open source software like Blender and PostgreSQL-PostGIS combined with programming languages such as Python and scripting languages such as Javascript. The aim of this paper is to describe a procedure for the interaction between a 3D model and a 2D geographic database. The opportunity to experiment with 3D Pdf was the subject of the Master thesis Tecnologie avanzate di rilevamento, rappresentazione e diagnostica per la conservazione e la fruizione dei beni culturali at the University of Palermo; a survey and a study of the Castle of Maredolce is described and the data that were employed to create a product for the public use of the Castle.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 202-208

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il sito di Adulis (Eritrea): raccolta e gestione dei dati archeologici tramite software open source

Giulio Bigliardi, Sara Cappelli, Enzo Cocca

Abstract

The Adulis Project started in 2011, directed by the Ce.RDO in collaboration with the Centre for Geotechnologies of the University of Siena and the National Museum of Eritrea. The project aims to investigate and promote the cultural heritage of the ancient port site of Adulis, one of the most important archaeological sites in Eritrea and East Africa. The first two fieldwork seasons revealed a detailed stratigraphic sequence and massive walls, which required a complex documentation, highlighting the need for a system for managing data in a GIS platform, in which to collect all the stratigraphic, topographic and cartographic data. In the early stage, the project team used a commercial GIS software, ESRI ArcGIS, but with the progress of the work, the team soon realized that the application did not meet the required needs. In particular, the high licensing costs made it problematic to install and share data within the research team, especially for the Eritrean colleagues. It was therefore decided to seek an alternative solution adopting the open source plug-in pyArchInit, as it is a pre-prepared and already successfully tested software in several context and is perfectly in line with the needs which emerged during the work.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 222-227

2013 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Analisi spaziali intra-site: soluzioni GIS open source per lo scavo archeologico del sito di Montecorvino

Luca d'Altilia, Pasquale Favia, Roberta Giuliani, Felice Stoico

Abstract

The making of an intra-site GIS of the archaeological site of Montecorvino is related to a more comprehensive project, led by University of Foggia, Dipartimento di Scienze Umane, focused on the study of the medieval landscape and settlements in northern Apulia. Statistical and spatial analyses have been applied in this project, as well as a global overlook on the archaeological research conducted on the site.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2013, Supplemento 4, 228-232

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il Sistema Informativo Territoriale Archeologico di Roma: SITAR

Mirella Serlorenzi, Federica Lamonaca, Stefania Picciola, Cristiana Cordone

Abstract

The SITAR project, designed to implement the GIS Archaeology of Rome, was started in 2007 by the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma (SSBAR). The starting point for the SITAR project was the SSBAR requirement to digitize and manage a large quantity of administrative and scientific data concerning Cultural Heritage. This project was developed at a crucial point in which the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities was rethinking the Territorial Information System, the data standardization and data sharing system used in the past decades. It was the input to the new institutional Open Approach. This aspect is apparent in the proposed SITAR data model, whose linearity is applied in the same basic logical levels already identified and well-structured information architecture of the System and those that will be tested. The additional advantage of SITAR is precisely the possibility of splitting archaeological knowledge into these core levels and reassembling it under the guidance of those who have the tools and scientific knowledge to do so. The SSBAR aspires to the creation of an archaeological ‘cadastre’ of Rome which is an approved and certified basis created according to information on legal and administrative aspects of archaeological science. In addition, the comparison with other institutions actively engaged in testing new multimedia technologies applied to cultural heritage has encouraged the evolution of SITAR to 3D data modeling and the development of procedures to test the archaeological potential.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, 23, 31-50; doi: 10.19282/ac.23.2012.02

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Costruzione di un sistema GIS a base regionale per lo studio della ceramica medievale in Sicilia

Claudio Filippo Mangiaracina

Abstract

This article describes the construction of a Geographical Information System for the study of the medieval pottery in Sicily between the 9th and the first half of the 13th century. The creation of a dedicated GIS enables us to organize and manage the large amount of data from archaeological excavations and surveys conducted on the island, while preserving their spatial relationships and accelerating the process of data analysis. This approach allows us to draw a historical synthesis based on the ceramic evidence and to propose a socio-economic model for Sicily. The system is based on two components, a relational database and a GIS platform linked together and able to integrate two kinds of information, the descriptive one and the geographical one. The aim of this system is to produce, on a regional scale, thematic maps of the distribution of medieval pottery in Sicily. Features are represented through points instead of polygons, so that the objects are visible at a small geographical scale. The system allows queries at different levels of detail, to show the distribution of the different wares, shapes, or types, etc. This system has been developed for the study of medieval pottery, but its structure can be implemented at any time by adding new modules. Future development will include the complete filing of archaeological sites dated to between the 9th and the 13th century (so far limited to those that yielded ceramic evidence).

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, 23, 51-64; doi: 10.19282/ac.23.2012.03

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Un sistema informativo geografico per l’architettura vernacolare dei centri storici: dal modello dei dati alla diagnostica. Il caso di Cancellara (PZ)

Marilisa Biscione, Maria Danese

Abstract

When attempting the recovery and reutilization of historic architecture, an in-depth knowledge of the artifact and its physical, environmental and historical context represents the first step required for its protection. Another important step is the choice of a methodology for transforming heterogeneous data into organized data. The aim of this research is to propose a method to construct a data map of the architectural heritage and the multidisciplinary aspects that qualify it (construction techniques and materials, material decay factors, signs of disastrous events in the past on buildings and the urban fabric, etc.). Thanks to the GIS environment it is possible to link together geometric, spatial and relational elements and then to develop quantitative and qualitative analyses based on spatial methods for typological and structural classification and to evaluate surfaces and structures. The design of the GIS architecture is fundamental, in order to contain data coming from different paths of knowledge acquisition (observed in loco or coming from documentary sources, derived from spatial analysis or instrumental investigations). In this way an important instrument for diagnostics, urban planning and conservation management can be created. The project is in its initial phase. The case study concerns the indigenous architecture of the historical center of Cancellara (PZ).

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, 23, 51-64; doi: 10.19282/ac.23.2012.04

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

RAPTOR: archeologia e tutela. Verso la pubblica amministrazione digitale

Matteo Frassine, Giuseppe Naponiello

Abstract

RAPTOR is a project, still under development, designed to build a simple and versatile tool in order to computerize the administrative procedures of the Italian Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage. Its purpose is to ensure a faster response to all kinds of external requests and to align, as much as possible, the Superintendency offices to the new Code of Digital Administration (CAD). RAPTOR geodatabase is based on open source software PostgreSQL and PostGIS, while the web-interface management is provided by PHP, JavaScript, GeoServer and OpenLayers. In this way all vector data can be entered into the system through specific compilation forms and displayed on a map, where they can also be queried. In short, RAPTOR will provide the users a complete and accurate mapping module, which will be able to show in real time a thematic cartography provided both with known archaeological evidence and negative areas.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, 23, 81-100; doi: 10.19282/ac.23.2012.05

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Systèmes d’information archéologique: l’exemple de ARCH’IS

Sébastien Poignant

Abstract

The project that gave rise to the API ARCH’IS was created in 2008. It was motivated by a discussion on optimizing the registration and use of data searches, particularly in the context of complex, diachronic and a huge variety of structures, sometimes split into several excavation sites. While the use of conventional GIS would have seemed the most appropriate, it raised the twin issues of training and the availability of licenses. In addition, it offered no probative solution for work in ‘real time’. ARCH’IS has been developed by archaeologists to meet their own needs and interests of preservation of information. Its architecture is based on a MySQL SGBDD operated through a modular application implementing various individual languages in the world of the Internet. ARCH’IS integrated an engine map with useful features for most archaeologists, without specific training needs. Experimented on several projects of Marne-la-Vallée, the development plan of this API has now been established for many years.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 27-38

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Le système d’information du programme 'Archéologie du Bassin parisien'. Entre SIG et SGBD, vers un applicatif Open Source adapté

Laurent Aubry, Sarra Ferjani

Abstract

One of the goals of the research program ‘Archaeology of the Paris Basin’ has been to establish an Archaeological Information System, i.e., a meta-database of the archaeological sites studied in the geographic area of the program, from the Paleolithic to modern days, in order to produce thematic maps using appropriate software. This paper aims to present this meta-database, but also to consider the technical constrains and the methodological choices involved in its implementation. The development of the query interface of this database repre¬sented an opportunity to reconsider the initial geomatic approach. This application is based on Open Source technology, and is both appropriate and adapted to the objectives of the program. It proposes an original synthesis of DBMS and GIS functionalities. Its development is in line with the rereading of the discipline paradigms suggested - or imposed - by the rise of the geomatic Open Source.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 75-95

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Le SIG comme outil fédérateur de recherche interdisciplinaire: application à la grotte Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc (Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, Ardèche, France)

Estelle Ployon, Benjamin Sadier, Jean-Jacques Delannoy, Stéphane Jaillet, Julien Monney, Elisa Boche, Jean-Michel Geneste

Abstract

Up to now Geographic Information Systems have rarely been used to study decorated caves. The research conducted for more than 12 years now in the Chauvet cave required a unifying tool that would collect, on the same support, all of the different types of information gathered from the various fields of research involved in the study of the cave. The objective was to find a system that could centralize and cross reference all of the information acquired. Besides just a filing system, this tool was also needed to promote the development of new research for a better comprehension of the cave and the way in which it was occupied. The diversity of the data to be integrated and the needs of the different disciplines required a co-constructive approach to the support and to the means for representing the data. In order to be able to cross-reference both the data collected from the soil and from the walls we decided to direct the GIS developments towards the integration of three dimensional information. The first GIS applied to caves with paintings should also be a useful reference tool for the study of other caves in the future. This article is intended to describe the different stages we passed through for the implementation of this tool, by analyzing the limitations, the choices made and the prospects we envisage.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 96-112

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Construction d’un SIG pour l’étude d’un cimetière: l’exemple de Mortefontaine (Aisne)

Vincent Buccio, Thierry Galmiche, Nadège Robin

Abstract

The Pôle archéologique from Aisne Department excavated a ninth and tenth century graveyard in Mortefontaine (Aisne). Two hundred graves were excavated in a field (50 m long, and 5 m wide) and integrated in a GIS. The decision to build this last system was taken after the end of the excavation, without any specific field process, which constituted an important technical constraint. Each grave is a part of a database built in collaboration with the anthro¬pologist studying them and the archaeologist in charge of the excavation. The system makes it possible to fill the database independently from the GIS. Although the study is not yet over, we already have the first results in terms of distribution. They show the usefulness of this system to manage and understand this kind of excavation.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 113-123

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS applications for the archaeological analysis of a medieval town: Pisa, Italy

Gabriele Gattiglia

Abstract

The main use of GIS in archaeology is connected to regional research or management of excavation data sets. The use of GIS for urban archaeological research is far less extensive. The urban GIS about the medieval town of Pisa contains all archaeological data from occasional findings to modern stratigraphic excavations, geographical data, historical cartography data and urban data, each described by the geometrical shape (point, line, polygon) that best represents each feature. The distinguishing environmental context to which the town is connected is characterized by a complex hydrographic system; GIS analysis enabled us to study the relationships between the urban transformations and the surrounding environment. The article explains how geostatistical analysis allowed us to create a model of the ancient landscape and how the use of map algebra was useful in understanding the medieval environment. The difficulty in finding raw archaeological data, that is, all the excavation and fieldwork recording (planning of context, context recording sheet, photographs, findings quantification sheet), suggested the necessity to create an open digital archive and to provide possible standardization of digital formats, metadata records and archaeological data recording, so as to allow a comparison between the data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 124-140

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

De la découverte au SIG: l’exemple de la base terrain du service archéologique de la Ville de Lyon

Etienne Hofmann, Clement Mani

Abstract

Since 2003 when the Archaeological Unit City of Lyon (SAVL) was appointed by the French Ministry of Culture as a preventive archaeological operator, the increase inactivity revealed the need for a standardized in field recording tool. In the meantime, the state archaeological services required the different operators to adopt an extreme degree of homogeneity in the final excavation reports, in order to improve the long term management plan of the archaeological artifacts. This double evolution drove the SAVL to adopt an operating system development from the field to the final report process built on the ‘ALyAS’ GIS (Archéologie Lyonnaise et Analyse Spatiale). This system, enhanced as an additional tool for the French institutional GIS ‘Patriarche’, proceeds, with the overall results, from the archaeological fact scale to the topographic mapping feature. To the original database core (archaeological data, referenced documents and ancient map recordings) an extension module focusing on in field recording is added. The ongoing purpose of these tools is to connect the field recording results to GIS final processing. This approach links the immediate targets of preventive archaeology (reports) to the archaeological data management involved in a long lasting territorially applied GIS system. In the near future, some extensions should also respond to the institutional request, and each time become more refined, particularly when compiling archaeological artifacts recording the final archaeological reports.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 141-152

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

ArkeoGIS, développement d’un webSIG transfrontalier: contraintes et premiers résultats

Loup Bernard

Abstract

ArkeoGIS is a webGIS developed on free ware basis; its purpose is to link archaeological data from both the French and German sides of the Rhine, for the periods from the Bronze Age to the early medieval period. Though beta version is already functional, further development will integrate geographical data, new tools and layers. The point for both archaeologists and geographers is to be able to access data which may not yet be published, in order to plan new research and have fast access to hard to find available data (Universities, CNRS, culture, local archaeologists, etc.) in both the countries and languages involved. New databases produced by students working on the Rhine valley will help to develop the project.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 153-159

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Utilisation d’un SIG pour l’archivage et l’exploitation des relevés géomorphologiques destinés à l’archéologie

Frédéric Prodeo

Abstract

A procedure was developed to reconstruct the sedimentary units and to establish the position of the archaeological features and was then implemented via a database coupled with a GIS. This reconstruction requires the increase of measurements taken on the ground in a homogeneous way. It is then used to supply a 3D visualization of the sedimentary units in the relationships of archaeological operation (excavation or trial trenches), even for spot observations. This tool, which is still in an experimental phase, could be extended and validated by geomorphologists to constitute a data bank which would be useful both for the archaeologist and for the geologist.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 160-174

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Une carte archéologique de Thèbes-Ouest: élaboration d’un SIG pour la connaissance du patrimoine thébain

Alban-Brice Pimpaud

Abstract

In cooperation with the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the GIS Center of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt has undertaken the creation of an archaeological map of the West Bank of Thebes in order to supply the Egyptian authorities with a tool for the management and the development of this rich archaeological area. The relevant documentation for the mapping process, because of its abundance and disparity, requires the establishment of a unified documentation system using jointly GIS and databases. Besides the production of thematic maps, this tool opens new horizons, both in terms of processing and analysis and in terms of sharing and publication of data relevant to the knowledge of the cultural heritage of Thebes.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 175-184

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

De l’estimation des erreurs de levée du cadastre à la compréhension de la construction de l’espace urbain de Reims

Claire Pichard, Eric Desjardin

Abstract

In applying an approach of dematerialization of planimetric, written and archaeological data, that should be soon processed through a GIS, it will be necessary to estimate the errors made in the compilation of the Napoleonic land registry made in order to be able to work on the construction of the urban space. The registry was started in 1811 and as a source document for morphological analysis and regressive mapping, it is geometrically quite precise. However, a review of this fiscal document (which has a twisted perspective, perhaps to tell us something about the townscape) and a comparison to correct maps have revealed a few errors depending on the level of treatment. It therefore becomes useful to characterize and to explain them, before linking them with oldest documents and archaeological data. The example of Les Coutures will allow us to put into practice these observations in order to define methods of metrological analysis and to study dynamics of urban space occupation according to various spatial and temporal scales.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 185-198

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

L’enregistrement des données géoarchéologiques en contextes urbains: quel(s) système(s)?

Quentin Borderie, Stéphane Augry, Cécilia Cammas

Abstract

The geo-archaeological approach to the formation of urban strata has to deal with a high density and diversity of processes and deposits. The recording system used is generally very specific: pedologic registering forms, 3D geo-localization, etc. The records are difficult to quantify and to integrate into more common stratigraphic systems. Sometimes they are even considered useless or hardly understandable. The case study described here deals with micromorphological, stratigraphical and 3D organization of dark earth layers from French preventive excavations. It combines the use of a laser tachaeometer, a petrographic microscope, a spreadsheet and a GIS. The observations are analyzed by statistical and spatial methods. The results and the major difficulties are explained here. The system is focused only on a few elements that seem to be essential, because they help to read, register, analyze, interpret and communicate data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 199-214

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Harmonisation des méthodes et outils pour l’information archéologique à l’Inrap: constats, enjeux et perspectives pour un établissement national

Alain Koehler, Christophe Tufféry

Abstract

The design and progressive implementation of an Archaeological Information System (AIS) at Inrap aims to meet the needs for improving archaeological reasoning as well as regulatory requirements. The term of AIS means here a coherent and organized set of resources (people, data, methods, processes, hardware, software, etc.) to acquire, organize, store, manage, analyze, and publish relevant archaeological information from various forms and sources. The overall objective is to enable Inrap to get consistent and harmonized archaeological information of known quality and managed according to interoperability. This project utilizes several studies and real situation experiments among which those produced for GIS in collaboration with CNRS and University F. Rabelais of Tours (UMR 6173 CITERES).

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 229-238

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

SIG: utilisations d’outils grand public et interaction avec les applications professionnelles

Dominique Pargny

Abstract

When the Reims team presented the first results of its SIGRem project in 2006 our major concern was presenting the available data collection and supporting documents regarding the archeological excavations conducted in the last 20 years in the City of Reims. The integration of GIS into the daily university context required a process directed resource to make a simple tool allowing the specialization of searches available to researchers and students. The geogates provide an easily accessible working space and the fact that some gates have free access means that they are used by an increasing number of people, thus augmenting their potential value. After exploring professional solutions, we now wish to provide a simple and easily accessible technology. To reach this goal, we have attempted to find and develop suitable processes and tools. Our process is founded on a double approach. The student/researcher, using common office automation and web tools, will be able to collect and locate data of interest. The laboratory will use more complex resources to provide more detailed analysis and formatting. Results will then be restated and shared on a geogate allowing private or public access to the search data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 239-246

2012 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La mise en place d’un observatoire des pratiques géomatiques dans les organisations de l’archéologie

Laurent Costa

Abstract

This study deals with the impact of the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) on the French institutions for archaeological research. The practices of GIS follow a global evolution. With the dematerialization of the data and the systems, we are actually in a process which proposes new modes of data management and new working processes. On the occasion of a PhD research at the University of Paris Ouest-Nanterre, we conducted an examination of projects drawn from various contexts of French archaeology: archaeological services of regions with a measure of autonomy, national institute of preventive archaeological research (Inrap), Ministry of Cultural Heritage, University and institutes of research. It gave us the opportunity to analyze the peculiarities and durability of the practices connected to GIS. This double initiative shows us the relevance of questioning the format techniques and the methods by which their tools are implemented, in order to take into account the specificities of the technology and the differences in rationalities and perceptions of the archaeologists. It highlights the strategic aspect of mutualization and sharing of equipment, data and skills.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2012, Supplemento 3, 265-278

2011 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La conservazione della memoria materiale e immateriale. Sistemi informativi di catalogo e territoriali in Campania

Floriana Miele

Abstract

This article is intended as a review of the contact points between information technologies and cultural heritage, starting from the classification and cataloguing methods applied both to scientific and historical research. The Author describes the aims, activities and results obtained by the Archaeological Superintendencies in Campania from the most important projects developed between 1987 and 2010. In these projects, thanks to the cooperation with private and other public institutions involved in ICT, specific patterns and models of cataloguing and territorial information systems were created related to the domain of cultural heritage, including databases and information retrieval, GIS and CMS applied to cataloguing objects and settlements, web sites and cooperative and distributed web systems for cultural contents dissemination. The Author analyses the various methods and purposes of the applications conducted for studying, safeguarding and promoting the historical and archaeological heritage, in order to define the phases of this technological development and outline the mutual influences and benefits for these different but increasingly interconnected fields of research.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2011, 22, 7-34; doi: 10.19282/ac.22.2011.01

2011 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Progetto Castellum Vervassium: dal dato archeologico al WebGIS. Analisi integrate per la ricerca, la tutela e la valorizzazione di un territorio nella bassa e media Anaunia (Val di Non, Trentino)

Alessandro Bezzi, Luca Bezzi, Lorenza Endrizzi, Matteo Frassine, Rupert Gieti, Giuseppe Naponiello, Nicoletta Pisu

Abstract

The “Castellum Vervassium” project concerns a series of archaeological investigations regarding the landscape around an ancient settlement now known with the name of Vervò (Val di Non, Trentino, Italy). Among the different analyses (excavation, survey, remote sensing, etc.), in 2010 a sub-project was started to reconstruct a hypothetical ancient road network inside the target landscape. In order to optimize the scientific process, the entire research project was divided into three steps: a topographic study conducted with classical methodology, the determination of the least cost path through LIDAR data and the development of a WebGIS to improve scientific publication of the final result. Every single phase of the work-flow was supported by specific Free/Libre and Open Source software applications. During the classical topographic study, the simple and light GIS OpenJUMP was used to improve precision and to avoid time consuming operations with cartography (without compromising user control in qualitative analyses). For more complex quantity analyses, the software GRASS granted a high quality, mainly thanks to its modular structure. This program satisfied our needs in determining the least cost path between main nodes of the road network and managed huge amount of data analysing a LIDAR DTM of 1 meter accuracy. A WebGIS, based on GeoServer and OpenLayer, made it possible to share the basic topographic and archaeological information of the project with the community. This type of flexible media was the best choice for offering broad access to the data, thanks to different filters and pre-built queries that simplify the internal browsing of the system.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2011, 22, 67-98; doi: 10.19282/ac.22.2011.04

2011 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il GIS e lo scavo archeologico di emergenza: applicazione intra-sito ad un piccolo contesto dell’antica Felsina (Bologna)

Eliana Iorfida

Abstract

During the 2008-2009 season the Archaeological Superintendence of Emilia Romagna began an emergency archaeological excavation under the city of Bologna, very close to the complex of an Etruscan sanctuary attributed to the ancient city of Felsina. For the systematic management of all the mostly paper documentation gathered during the excavation an information system within the scope of GIS technology was planned and setup. At first , we focused our attention on data normalization; afterward, our attention was drawn to the advantages obtained by using GIS technology, which makes it possible for complex phenomena and spatial-temporal relations to be represented and analyzed at multiple levels, as well as acting as a support for objective interpretative evaluations. Using this system we were able to create thematic and chronological maps, and analyze all the intra-site phenomena. This project provides an effective example of how GIS technology can also be applied retrospectively, when the excavation has already been concluded and the data were recorded in the traditional way; it therefore represents a valuable instrument for implementing the knowledge of an archaeological context.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2011, 22, 319-336; doi: 10.19282/ac.22.2011.15

2011 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS applications in archaeology

Andrea Scianna, Benedetto Villa

Abstract

The diffusion of the use of Geographical Information Systems in archaeology has considerably increased in recent years. This multiplicity of applications is due mainly to the growing interest of archaeologists in modern methodologies for the management of archaeological data, surveyed by topographic, photogrammetric and remote sensing techniques. GIS have become a fundamental tool for managing, sharing, analyzing and visualizing spatially referenced data and they are completely substituting the traditional techniques used by archaeologists, based upon filling out forms, graphics and other paper documents. Besides in the modern global society, dominated by mass media such as Internet, the issue of utilization has become more and more important, and most of the more recent GIS applications (Multimedia GIS, WebGIS) take this aspect into consideration.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2011, 22, 337-363; doi: 10.19282/ac.22.2011.16

2011 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Un modello multi-hazard per la valutazione del rischio dei beni archeologici: il caso sperimentale della Villa Adriana di Tivoli

Elisabetta Lazzeri

Abstract

Compared with other objects of our cultural heritage, the various construction remains that belong to the ancient architectural heritage are generally associated with the most challenging problems with respect to their preservation. Difficulties and problems become unpaired when the ancient heritage is the assembly of several monumental constructions, as in the case of the imperial complex constructed by Adriano in Tivoli, known as Hadrian’s Villa. Under these circumstances, any risk analysis and subsequent study of preservation measures will require a two stage approach. In the first stage, a detailed knowledge of each single element or structure within the complex must be acquired. In the second stage the available knowledge pertaining to the various monuments must be combined and the entire complex combining the single architectural artifacts into a monumental unity must be re-examined with respect to its original status and its historical modifications. Hence a great wealth of information and a profound knowledge have been acquired on several monuments in this complex. Therefore, it is now possible to propose sound hypotheses on each one of these architectural artifacts as well as to propose an interactive data system for risk analyses and risk assessment with respect to the preservation of the complex. Taking the opportunity of the "Risk assessment map of the cultural heritage" compiled by the Central Institute for Restoration (ISCR), a research project was undertaken to develop an analysis model of the villa which would allow an estimation of the global risk of the various ancient structures. This project is based on the use of a GIS to develop a matrix of risk indexes as well as a database grouping all available information on the single monument. The development of this system will make it possible to cross reference the data acquired within the various fields of investigation involved in the survey phase, the preservation phase and the restoration process of each monumental unit and the complex as a whole.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2011, 22, 365-389; doi: 10.19282/ac.22.2011.17

2011 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Gestione informatizzata e valorizzazione del patrimonio archeologico. La piattaforma GIS per lo scavo a Pompei

Chiara Maratini

Abstract

The subject of this paper is the representation of archaeological data at Pompeii by using GIS technology. The evolution of the original basic pattern of many domestic spaces (cubicula or entire dwellings) from the Samnite period to AD 79 in Regiones V (insulae V,3 and V,4) and VI (insulae VI,7 and VI,14) let us understand that they were transformed by adapting to the changes that occurred during the history of the ancient site, where building activities intensely affected the urban arrangement until the final destruction of the city in AD 79. Spatial analyses and predictive models, performed by combining excavation data and architectural studies, provide a very wide and complex range of information, such as layers of chronological phases or patterns of distribution trends, as well as 3D modeling to obtain precise and realistic 3D representations of wall-structures and the terrain (DTM). In this case study, GIS helps us understand the formation process of archaeological stratigraphy which is a result of the changes which took place during the history of the ancient site. Very different from the usual approach of intra-site GIS for archaeological excavations, this type of analysis arises from a broader perspective of the ancient urban landscape and of all those features useful for the spatial and conceptual definition of "neighbourhoods" in relation to the street network, as parsed through geoprocessing functions. The analysis conducted confirms that the distribution of architectural spaces and the evolution of the urban landscape in these city-blocks imply a close relationship with social and economic pressures. It is important to stress the value of a GIS integrated approach in the process of interpretation of an archaeological context, especially in terms of accuracy and of usability of the results for the management of a Cultural Heritage resource.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2011, 22, 391-412; doi: 10.19282/ac.22.2011.18

2011 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

L’analisi archeologica nei processi di valutazione ambientale. Proposta metodologica in ambiente GIS

Diego Calaon, Claudia Pizzinato

Abstract

This paper illustrates a research project aimed at testing a method of GIS-based evaluation which was conducted using specific criteria and an "objective point of view" during an archaeological impact assessment. The authors tested the use of a database, linked to a GIS platform, to assign fixed values in order to evaluate the "potential", the "value of the context" and the "risk" of single archaeological sites affected by new projects of urban development. Based on the application of the same methodology and language used by the scholars involved in the environmental impact studies and coming from other scientific fields (natural sciences, economics, etc.), the assessment idea is proposed in order to stimulate archaeologists to use not only qualitative, but also quantitative values, like the procedures for the environmental impact assessment. Some case studies relative to the Venetian Lagoon, Mestre and Comacchio (FE) conclude the paper.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2011, 22, 413-440; doi: 10.19282/ac.22.2011.19

2010 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The Cultural Heritage Map of Apulia Project

Angela Barbanente, Giuliano Volpe, Caterina Annese, Antonietta Buglione, Annalisa Di Zanni, Roberto Goffredo, Angelo Valentino Romano

Abstract

The Cultural Heritage Map of Apulia, started in September 2007, is a mapping project carried out by the Regional Department of Land Management (Apulia, Italy) in collaboration with the Regional Department for Cultural Heritage, the four Regional Universities of Apulia and the Regional Central Department for Cultural and Environmental Heritage. The project aim is to create a thematic cartography in order to archive, map and describe in detail the Cultural Heritage of the territory of Apulia, superseding the traditional method of cataloguing based on a concept of Cultural Heritage as spots on a map. The other main purpose of the project is to analyze and describe the stratified historical landscapes of the regional countryside, from prehistory up to now, as long-term evidence of the identity of people and places. These aims have been achieved combining different disciplines and methodologies and a geo-database which is part of the Apulia Region GIS organized in different themes and informative layers. This is intended to be an innovative and dynamic instrument for Cultural Heritage preservation and it is expected that conformity with the Cultural Heritage Map of Apulia will be the necessary requirement for the approval of every land-planning activity in order to preserve the local Cultural Heritage.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2010, 21, 75-92; doi: 10.19282/ac.21.2010.04

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

2010 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

"L’intervisibilité": application à la région de la Tolfa-Allumiere

Soraya Siafi

Abstract

This article focuses on the organization of settlements in the Tolfa-Allumiere region (Lazio, Italy) in the Final Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age. Our research follows a study on the occupation of La Castellina del Marangone, located about five km South of Civitavecchia, and its immediate environment. Many authors have already worked on this topic in Italy, but the originality of the present work is represented by the use of GIS tools to describe the spatial organization of this central Italy region. Each site is located on a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), providing a 2D or 3D view of the landscape. From this DEM, a set of dynamic maps was created detailing the conditions of landscape. In particular, the analysis of the topography makes it possible to evaluate the exposure in a given direction and to analyse notions of distance and costs of travel in order to define the possible existence of networks. The rivers certainly played a key role in the establishment of major trade routes and communication channels between the coastline and the most rugged Tolfa area. By using ArcGIS we can not only determine the overall field of vision but also the line of sight, in order to establish if the landscape obstructed the view between one site and another. Following this analysis and the creation of mapping funds, it was possible to answer the question concerning the reasons that led people to change their lifestyle and occupy the space throughout the Bronze Age.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2010, 21, 167-183; doi: 10.19282/ac.21.2010.08

2010 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Statistical tools in Landscape Archaeology

Dan Ştefan, Valeriu Sîrbu

Abstract

Archaeological Predictive Models (APMs) represent an important evolution of spatial integrated databases of archaeological records. Before the development and the analysis of a predictive model, numerous other steps are required in order to integrate the raw data sets into functional archaeological systems. Our aim is to assess the evolution of archaeological data sets into APMs and to reconsider the real value of such attempts for the Romanian Heritage Protection or for scientific purposes. We will consider, as well, certain aspects regarding the deductive/inductive nature of the APMs. In our perspective, there are a few ways APMs could be improved: the use of more variables, as well as the understanding both of the analytical nature of data sets and of the real nature of archaeological data sets.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2010, 21, 339-356; doi: 10.19282/ac.21.2010.20

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Spatial pattern of archaeological site distributions on the eastern shores of Lake Urmia, northwestern Iran

Kamal Aldin Niknami, Ahmad Chaychi Amirkhiz, Fatemeh Farsh Jalali

Abstract

The Lake Urmia survey project carried out from 2004 to 2006 in north-western Iran was aimed at obtaining a reliable overview of the occurrence of archaeological sites as well as to identify the spatial pattern of such sites across the area. This paper explores archaeological approaches to regional scale in dynamic landscape. Regional interpretation and the spatial statistical methods used to describe sites distribution, orientation, and pattern are often most reliant on point data. This paper also demonstrates how point pattern analysis offers quantitative information to the spatial process modeling of the natural and cultural landscape, which will aid at establishing a baseline from which other attributes of higher measurements for archaeological elements can be confidently mapped, described and modeled within a GIS. Point pattern analysis of archaeological sites has involved the advantages of visualization and iteration offered by a GIS. Therefore the significance of this study is three-fold. 1) it applies spatial analysis within a GIS to the understanding of archaeological site distributions. 2) it uses quantitative methods that are now available within a GIS to assess inferences concerning the survey data collected from the study area. Finally, this study offers insight into a methodology that is suitable to the spatial examination of more complicated surface data in landscape archaeology concept.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, 20, 261-276; doi: 10.19282/ac.20.2009.21

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Predictive modelling of Roman settlement in the middle Tiber valley

Stephen Kay, Robert E. Witcher

Abstract

This paper discusses the results of an inductive predictive modelling experiment on Roman settlement data from the middle Tiber valley, Italy. The study forms part of the British School at Rome’s Tiber Valley Project, which since its inception in 1997 has been assessing the changing landscapes of the Tiber Valley from protohistory through to the medieval period. The aim of this present study is to broaden understanding of settlement patterns via predictive modelling, and in particular to evaluate unevenness in field survey coverage, survey bias and past settlement location preferences. The predictive modelling method chosen was an application of the statistical Weights of Evidence extension for ESRI ArcView. The results highlight associations between Roman settlement and environmental themes that provide moderate predictive potential and suggest that further experimentation might prove valuable.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, 20, 277-290; doi: 10.19282/ac.20.2009.22

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

ACTION GIS: un modello predittivo del movimento antropico in un paesaggio antico. Il caso di studio archeologico della Val d’Alpone (VR)

Anita Casarotto, Armando De Guio, Francesco Ferrarese

Abstract

This paper proposes a predictive theoretical model of ancient human movement in the Alpone Valley (VR). The aim of this study is to calculate, using GIS tools, the optimal pathways to move from an archaeological site to another considering a series of frictions, like topography or land use, that can affect movement. The reliability of these virtual ancient paths is tested using a mathematical function of metabolic energy created in Visual Basic editor: it facilitates the choice of the best frictions for the model to simulate the archaeological landscape and its possible human perception. The results are compared to verify if there is any correlation between present and past pathways using topographic maps. This GIS methodology is useful for an archaeological survey because it gives a preliminary presence probability of ancient paths in a landscape.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, 20, 291-307; doi: 10.19282/ac.20.2009.23

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Un modello GIS multicriterio per la costruzione di mappe di plausibilità per la localizzazione di siti archeologici: il caso della costa teramana

Simone Di Zio, Dora Bernabei

Abstract

This paper aims to describe the settlement dynamics in the province of Teramo, in the Abruzzo region, along the coastal area between the Tronto and the Vomano rivers, in the Norman Age. Starting from the study of 26 sites, relevant to both towers and medieval fortifications, the objective is to construct a GIS probability map for the presence of five other sites that are mentioned in various historic documents but have now disappeared. Analysing some variables linked to the territory and exploiting the spatial distributions of the existing sites, in particular in relation to the sea and the rivers, it is possible to obtain useful data for prediction. More precisely we have considered: 1) the viewshed analysis, 2) the distances from the sea, 3) the distances from the rivers, 4) the distances among the existing sites, 5) the slope, 6) the aspect and 7) the distance from the toponym of the uncertain locations. Linear combination of the raster representing these variables lead to a final map, which contains different values of plausibility related to the presence of a dubious site. The weights of the linear combination are provided by an expert using the pairwise comparison technique, through a multicriteria approach.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, 20, 309-329; doi: 10.19282/ac.20.2009.24

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Sistema Informativo Territoriale Archeologico e Carta della Potenzialità Archeologica del Comune di Parma

Giulio Bigliardi

Abstract

The paper describes the features of the Archaeological Territorial Information System of the city of Parma. This is a cultural resource management GIS, that collects and organizes all the archaeological sites discovered in the municipal territory, and it should be useful both to archaeologists and to the municipality for city planning. The sites are positioned on the 1:5000 Regional Technical Map, that provides a spatial framework and information about roads and administrative boundaries. The Map is integrated with aerial photographs, historical maps, geological and geomorphological maps and a Digital Terrain Model. The attribute information for each of the archaeological sites is divided into separate tables and defined by thesauri, i.e. lists of preferred terms. Some thematic maps have been created: an Archaeological Map, i.e. a distribution map of the sites, chronological maps and an Archaeological Potential Map, i.e. a map that summarizes the archaeological features of the whole territory, also considering geological, geomorphological and historical information.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, 20, 331-350; doi: 10.19282/ac.20.2009.25

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Interazioni e integrazione fra pianificazione e tutela dei beni archeologici: costruzione di una base di conoscenza con l’uso di GIS open source

Loredana Francesca Tedeschi, Serafino Scanu

Abstract

Without accurate and high quality land mapping it is very difficult for the Public Administration to manage archaeological property in the way it should be. In this paper we describe some experiments conducted in the Sardinia Region where an increased use of open source software is strongly recommended in the rules which refer to the integration of land planning into town planning, in which an interaction with archaeological features is required.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 27-36

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Open digital archives in archeologia. Good practice

Gabriele Gattiglia

Abstract

Raw data, the archaeological source code, that is, all the excavation and fieldwork recorded, should be published on digital on-line archives stored in recognizable format documents. This paper contributes to the discussion with the description of a project dedicated to the creation of an urban GIS about medieval Pisa.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 49-64

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Uno scavo di archeologia orientale FLOSS

Walter Kuntner, Sandra Heinsch

Abstract

The Aramus Project provides a synergetic and free platform for the research and teaching of Near Eastern Archaeology. Integral part of the project is the data sharing of the original documentation as basis for the creation of tutorials on the application of FLOSS in archaeology.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 83-93

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Archeo-restituzioni territoriali e urbane, valutazione del rischio archeologico e software open source

Emanuel Demetrescu, Sergio Fontana

Abstract

This paper is based on from the experiment related to archaeological risk that the Parsifal Cooperativa di Archeologia conducted in the preliminary studies of the Roman Metro line C. The goal was the restitution of ancient landscapes and their surfaces that have crossed, filled, cut or otherwise altered the pre-existing, contorted natural orography of the city of Rome. Knowledge of urban stratification was acquired through multiple categories of information. In these studies, the representation of the terrain-models was obtained through open source software that made it possible to create a concrete display of 2D and 3D elements of the surfaces belonging to various periods (ancient, modern and contemporary landscapes).

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 95-106

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

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Web Map Service nei processi di ricerca archeologica

Mauro Mazzei, Antonio Salvatori, Andrea Di Somma, Valentina Ferrari

Abstract

The purpose of this report is to illustrate and propose the implementation of a service based on specific WMS, WFS, WCS which facilitates the collection and analysis of data interoperability aimed at acquiring further knowledge of the landscape and of the contexts in the process of archaeological research.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 145-152

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS archeologico del Grand Villaya - nord Perù

Giorgio Meroni, M. Grazia Visconti

Abstract

Following up the “Condor” scientific expedition in Peru, (http://condorexpedition.creeostudio.it/) headed by Ing. Giorgio Meroni and his staff in November 2008, a Geographic Information System has been built based on QuantumGIS for the cartography production and MapGuide Open Source and Google Earth for publishing on the web.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 161-167

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

pyArchInit - python, QGIS e PostgreSQL per la gestione dei dati di scavo

Luca Mandolesi

Abstract

pyArchInit is a tool for managing archaeological dataset with a high portability on main platforms. The first step of the project has been the creation of a GIS platform with a DBMS to manage the Stratigraphic Units.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 209-222

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Staying still and moving on. Un GIS interattivo per il calcolo e la visualizzazione scientifica di rotte e percorsi nel Mediterraneo antico

Sabatino Laurenza, Simona Mancuso, Andrea Costantino

Abstract

The system uses GIS technology and the Dijkstra algorithm in order to calculate ancient maritime routes. Applied to the routes used by ancient Greek colonies, it gave results which corresponded almost entirely to ancient written sources. This kind of system will open the road to new research and investigation methods, aimed at the study and understanding of the development of urban centers and trade systems in ancient times.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 223-238

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Modelli raster di uso del suolo nella lunga durata in ambiente montano con GRASS

Silvia Polla

Abstract

In order to create a diachronic model of the exploitation of resources and mobility at a micro-regional scale, the data concerning a test-area in an alpine environment have been imported in GRASS and analyzed using raster modules and running bash-shell scripts for iterating processes.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 265-270

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Un’esperienza di didattica e lavoro con software libero in ambiente universitario: il caso di Montegrotto Terme (Padova)

Piergiovanna Grossi, Alessandro Asta, Simone Deola, Simone Pedron

Abstract

A new didactic approach in open-source software was applied during the latest archaeological excavations managed by the University of Padua at the site of Montegrotto Terme (Padova). A team of archaeologists and students conducted the surveying activities and obtained good results.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 287-300

2009 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Analisi geospaziali OS per cambiamenti di uso del suolo in indagini archeologiche

Agata Lo Tauro

Abstract

The use and diffusion of Geodatabases for land use analysis in archaeological investiga¬tion cannot neglect innovative educational programmes. Furthermore, the principal problem of the use of Geodatabases is the cost of Geospatial analysis. In order to solve this problem, research provides methodologies for the elaboration of 2D and 3D thematic cartography and listing technologies using open source Geospatial analysis. As part of Project MONITOR (www.monitorproject.com/) of the Galileo Joint, the Innovative Educational and Research Programmes may involve experiments on GNSS real time positioning and innovative telecommunication applications by using various kind of almost wearable or PDA, TV - PCs and Smartphones as well GPS/PL/INS technologies. The Educational Programmes are structured in different phases: the analysis of the GIS project, the territorial sources and the case-study with the support of the ESA’s global land cover map (www.esa.int) and thermographic imaging (www.fIirthermography.com/). The data sources, challenges and possible improvements in the GIS project can serve not only as guidelines for future GIS research for environmental conservation and management plans for UNESCO Sites, but also point to rewarding research avenues for visualization of land vulnerability with the support of different technologies (Remote Sensing, Laser Scanning, Virtual Reference Stations, etc.).

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, Supplemento 2, 321-324

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Webmapping in the historical and archaeological sciences. An introduction

François Djindjian

Abstract

The paper introduces the concept of webmapping in the archaeological and historical sciences. The interest in offering an online mapping service is developed in terms of collaborative working, technical support, e-learning, mapping functions, and hardware and software architecture. The integration of the webmapping functions in the more general case of a Geoportal is also considered. Examples of operational Geoportals and projects in progress are also briefly described, most of them being detailed by their authors in the present volume.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 9-16; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.01

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Webmapping in the Etruscan landscape

Paola Moscati

Abstract

The Etruscan town of Cerveteri and its territory have been investigated since the 1980s by the Istituto di Studi sulle Civiltà Italiche e del Mediterraneo Antico of the Italian CNR, becoming a field of experimentation for computer applications to archaeological surveys and excavations. In recent years, a new multimedia project, aimed at creating an interactive itinerary, has been planned in order to develop the Caeretan information system and experiment with the potentials of new webmapping and webGIS tools. This article gives a general overview of the Italian panorama in this sector of applications and describes the main steps of the itinerary (from the Villa Giulia Etruscan National Museum in Rome to the town of Cerveteri, following the Roman consular road the Aurelia) as well as the procedures to be followed for its accomplishment.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 17-30; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.02

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Mapping the fourth dimension: a ten year retrospective

Ian Johnson

Abstract

This article reviews some approaches to spatio-temporal modeling and visualization techniques developed over the last decade as part of the Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI) and the TimeMap project. Heurist, an academic social bookmarking application developed by the Archaeological Computing Laboratory (ACL) at the University of Sydney over the past three years, inherits much of this work, and moves beyond in modeling networks of relationships between events, providing a capable infrastructure for developing spatio-temporal visualizations of historical data. It handles a full range of structured bibliographic records and provides a rich, expansible set of database record types, controlled data entry forms, record linking and a wide variety of search and output capabilities, including maps and timelines. As for the future, the challenge is to develop methods of visualization which combine the simple, intuitive nature of a timeline with the essential relatedness of historical events, while also representing their spatial location. Incorporating such visualizations into a pedagogical approach to history can be used to enrich museums and classroom teaching.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 31-44; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.03

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The Patrimony Atlas of Seine-Saint-Denis

Claude Héron

Abstract

The Patrimony Atlas of Seine-Saint-Denis (north of Paris) is an information tool related to the archaeological, architectural and landscape patrimony of Seine-Saint-Denis, accessible on the Internet address http://www.atlas-patrimoine93.fr/. It is distributed by the Cultural Patrimony Service of the Department of Seine-Saint-Denis, and is registered in the National Patrimony Atlas project of the Ministry of Culture. It is organized into three categories. The documentation platforms gather: a geographical catalogue which includes 50 levels of information geographically referenced, which are free of copyrights and can circulate online; a bibliography with 3700 references classified according to borough, subject and time period; an iconographic catalogue with 2800 images, the issues of archaeological maps and patrimony inventory that collect and collate past data. The “territorial views” offer a rapid access to a selection of ancient maps that represent a selected point on the territory on a contemporary basis, like the Napoleonic cadastral tables. The “Documents” file gathers the documents in a PDF format: university projects, thematic studies, articles and monographs, methodologies, summary charts, as well as hypertext documents, a presentation of the evolution of the road network in the latter part of the 18th century, a “Mathériauthèque numérique” dedicated to construction materials, and an “Atlas des colleges” of Seine-Saint-Denis. In its present version (2.5.3, put online in March 2008), the Seine-Saint-Denis Patrimony Atlas receives between 12,000 and 14,000 hits per month.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 45-60; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.04

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

SIGUR: un SIG pour la pratique de l’archéologie en milieu urbain

Thierry Lorho

Abstract

For cities such as Rennes, that combine a past as an ancient capital city with the status of a modern metropolis, the value of its archaeological patrimony is complicated and complex. In many cases, the poor state of preservation of vestiges is due to the successive occupations and to intense pressure for modern urban development. These factors did not allow for any consideration to preserve its patrimony. Computer technology can contribute to solve some of these problems. First, it is necessary to have a comprehensive knowledge of these vestiges. Then, a spatial analysis would make it possible to create thematic, chronological and spatial connections of the elements that make up the topography. The ability to manage all the scientific information, in its various forms, generated by the archaeological activities on the territory of the city, is essential. The pertinence of the organization of scientific data and the relative specific connection of these to the urban setting not only depends on the quality of the topographic study and urban morphology but also on the potential development. This article presents a dynamic model structure for archaeological information, as well as the application through the development of a Geographical Information System, the SIGUR application. This is a vital step before any online distribution of information to enhance patrimonial value, or before any division of this information, through the creation of collaborative sites to encourage scientific partnerships.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 61-72; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.05

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Mapping resources. Instances from the Carpathian Basin

Katalin T. Biró

Abstract

Publishing provenance data on the Internet requires the integration of various resources, some of them easily accessible, some of them costly and protected by various copyrights. The work is based on thematic and archive maps, special fieldwork and research projects, data published in technical literature and stored in related databases. This paper will survey the accessible resources used for creating an “Atlas” of prehistoric raw materials for the Carpathian Basin, both commercial and public domain elements and will concentrate on the additional new value as well as problems of continuous maintenance. New developments in supporting reference collections at the Hungarian National Museum will be discussed as well.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 73-78; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.06

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Webmapping, archéologie et Géoportail

Alain Chaumet

Abstract

The “Géoportail” is a French creation responding to the INSPIRE European directive; the website http://www.geoportail.fr/ is published by IGN (Institut Géographique National) and allows for easy and free or low cost access to many geographic reference data. IGN develops various kinds of services like visualisation, download, formats and coordinates transformation and API Géoportail; it publishes these services independently or in partnership with other public agencies, companies or associations. Archaeologists may use the API Géoportail to augment the value of their results or to show partial results on a public website http://www.geoportail.fr/.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 79-86; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.07

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

ALPAGE: towards the setting-up of a collaborative work tool

Hélène Noizet, Alain Dallo, Georges-Xavier Blary, Laurent Costa, Frédéric Pouget

Abstract

Alpage program, based on a collaboration between historians, geographers and computer researchers, aims to build a historical GIS of Paris. First, we reconstructed the pre-Haussmannian plan of Paris by georeferencing and vectorizing the survey of the cadastre made by P. Vasserot (1810-1836). Then, on these fundamental layers, historical information layers, like medieval and modern ones, will be built by different researchers according to their specific interests (churches, town walls, fiefs, parishes, etc.). Since this tool is technologically complex and since it is intended to be a reference work for further historical studies about Paris, we must immediately take into consideration the organization of further collaborative work. Accessing the GIS data, both to share them with different types of users and to edit new data in it, is an essential question, although it is often considered a trivial one. The issue of the use of a tool by the researchers seems nevertheless to be decisive and intrinsically linked to the success of a GIS. Meeting the needs and expectations of the users, webmapping might be a good solution for editing the geometric and attribute data in a GIS. But today, setting up this kind of platform for collaborative work is still difficult and time consuming. That is why, for Alpage, a temporary solution was found, revealing what organization theorists call a “community of practice”: it combines a centralized management of the references and object identifiers via the web and an independent edition of the objects by thematicians on their own computers. For this reason the DBMS ALPAGE-References has been adapted and posted on the website of the LAMOP.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 87-102; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.08

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Vers la mise en réseau des données et des chercheurs: le système d’information de la prospection d’Itanos (Crète oriental)

Laurent Costa, Alain Duplouy, Franck Eyraud, Apostolos Sarris

Abstract

As part of the archaeological research program conducted in Itanos since 1994, an archaeological survey was carried out on a substantial portion (about 20 sq. km) of the territory of the ancient city. The area surrounding Itanos offers an exceptional site that has not been occupied by any important human settlement since the Middle Ages. It thus appears as a fossilized map of the ancient occupation and presents an exceptional case in the history of the Cretan landscape. During the past few years, archaeologists have collected a huge quantity of information, that will now be presented to the scholarly community. All data have been organized in a database that is fully compatible with a GIS system. Since 2006 this searchable database offering the records of the survey has been made available online on the website of the French School of Archaeology. It is the intent of this article to present the heuristic and technical principles which lie at the basis of the project. Moreover, a GIS platform, offering a digital elevation model and a chronological distribution of all the archaeological sites surveyed, has recently been accessible on the website of the Institute for Mediterranean Studies. This GIS platform will be continually augmented by additional data and will eventually offer a powerful interpretive tool to archaeologists, which will integrate the physical conditions of the landscape which are at the core of historical explanation.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 103-122; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.09

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Développement d’un outil de géo collaboration au sein d’une collectivité territoriale: l’exemple de l’Atlas historique du Val-d’Oise

Laurent Costa, Sandrine Robert

Abstract

The Historic Atlas of Val-d’Oise is a tool with the objective to propose information concerning the evolution of the territory of Val-d’Oise. This application is an important step towards the development of the archaeological GIS project which is now a part of the Val-d’Oise Department project of GIS. The interpretation of the evolution of this project shows us how the archaeological methodologies develop with these tools, and how the informational and the technological foundation gives us the opportunity to develop this online application.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 123-136; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.10

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

L’ASPRO: un exemple d’interface cartographique pour la consultation d’un corpus archéologique

Olivier Barge, Christine Chataigner, Emmanuelle Régagnon, Alexandre Goux

Abstract

The Atlas of Near Eastern sites (ASPRO - Atlas des Sites du Proche-Orient) is an analytical index of nearly 2000 archaeological sites occupied between 14,000 and 5700 BP (about 14,000-4500 BC) in an area extending from the Sinai to Turkmenistan and from Anatolia to the Arabian-Persian Gulf. Its objective is to propose consistent information concerning a wide area and a long period of time, based on evidence which is often difficult to access, and to free this information from the compartmentalization of knowledge. This corpus, which was published in 1994 in book form, and is now out of print, has recently been made available online in an interactive cartographic interface, at the following address: http://www.mom.fr/Aspro/login.jsp. The objective of this development is to sustain consultation of the corpus, to increase its diffusion, while offering new functionalities with more flexibility: consultation through different entries, including the cartographic entry. Thus, it will now be possible to respond to requests on the different tables which compose the base (sites, periods, bibliography, dating), and to display the results in the form of an interactive list (access to files) and in cartographic form. The display is presented in different scales and the sites may be visualized on several thematic maps (hypsometry, pluviometry, bio-geographic zones). The latter also enable selection by spatial intersection. The technical system is now in place, and the project can proceed to a new stage: the updating of the corpus through sharing of information, then validation by a group of specialists.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 137-152; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.11

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Utilisation d’un site web intégré de webmapping et de gestion de contenus. L’exemple de recherches en cours en pétroarchéologie du silex appliquée au Paléolithique moyen

Christophe Tufféry, Paul Fernandes, Pierre-André Le Ny

Abstract

The nature of flints used in prehistory is essential information for increasing our knowledge of old settlements. The study of this raw material as well as the identification of its source, contribute to the evaluation of the mobility of prehistoric men and their behavior in relation to mineral resources, thus contributing to a better understanding of certain problems related to prehistoric economies. An innovative multi-field approach, based on a series of geological surveys of the siliceous formations of the French Massif Central, of Morocco and of northern Bulgaria, makes it possible today to better determine the limits of the areas exploited. The study is based on a complete examination of the evolution of flint on three scales (macroscopy, microscopy, ultramicroscopy) thus representing an improvement over petro-archaeology which traditionally uses the methods of petrography, mineralogy and micropaleontology. Moreover, the reconstitution of the initial shapes of material clarifies the technical procedures implemented for their exploitation. This methodological innovation, based on a rigorous sampling, makes it possible to present the results of an integrated analysis of the geological samples in their areas of natural diffusion. It proposes a refined paleogeographic vision of the removal made by men in these areas and of their anthropic and natural transformation at the archaeological site. The original diffusion of this scientific study, which is still in progress, is based on a platform of content management and groupware, called Map’N, which integrates access to cartographic webservices and online functions of geocoding of the iconographic and cartographic documents used or produced by these research projects.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 153-166; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.12

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Le SIG (SIGRem et AtlasMed): un outil générateur d’évolution des pratiques en parallèle à la mise en place des projets

Dominique Pargny

Abstract

As part of the projects SIGRem and AtlasMed involving teams from the University of Reims, two steps were developed for the use of spatial data of various origins (archaeological, geographical, historical, etc.) with a Geographical Information System. Firstly, a global database called GISSAR was constructed and linked to a GIS begun in 2003 to allow the grouping and the working of information coming from different studies in the field of archaeology. Then, this collection of data files (photographs, plans, cards, texts, pictures, etc.) of all kinds should be considered when managing information, to put results online.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 167-172; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.13

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Understanding urban fabric with the OH_FET model based on social use, space and time

Bastien Lefebvre, Xavier Rodier, Laure Saligny

Abstract

The proposed principle for understanding the urban fabric is based on considering the town as a set of complex objects, taking a systemic approach. The town system used to study the urban fabric over large time spans is composed of three sub-systems relating to historical objects from the level of the excavation to that of the former urban space: function (social use), space (location, surface area and morphology) and time (dating, duration and chronology). The historical object is the analytical unit of the space studied. It is the Cartesian product of the three sets, Social use, Space and Time, from which it stems. On the basis of this process, the Historical Object (OH) is broken down into three types of simple object, functional (EF), spatial (ES) and temporal (ET). The thematic approach to the OH in an urban environment is based on social use, organized according to a hierarchical thesaurus. Space, the most formalized of the three sets, is structured on the model of a planar topological graph without isthmi. Time, always considered as continuous and linear, will be modelled through analogy with space using temporal topology defined in the field of artificial intelligence. The relationships between these three sets each characterize an interaction (social use-space, social use-time, time-space, or function-space-time). In addition to reconstructing the OH, they allow urban changes to be observed by analyzing the distributions and mapping of each of the entities singly or two-by-two. The originality of this procedure lies in its approach whereby it is possible to start not from the mapping of a phenomenon at a time t1 and comparing it to that at a time t2, but to look at it in the same way whether its input is social use, space or time. The heuristic value of this modelling lies in the shift from description (what, where, when) to understanding the phenomena of change (how, why).

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 195-214; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.16

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Le webmapping sous licence libre

Clément Jamet, Henry-Louis Guillaume

Abstract

Webmapping allows us now to network tools originally integrated into GIS desk software. They can be found under free licence, with some of them in open source, and answer to the needs of scientific research as well as to their financial budgets. Research centers, corporations or institutions interested must at first define their expectations in order to elaborate the appropriate GIS to put online. With the use of static maps in HTML, vector images in SVG format, image managing with the Applet Java or the designated map servers, it is possible to create complete and complex maps. An administrator can easily adapt the interface and the tools available to the user’s needs. These solutions are compatible with the format of the files generated by other applications and do not require a meltdown of map files in order to be switched onto a new format. These programs can be associated with others available in open source such as GeoServer, in Java language, and MapServer, programmable in C++. Acting as a transactional interface, the GeoServer system consists in stocking and editing spatial objects into a network. MapServer is an asset for customizing and advancing the broadcasting tools for online dynamic maps. This year we have successfully presented our Master 2 University project in Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne entitled NeoArcheo. It puts into practice the web tools and services mentioned above.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 215-222; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.17

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Implementation of Geoportal in open environment for the community of the Human Sciences and Society

François Pirot, Fabrice Irie Bi Irie, Ratsihoarana Herinimerivololona Hobinavalona

Abstract

The Center for Digital Geospatial Resources “Methodologies of Modelling for the Spatial Information Applied to Human Sciences and Society” (M2SIA– M2ISA) was created in March 2006 by the CNRS. The purpose is to facilitate the pooling, exchange, access, transmission, broadcasting, and mutualization of spatial data as well as respect the international geographical standards of the ISO/TC211 from a portal and from a geoportal. The CSDR M²SIA (CRN M²ISA) is constituted by ten partners who belong to the network of the MSH. This structure depends on multi-third party architecture in an open environment. One of the third parties of this architecture is formed by the suppliers of data who correspond to the various MSH sites. These sites give cartographic services created under the ArcIMS software with the AXL language. These services are automatically joined into the architecture and directly consumable by the simple user via an interface developed in Javascript, HTML. The AJAX and Web 2.0 technologies are implemented.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 223-229; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.18

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Un logiciel libre de Modelé Numérique de Terrain (MNT)

Sylvain Rassat

Abstract

The author describes a free software, originated in the same sphere as videogames programming, able to work under OpenGL and SDL. Its architecture is based on Delaunay triangulation algorithms and is aimed at rapidly creating 3D realistic Digital Terrain Models. The purpose of this free license software is to give archaeologists a simple tool to overcome complex traditional topographic design software. It allows direct data transfer from acquisition tools to servers for an immediate online elaboration (consultation, updating, changes, etc.). The optimal final result could be the combined use of this free software for topographic calculus.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 231-237; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.19

2008 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Ripensare la documentazione archeologica: nuovi percorsi per la ricerca e la comunicazione

Giuliano De Felice, Maria Giuseppina Sibilano, Giuliano Volpe

Abstract

While the application of computer technology to archaeology has been characterized by numerous experiments, there has been no specific attempt to standardize processes. Archaeologists operating in the field seem to privilege “ad hoc” solutions in which the computer has been more or less actively featured. Without any pretence of presenting a model, this paper describes a series of field experiments conducted by the archaeology team of the University of Foggia, and reflections based on the growing use of computers in the various phases of our research. Beyond this, we hope to show the necessity and importance of reaching some kind of consensus regarding methodology and technological innovation. Computer technology has allowed us to rethink the process of documentation by introducing important innovations in all phases of research, from recovery of data to analysis, interpretation and reconstruction right through to the dissemination of results.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2008, 19, 271-291; doi: 10.19282/ac.19.2008.22

2007 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il sistema informativo territoriale archeologico della città di Parma

Giulio Bigliardi

Abstract

The «Sistema Informativo Territoriale Archeologico di Parma» is a project promoted by the National Archaeological Museum of Parma in partnership with the «Centro di Geotecnologie» of the University of Siena, the municipality of Parma and the «Compagnia Generale di Ripreseaeree». The aim of the project was to create an archaeological resource management GIS, which would be useful both to archaeologists and to the municipality for city planning. The GIS was built with ESRI ArcInfo. The relational structure of its geo-database, managed with ArcCatalog, permits the use of a data model based on separate tables for the attributes of archaeological sites, associated archaeological investigations, and the data that constitutes the archive of the sites. The attribute tables are linked directly to spatial objects and base maps managed in ArcMap and provide the essential spatial search and query needed to manage the data effectively. The system is based on the 1:5.000 Regional Technical Map, that provides a spatial framework and information about roads, properties and administrative boundaries; it is integrated with aerial photographs and historical charts. This GIS consists of a spatial object that defines the location and/or boundaries of a broad range of data, from prehistoric sites to larger Roman and medieval structures. The associated attribute information for each of those sites is defined by the default thesauri, i.e. lists of preferred terms for describing types of archaeological sites. In the first step the study had concerned the old town centre of Parma; at this time the GIS holds nearly 400 archaeological sites and provides the main source of information about the archaeological excavations in the city. Some thematic maps of Parma have been created including a distribution map, chronological maps, an archaeological potential map. In the next phase the project will be extended to the whole municipal territory.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2007, 18, 75-100; doi: 10.19282/ac.18.2007.05

2007 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Proposals for an archaeological analysis of pathways and movement

Pastor Fábrega Álvarez, César Parcero Oubiña

Abstract

Movement has played a significant role in archaeological analyses of territoriality in recent years. The incorporation of technologies such as GIS has reinforced that role, since they have made it possible to conduct detailed in-depth investigations of the natural constraints for movement. In this paper the authors describe a procedure developed to explore the relationship between networks of pathways, settlements and territory, following a “backward” perspective that tries to approach the processes of historical transformation of pathways. The proposal is applied to an area in Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula), between the provinces of A Coruña and Pontevedra.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2007, 18, 121-140; doi: 10.19282/ac.18.2007.07

2007 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Gestione informatizzata dei dati archeologici e dei sistemi GIS. Applicazione al sito di Hierapolis di Frigia

Grazia Semeraro, Barbara Pecere

Abstract

The system used for organizing the data from the excavation at Hierapolis, a sample site for this research project, represents an example of the application of the methodology of GIS to a stratigraphically excavated site. The use of this methodology, based on the logical structuring of data in independent layers, makes it possible to reconstruct the micro-dynamics typical of a stratigraphic excavation. Once the archaeological layers are separated, divided and organized according to their geographic position, they are treated as a series of divisible and superimposable layers which can be used in order to create the floor plans of single monuments and, more generally, maps showing the different phases of the city. This type of data management makes it easier to understand the spatial organization and transformation of a city over time.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2007, 18, 313-330; doi: 10.19282/ac.18.2007.17

2006 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Viewshed e Cost Surface Analyses per uno studio dei sistemi insediativi antichi: il caso della Daunia tra X e VI sec. a.C

Barbara Pecere

Abstract

This paper aims to illustrate how the use of GIS tools and the application of spatial analysis techniques can help to enhance our understanding of the geographical, spatial and temporal dimensions of ancient landscapes. The theoretical and methodological point of reference of the research comes from the experience gained in a European context in the field of Settlement Archaeology, especially on a regional scale. Pre-Roman Daunia is a specific case study falling within a larger project that encompasses the whole of southern Italy, developed by the Laboratory of Archaeological Computing at the University of Lecce. Viewshed Analyses and Cost Surface Analyses were used to investigate the possible relationships between the physical and human landscape systems and to verify the presence or absence of a possible hierarchy among the sites belonging to these systems. Some interesting considerations emerged from the analysis of the Iron Age settlement system. In the earliest phases (10th-9th centuries BC), characterised by the absence of dominant towns, the settlements were organized into “small systems” made up of a number of sites, laid out in accordance with systems of physical landscape that seem to reflect precise choices; in the later phases (8th-first half of the 7th century BC), at the same time as the abandonment of the “small system” model of sites, the first signs of a hierarchy among sites emerge, and this begins to take more visible forms in the Archaic age. The work conducted on this case study has shown how the results of spatial analyses can provide the starting point for the formulation of new research hypotheses and surveying strategies in a territory where the surveys conducted up until now have tended to focus on the field of material culture, which is better documented thanks to the large collections of finds from funerary contexts, which have received more attention.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2006, 17, 177-213; doi: 10.19282/ac.17.2006.11

2005 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The Tiber Valley Project. The role of GIS and databases in field survey data integration and analysis

Stephen Kay, Robert E. Witcher

Abstract

Information Technology is at the heart of the Tiber Valley Project, from the integration, storage and analysis of data, through project management to the visualization and dissemination of results. Here, some of the ongoing applications of this technology, both implicit and explicit, have been presented. Detailed results will be published as the project continues, with a synthetic volume currently in preparation (PATTERSON et al. in preparation).

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2005, 16, 113-127; doi: 10.19282/ac.16.2005.06

2005 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il GIS del sito romano di Podere Cosciano: un esempio di gestione integrata dei dati di scavo

Lorenza Camin, Antonella Negri

Abstract

Between 1999 and 2001, as part of the project Archaeology of Volterra and its territory, excavation took place at a rural site of the Roman period, situated near the old village of Montegemoli (Pomarance, Pisa). For the systematic management of all the mainly paper documentation gathered during the various excavations (US records, records of finds, plans of strata, reliefs and sections, matrix, photographs, IGM cartography), an information system within the scope of GIS technology was planned and set up. The results achieved are presented in this work, with particular reference to the methodology followed. Moreover, attention is drawn to the advantages obtained by using GIS technology, which has enabled complex phenomena and spatial-temporal relations to be represented and analysed at a multiplicity of levels, as well as acting as a support for objective interpretative evaluations.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2005, 16, 153-166; doi: 10.19282/ac.16.2005.08

2005 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

ARKIS-NET: un web-GIS per il progetto di conservazione assistito

Paolo Salonia, Antonella Negri

Abstract

The ARKIS-NET project is focused on an innovative vision of the conservation of cultural heritage, in which the role of the access to different knowledge levels to dynamically use information is fundamental. ARKIS-NET is an evolution of ARKIS (Architecture Recovery Knowledge Information System), an Information System developed in recent years and dedicated to the management, analysis and representation of heterogeneous data, from the artefact scale to the territorial one, used as support to conservation, safeguard and fruition of cultural heritage. ARKIS-NET provides the foundation for disseminating high-end heterogeneous data, organised and represented in GIS form, and mapping services via the Internet. An user-friendly interface allows remote users to make analyses and query on data, integrating them with local data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2005, 16, 167-176; doi: 10.19282/ac.16.2005.09

2005 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Tecnologie GPS e Personal Data Assistant applicati all'archeologia dei paesaggi

Stefano Campana

Abstract

The Department of Medieval Archaeology of the University of Siena has been engaged for several years in the testing of GPS survey application for landscape archaeology. In the first section of this paper we have summarised the GPS application developed for field-walking, aerial, geophysical and topographical surveys. In the second section we have discussed the fact that, since the second half of the 1990s, we have felt a progressive disjunction between work in the laboratory and work in the field. While the availability of advanced technologies has been rapidly growing, activities in the field have continued to make use of instruments and methodologies developed in the 1970s. A mobile GIS system managed through the merging of PDA and GPS technologies represents at the moment the best available solution for restoring the link. The conclusions reached in our experiments using these devices consistently go far beyond the increased fieldwork efficiency and finally make it possible to systematically apply strategies and methodologies developed in the past but rarely used up to now because they were too time consuming.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2005, 16, 177-197; doi: 10.19282/ac.16.2005.10

2004 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Topologia: identificazione, significato e valenza nella ricerca archeologica

Maurizio Cattani, Andrea Fiorini

Abstract

Topology is the science to manage and identify spatial relationships between geometrical features. Application of topology in archaeology means the possibility of analysing the logic of space as it was in the mind of ancient communities or as it has been fixed in stratigraphical contexts by post-depositional effects. Qualitative definition of proximity, continuity, connection and of many other spatial properties, included since the earlier registration on the field for each archaeological feature, broaden the capability to find out spatial relationships and formal representation of logical expression of space. The intent of this paper is to deal with the apparently difficult aspect of topology, starting from recent applications in architecture or, only partially, in archaeology. It suggests to find out methods of approach through a new form of stratigraphical unit and through representations of system theories and graphs. A case study of architectural protohistorical complex is presented for application of these principles and facilitate the comprehension of the use of topology. The development of GIS is always more directed to record and ensure spatial topological data and it appears to be the best way for future applications in archaeology.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2004, 15, 317-340; doi: 10.19282/ac.15.2004.20

2004 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Modello dei dati e trattamento del dato sul GIS di scavo

Marco Valenti, Alessandra Nardini

Abstract

The paper focuses on the problems related to archaeological excavation data management through the use of a GIS solution; it considers aspects ranging from the planning of an open and functional data model, fitting the complexity of stratigraphy, to the possibilities of data processing such as the production of thematic maps or the elaboration of interpretative and predictive models using statistical and mathematical tools. It also discusses the difficulty of 3D data recording, as well as the recent technological development of Internet mapping servers and web-based dynamic GIS systems.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2004, 15, 341-358; doi: 10.19282/ac.15.2004.21

2004 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

L'Atlante informativo dei beni culturali 'Cluster': da strumento di ricerca a portale di diffusione multimediale della conoscenza

Laura Petacco, Luca Sasso D'Elia

Abstract

The Second University of Naples has been working, for the last three years, on a cultural heritage atlas of the most interesting areas of the Caserta district, for the first time considering this region as a single unit, in terms of archaeological and historical evidence, from antiquity to modern times. Therefore, the data model - designed to classify the evidence - permits the virtual repatriation of cultural resources that have either been transferred or destroyed throughout the last centuries. It also permits the expansion of the scale of investigation, from the reading of the landscape through time to the archaeological excavation of the most significant areas, such as Calatia (Maddaloni, Caserta). Nevertheless, the object of the research was a multi-faceted reality, in terms of quality, spatial and temporal dimensions and chronology. For that reason, the information system developed has a complex architecture, structured on the usual four dimensions, including the temporal level. Great importance has been given to the development of a multi-medial information system, supporting all the different experts involved in research (archaeologists, experts in ancient topography, art historians, architects) and the different sources, such as aerial photographs, ancient cartography, files, images, both ancient and new. The hardware is also innovative: it enables the user to integrate both Intranet and Internet solutions and to use both fixed and mobile equipment, as well as to acquire images both through scanners and digital cameras. The engine for data base processing is SQL Server at the moment, even if a future exploitation of Oracle is considered; the input/output clients are carried out through Microsoft Access 2002. The GIS engine is ESRI and it is fully integrated with the applications through a viewer, designed to allow bidirectional queries, both from cartography to database and vice versa. This information system is structured to run on Intranet at the moment; meanwhile a consultation and input data pilot project of image files has been started up, before sending the information collected on Web. The viewer GIS has been set up for use in a Web GIS context.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2004, 15, 359-379; doi: 10.19282/ac.15.2004.22

2004 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Basi di dati georeferenziati in ambiente GIS: esperienze di ricerca archeologica e topografica in siti magnogreci e siciliani

Maria Cecilia Parra, Alessio Arnese, Michela Gargini

Abstract

In 1998 the Laboratory for History, Archaeology and Topography of the Ancient World of the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa began an experiment with archaeological databases and GIS. Initially, we made a GIS for the Entella survey. Since then, the experiment on this sample-survey has become a more structured system for the management of archaeological data (excavations, surveys, pictures, artefacts, etc.). In particular, we have focused our attention on data normalisation. Since 2002 we have also used a GPS receiver for the Kaulonia survey in order to geo-reference the sites. At the moment, the GIS manages only survey data, but it could also include excavation data. Using this system we are able to create chronological maps, and analyse infra- and intra-site artefact distribution.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2004, 15, 381-391; doi: 10.19282/ac.15.2004.23

2004 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The landscapes of power: visibility, time and (dis)continuity in central Italy

Ulla Rajala

Abstract

Interpreting the results of computerised methods in archaeology cannot be done without a reference to theoretical archaeology. The main aim of this paper is to discuss the theoretical assumptions behind the use of GIS and visibility analysis in modelling controlled territories. An underlying assumption is that changing locations of settlements are related to changing needs of communities in their environment. The relationship between visible areas and those needed for subsistence is reviewed in a specific context. The case studies presented are those of Nepi and Gabii. The different position these sites had in central Italian settlement hierarchies is discussed in relation with the interwoven relationship between assumptions on and interpretations of the results of visibility analyses.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2004, 15, 393-408; doi: 10.19282/ac.15.2004.24

2004 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

'Segeda Project': the I.T. management of the territory of a Celtiberian city-state

Francisco Burillo Mozota, Severino Escolano Utrilla, Enrique Ruíz Budría

Abstract

This article defends the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the management, analysis, examination and modelling of the archaeological data concerning the territory. Within this context, we outline some types of analyses that are being carried out with the use of GIS applied to the case of Segeda. Drawing on these and other experiments, we conclude that GIS technologies and their well-established capacity for the integration, analysis and examination of information from different sources constitute a particularly effective tool for the modelling of complex realities such as the one we are concerned with in our project.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2004, 15, 409-420; doi: 10.19282/ac.15.2004.25

2004 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Considerazioni sulla reale 'usabilità' di mappe, GIS e cartografia a contenuto archeologico su Web

Francesca Ulisse

Abstract

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.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2004, 15, 521-529; doi: 10.19282/ac.15.2004.32

2003 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Spatial Analysis Utilities (SAU). Uno strumento per lo studio quantitativo dei sistemi di distribuzione spaziale

Giancarlo Macchi Jánica

Abstract

The study of the distributive characteristics of settlement patterns is one of the most important topics in the reconstruction of historical landscapes. Unfortunately, advanced knowledge of GIS techniques, as well as quantitative techniques and methods are required in order to achieve positive results in this area. Furthermore, the application of spatial analysis in archaeological research requires a large and expensive investment of software and hardware to accomplish such tasks. In order to address all these issues, this year we started the development of an analytical tool for the study and analysis of spatial distributions. This software, rather than a GIS application, will be conceived as a general utility for data processing. In fact, the main aim of Spatial Analysis Utilities (SAU) is to accomplish in a quick and easy manner the entire quantitative process. The philosophy of the software is to provide conclusive statistical data with just some mouse clicks to non-advanced GIS users.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2003, 14, 137-151; doi: 10.19282/ac.14.2003.06

2003 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

A digital Mediterranean countryside: GIS approaches to the spatial structure of the post-medieval landscape on Kythera (Greece)

Andrew H. Bevan, Charles Frederick, Athanasia Krahtopoulou

Abstract

Mediterranean landscapes have been fragmented, connected and reformed by countless trackways, buildings and field systems. On the Greek Island of Kythera, an extensive and detailed record of such structures has been recorded as part of broader multidisciplinary investigation of the island's long-term history by the Kythera Island Project (KIP). This rich dataset can be complemented further by KIP's intensive archaeological and geoarchaeological surveys, offering both practical checks on existing data and insights at a greater resolution. This paper draws on this combination of material and deploys spatial analysis techniques to explore and quantify a range of issues relating to anthropogenic landscapes.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2003, 14, 217-236; doi: 10.19282/ac.14.2003.10

2002 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

A GIS-based archaeological decision-support model for Cultural Resource Management

Mark W. Mehrer

Abstract

Cultural resource management (CRM) work in the United States has recently produced vast amounts of data that are now being assembled in large databases. Thus, the potential has grown for useful site location models in support of heritage conservation. As Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become more powerful, they have become more useful to archaeologists. The realm of archaeological predictive modeling has grown to include at least three types of models that focus either on site-prospection, on understanding ancient ways of life, or on decision-support for cultural resource managers. Decision-support modelling seems to have the greatest near-term potential as a useful modelling tool. However, there are also significant methodological and theoretical issues yet to be resolved before such tools can be widely used. An example of an archaeological site location model currently in development illustrates the potential of decision-support modeling. Some of the problems inherent in site-prospection and ancient-behavior analysis can be avoided in models designed as decision-support tools.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2002, 13, 125-133; doi: 10.19282/ac.13.2002.07

2002 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

The Minoan peak sanctuary landscape through a GIS approach

Steven Soetens, Jan Driessen, Apostolos Sarris, Sophia Topouzi

Abstract

The research project, 'Building a cultural landscape model of Minoan peak sanctuaries through a GIS approach', based on a collaboration between the Institute of Mediterranean Studies (F.O.R.T.H.) and the Université Catholique de Louvain, aims to redefine the peak sanctuary, to clarify its function, and examine the relationship between the cultural and natural variables, which characterize the distribution of these sites in the Cretan landscape. To accomplish these goals we used advanced mapping techniques, satellite remote sensing, statistical analysis and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Intervisibility was investigated with viewshed analysis. A chronological evolution of the peak sanctuary landscape is proposed, explaining the location of the sanctuaries, in relationship to each other and other site types.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2002, 13, 161-170; doi: 10.19282/ac.13.2002.10

2002 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Linking location and space to process using precision mapping

Matthew Bampton

Abstract

Over the last five years global positioning systems (GPS) and electronic total stations (ETS) have become viable tools for use in archaeological field mapping. When used in conjunction GPS and ETS can generate precise, accurate, and georeferenced three-dimensional digital data sets in real time. As survey work proceeds, associated attribute tables incorporating field measurements and commentary can also be created, and the entire dataset can be imported directly into a geographic information system (GIS). This technique may be called precision digital mapping, and produces accurate, high density data sets of unprecedented richness. The revolutions in data management, visualization, and analysis made possible by GIS are now being mirrored by a revolution in field mapping techniques.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2002, 13, 171-178; doi: 10.19282/ac.13.2002.11

2001 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Progetto Caere: dallo scavo al territorio. Una soluzione per la distribuzione dei dati tramite un GIS on-line

Letizia Ceccarelli

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to describe the principles on which the Caere GIS has been created and to offer an overview of the spatial analyses conducted and the theoretical principles on which they are based. In order to satisfy the ultimate goal of the project, a solution is described for the dissemination of the results across the Internet through GIS technology. Indeed, at the outset of the project, the decision had been taken to create both a GIS application for internal use and a separate dynamic GIS multimedia application for data diffusion across the Internet. Through the GIS platform, thematic maps of the site have been created, exploiting the ability of topological analysis to explore the mutual relationships between structures. The use of the GIS was not restricted solely to this application, as its full potential was exploited through the use of its analytical engine. Several spatial analysis techniques were used (in particular Viewshed analysis) both for the study of the distribution of finds at site level and for the wider analysis of the surrounding territory of Cerveteri. Finally, the on-line publication of the GIS will offer a chance to create a living document, continually reviewed and updated by the author. It will also constitute the first step towards the standardisation of a metalanguage, that will permit effective multimedia communication and the exchange of different data formats and sources.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2001, 12, 105-121; doi: 10.19282/ac.12.2001.06

2000 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La piattaforma GIS dello scavo. Filosofia di lavoro e provocazioni, modello dei dati e "soluzione GIS"

Marco Valenti

Abstract

It is our intention to present the experience accumulated in the last decade by the LIAAM (Laboratorio di Informatica Applicata all’Archeologia Medievale). In recent years we have worked to develop solutions for managing all types of information produced by an archaeological project. We have operated on different levels (from regional surveys down to detailed records of all the finds). In particular, all the data was administered within a system made up of three components: different GIS platforms, an alphanumerical database and a media database; these are linked by a system level application called OpenArcheo, directly engineered and developed at our Laboratory. Basic concepts of our system are the multidirectional links between information types (which allow the user to query and retrieve all the information related to a feature starting from any of the components mentioned above), modular organisation of the architecture in order to implement the ever changing variables and detail levels of archaeological research that suit the specific needs of every single project, and user-friendliness so that the management of complex data is possible for anyone who has a basic knowledge in the use of computers. In short, our aim is to optimise the management of information produced by archaeological projects and make it possible that the archaeologist has all the different kinds of data at hand in real time. Such a system, and particularly a “GIS solution”, is perfectly suited for the management of an excavation and the application of inter-site spatial and statistical analysis tools, organising each campaign of our projects and providing simulations of the parts we cannot investigate.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2000, 11, 93-109; doi: 10.19282/ac.11.2000.04

2000 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La piattaforma GIS dello scavo di Poggio Imperiale a Poggibonsi. Dalla creazione del modello dei dati alla loro lettura

Alessandra Nardini

Abstract

This paper concerns the specific experience of our Laboratory in managing archaeological excavations on a GIS platform; the development process of our solution started five years ago and brought us, through successive stages of refinement, to an efficient data model. The basic idea was to reproduce on a graphic level the exact situation we find in the field. We therefore organised our objects according to an overall composite plan representing all the excavated layers, as well as the necessary landscape features, related only in spatial terms; detailed alphanumerical data and interpreted information were derived from the DBMS using specific identifiers. The objects were organised in views according to different parameters and queries; examples of views we created involved the surrounding landscape (e.g. with archaeological surveys, land cover and use, geology, etc.), preliminary investigations (with analytical surveys and crop-marks detection), and stratigraphical data (with a composite plan of all layers as well as analytical views based on chronological aspects, excavated structures, etc.).

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2000, 11, 111-123; doi: 10.19282/ac.11.2000.05

2000 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Un'applicazione GIS per il sito archeologico di Villa Rufolo a Ravello

Angela Peduto, Ugo Santoro

Abstract

This paper describes a methodology for using the GIS Arc/Info system as an operating tool to study excavation finds and structures on an archaeological site. The choice of the archaeological sample site (Villa Rufolo, Ravello - Italy) and the definition of information and methodologies useful to its study and management were the result of collaboration between a photogrammetry partnership (S.F.M.) and the “N. Cilento” archaeological laboratory of the University of Salerno. The GIS architecture was developed starting from the analysis of methods common to both the research methodologies (landscape recognition and stratigraphic excavations), which define the phases of archaeological data manipulation. The main aim was to create a tool which, starting from the planimetric documentation of each excavation, could link the various environments to their related stratigraphic units through data derived both from the individual structures and from artefacts. Following Arc/Info data models, all information was arranged into a relational database. The Stratigraphic Unit (US) attribute forms the link which connects the graphical elements, geographical and spatial database, and the descriptive database. Data stored can be analysed using many criteria, and the GIS always makes it possible to display the graphic results of the analysis. Besides the management, integration and manipulation of the archaeological data assigned to the territory under investigation, with Arch/Info various data levels can be combined for the purpose of producing new types of information; this information is usually acquired by employing techniques of data overlapping and through statistic and classification processing of all the stratigraphic units related to the site. The next stage of our project will consist of a careful check of the results of the statistical and classification processes and the use of this model at other archaeological sites so as to exploit the GIS potential for comparing excavation data as well as the geomorphologic and geographic features of the various sites.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2000, 11, 139-151; doi: 10.19282/ac.11.2000.07

2000 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Modelli GIS nel Cultural Resource Management

Andrea D'Andrea

Abstract

For CRM the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is mainly related to the possibility of integrating archaeological data into territorial and town planning. The value of predictive models based on the construction of geo-environmental patterns has only recently been recognised. Spatial technologies have opened a whole new set of possibilities for the management of cultural resources, and the contribution of information technology to archaeological investigation makes it possible to reinterpret this protective action not only as a simple defence of the archaeological site, but as a dynamic exploitation and integration of the archaeological heritage into the territorial and town design. In Italy the diffusion of GIS at the inter-site level has been accompanied by the introduction of the concept of archaeological risk. This term has often been used incorrectly. In fact, it is more correct to refer to archaeological impact maps (AIM), borrowing the term from the Italian regulations governing the evaluation of environmental impact (VIA). An investigation based on the level of distribution of geographical information systems in Italian Public Administration has called attention to the increasing importance of GIS in urban planning. In the near future therefore, GIS will acquire a more strategic role, acting as a link and guaranteeing communication between policy makers and archaeologists. This paper examines the experience of an actual process of analysis and design of a GIS, designed for the management of cultural heritage. In particular, the aim is to offer operational and methodological guidelines for the development of the data models applied, in this specific case, to the analysis of the necropolis of Pontecagnano, an Etruscan-Campanian centre lying about 70 kilometres south of Naples. The system has been adjusted to the needs of different types of users: on the one hand, scientists interested in the reconstruction of the social, economic and cultural organisation of the ancient community, and on the other, operators involved in the preservation of cultural heritage through the promotion of a careful policy of development which would integrate the archaeological patrimony into urban planning.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2000, 11, 153-170; doi: 10.19282/ac.11.2000.08

2000 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Lo studio del territorio impiegando diverse metodologie d'indagine: il caso della valle del Tevere

Francesca Colosi, Alessandra Costantini, Roberto Gabrielli, Salvatore Piro, Paola Santoro

Abstract

In general, a territory can be considered as the centre which contains all information related to different historical ages. The study of a portion of a given territory characterised by the presence of archaeological sites must be aimed at the complete and accurate acquisition of environmental data (e.g. topography, geo-morphology, litho-stratigraphy, land use, etc.), which will be used for an overall study of the site, the reconstruction of the man-environment interaction, and the evaluation of possible applications of geophysical prospecting methods. By interpreting different sets of remote-sensing data, studying existing geological and geo-morphological information and through systematic field work (e.g. archaeological survey, geophysical investigations, etc.), a wide spectrum of environmental data can be collected. The methodology of a complete analysis of the territory can be summarised as follows: analysis of remote-sensing data sets and their geo-referencing; DTM of the selected study area; morphological and geological definition of the selected study area; identification, location and geo-referencing of all archaeological sites in the territory; high-resolution integrated geophysical prospecting methods, to delineate the extension of the site and to locate the archaeological structures; a complete description of the site in its environmental context; definition of an integrated analysis method, based on the spatial correlation of the different data sets; study and design of a GIS for the management of all data sets which have been collected, elaborated and interpreted; definition of a model for the knowledge and protection of the historical and environmental aspects of the territory.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2000, 11, 171-189; doi: 10.19282/ac.11.2000.09

2000 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Tecnologie informatiche per la gestione delle conoscenze nella conservazione del costruito storico

Paolo Salonia

Abstract

The study outlined here was conducted in order to show how the combined representation of a monument’s geometry, together with the morphology and distribution of the damage, the component materials and their physical characteristics, the historical-architectural analysis and environmental factors can be used to facilitate our understanding of the degradation processes. A correct management of the various aspects of our knowledge of our architectural heritage and the evaluation of its state of conservation, which are required for making a plan, implementing it and verifying the results, can only be achieved by constantly matching the specificity of the monument, after its exact geometry has been restored using elements obtained by means of historical and architectural analysis, the survey of the structure, building techniques and materials used, including those which describe its material status, considering individual buildings as a whole and systems of buildings as a group in its context. Information Technology (IT) was selected as the best means of creating environments that were the most suitable for the aims pursued and for use as an operating instrument. It was decided to translate the theoretical disciplinary model into a computer-based procedure in which the functions specific to the GIS - Geographic Information Systems - were transposed to an architectural scale. To this end, an Information System - ARKIS - is currently being configured. It is designed for the organisation, representation and utilisation of knowledge obtained from data regarding the architectural subject in question, its immediate context and its territorial location. Some actual applications are presented.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2000, 11, 219-240; doi: 10.19282/ac.11.2000.12

2000 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Applicazione di un GIS intra-site al giacimento paleolitico di Garba IV - Melka Kunture (Etiopia)

Andrea D'Andrea, Marcello Piperno, Rosalia Gallotti

Abstract

Applicazione di un GIS intra-site al giacimento paleolitico di Garba IV – Melka Kunture (Etiopia). Spatial analysis has been widely utilised by Italian archaeologists to obtain territorial information at an inter-site level, but only a few attempts have been made to study the organisation of Early Palaeolithic paleosurfaces. The application presented here concerns the spatial analysis of the Early Palaeolithic site of Garba IV (Melka Kunture, Ethiopia). The excavation of two levels (C and D) over an area of more than 100 square metres has produced several thousand stone tools and faunal remains, which make it possible to attribute the site to the Developed Oldowan period, dated to 1.5/1.4 m.y. The entire set of data, concerning both the taphonomy and the techno-typological study of the lithic and faunal remains from level D, have been inserted in a database system (Microsoft Access and Excel). The plans of the excavation were drawn using Autocad and subsequently imported into the software Maplnfo and associated to the database. The management of the spatial data has been organised in order to meet the following goals: 1) Visualisation of the position and concentration of all the remains of the paleosurface D; 2) possibility of selecting the different classes of lithic materials and faunal remains in order to elaborate plans according to different themes; 3) application of statistical and quantitative methods together with spatial analysis to the study of each square metre of paleosurface D. The statistical and quantitative approach to the study of the frequency and density of particular tool types and faunal remains permit the identification of numerous hidden structures, which are probably related to several functionally differentiated areas of this Oldowan paleosurface.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2000, 11, 319-338; doi: 10.19282/ac.11.2000.18

2000 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Un SIT per Entella (Comune di Contessa Entellina, PA)

Alessio Arnese

Abstract

The aim of this project has been to create a GIS for the archaeological survey in Contessa Entellina (Palermo) that was conducted in 1998 by the Historic-Archaeological Topography Laboratory of the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. The survey covered an area (about 42 km2) of the territory of Contessa Entellina. Like the survey, the GIS was also a model for research. During the survey Topographic Units (UT) were located with large concentrations of finds and other zones labelled “Sporadic Material” (MS) were also identified. The GIS includes only the Topographic Units. With the software ArcView GIS 3.1, UTs have been located as points on a raster map at a scale of 1:5000, the same as used for the survey. The survey data has been recorded in a relational database that holds information about the finds, the documents, the relationship between UTs, the chronology, the vegetation, etc. We focused our attention on the representation of temporal information. However, it is very difficult to represent archaeological dates in a database scheme because their limits are uncertain. Therefore, to represent this uncertainty every Topographic Unit is characterised by several periods. Each period has a beginning (field “Inizio”, meaning “Start”) and an ending (field “Fine”, meaning “End”). These two limits have a symmetrical tolerance (for example ±50 years). In the future, this system will be completed and used to analyse the spatial relations between UTs and their visibility.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2000, 11, 339-346; doi: 10.19282/ac.11.2000.19

2000 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

A multi-disciplinary approach for research and presentation of Bracara Augusta's Archaeological Heritage

Manuela Martins, Paulo Bernardes

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present an archaeological information system and multimedia application used to record, manage and diffuse the data provided by the excavations conducted, since 1976, in Braga, Portugal, and related to the “Urban Rescue Project of Bracara Augusta”. The Geographical Information System built to manage and process the archaeological information (SIABRA), created by a team from the Archaeology Unit of Minho University, which was responsible for the project, is presented here. A natural result and advantage of this system is to simplify and enhance spatial analysis and data articulation related to the main buildings which have already been found, as well as the urban interpretation. One further advantage is the three dimensional model reconstruction, where a specialist (archaeologist, architect, urbanist) can analyse and visualise complex and diachronic information concerning the Roman town, in order to simplify the global understanding of buildings, their reconstruction phases and the general relationships between them. The development of virtual environments reproducing archaeological sites, such as the Roman town of Bracara Augusta, can be considered as an important and powerful tool for facilitating the research of specialists and improving heritage consciousness.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2000, 11, 347-357; doi: 10.19282/ac.11.2000.20

2000 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GeoARQUEOS: A system for the creation, updating and validation of the digital cartography of the Andalusian Archaeological Heritage

Silvia Fernández Cacho, Enrique Manuel Blasco Aranda, Rafael Navascués Fernández-Victorio

Abstract

GeoARQUEOS is a programme designed with Avenue and Crystal Reports for the purpose of keeping the digital cartography of the Andalusian Archaeological Heritage updated. Its three basic functions may be summarised as follows: a) Automatic elaboration of digital coverages and data models using the information available in the Andalusian Archaeological Heritage Database (DatARQUEOS); b) Detection of geo-referencing errors in the resulting coverage (archaeological sites outside of their municipality boundaries and evident errors in the assignment of coordinates); c) Automatic comparisons between new and previous coverages, in order to offer information about the new, cancelled or modified archaeological sites in the new coverage. The GeoARQUEOS programme represents a considerable improvement in the handling of information related to the Andalusian Archaeological Heritage. This progress has been possible mainly because it acts as a means of quality control for the data by minimising the number of errors which escape manual filtering when information is stored in the system.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2000, 11, 359-373; doi: 10.19282/ac.11.2000.21

1999 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

From earth to cyberspace: the unforeseen evolution

Daniel Arroyo-Bishop

Abstract

The ArchéoDATA Archaeological Information System has been under development for some ten years and during this time considerable experience has been gained in the field of archaeological information management. At the outset, a methodological philosophy was established and based on the premise that archaeology was in essence something, somewhere, at sometime. This provided the fundamental platform for data recording and has also given rise to, through the development of the “Entities”, a singular framework for archaeological analysis. The structures necessary to achieve an efficient balance between research, administration and conservation have been worked out and then tested under the actual conditions that will prevail under normal working conditions. The problem has been that at the heart of an AIS is communication, and that the practical means of achieving this are not simple. Not only do we need to efficiently structure the theoretical model, there also has to be the physical means of achieving it. This has been for many years the Achilles heal of implementation, as cost has been seen as being of an order not commensurate with archaeological budgets. The unforeseen evolution of the Internet network into the World Wide multimedia Web has provided information based systems with vast possibilities, and in the case of archaeology, with its first opportunity towards implementing universal communication. This paper describes some of the steps being undertaken to transfer the ArchéoDATA AIS to the Internet.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1999, 10, 7-16; doi: 10.19282/ac.10.1999.01

1999 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Modelli di carte archeologiche per un GIS di pianificazione paesistica (un caso siciliano)

Maria Cecilia Parra

Abstract

The author illustrates a specimen of an archaeological map on a provincial scale and a prototype of an archaeological map on a municipal scale (Contessa Entellina area, near Palermo, ancient Entella) carried out by the Laboratorio di Topografia Storico Archeologica of the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa within the GIS project of “Regione Sicilia”.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1999, 10, 159-163; doi: 10.19282/ac.10.1999.12

1999 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Alcuni esempi di applicazioni GIS alle ricerche topografiche nel territorio di Cingoli (Macerata)

Alberto Calvelli

Abstract

The author illustrates some applications of the Idrisi GIS to the archaeological research he is carrying out in the Cingoli area, a territory having a considerable presence of prehistoric sites. In particular, he analyses the relationship between the archaeological sites and some landscape features. The archaeological record highlights a considerable concentration of Palaeolithic sites near areas of the flint outcrops (mainly in the inferior Palaeolithic). A further point of interest is represented by the different middle Palaeolithic sites mean altitude: compared with the inferior Palaeolithic situation, this difference could demonstrate a downwards displacement of settlements. With regard to the Neolithic, Aeneolithic and Bronze Age, the location of sites and their close relationships with Musone and Rudielle rivers could suggest the presence of a road running alongside these rivers and linking the two important valleys of the Marche Region: the Esino valley to the North, and the Potenza valley to the South.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1999, 10, 189-205; doi: 10.19282/ac.10.1999.14

1999 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il GIS nella produzione delle carte dell'impatto archeologico: l'esempio di Pontecagnano

Andrea D'Andrea

Abstract

Archaeological investigations over the last thirty years in Pontecagnano, an important Etruscan-Campanian site about 70 km south of Naples, have brought to light an interesting archaeological context consisting of a large ancient site and an extended cemetery with more then 7000 graves, dating from the 9th to the 4th century BC The need to acquire, analyse and display this rich collection of data has given rise to the project, addressed to the application of a vector GIS to handle archaeological records from funerary contexts. This work consists in the elaboration of a powerful cartographical database, including the spatial location of graves and their attribute data. In this way it is possible to create and display thematic maps in order to trace a reconstruction of the social organisation of the ancient settlement through the patterns of development of the cemetery. Meanwhile the exact recording of the excavated areas in the digital cartography, superimposed on the topography of the modern Pontecagnano, allows us to have a complete, updated view of the operations, in order to define a new townplan and infrastructural projects in the local area. The package chosen for the full integration of conventional archaeological data with maps is Mapinfo, a desktop mapping software in use in archaeological computing applications. The information has been organized into three tables: burial data, paleobiological remains and grave-goods. These tables are linked to the digital cartography, structured according to different layers representing the ancient levels of the graves and the topography of the modern town. The project, involving numerous public agencies with different institutional aims, is designed to offer a single tool responding to different needs: scientific research, territorial management, running of a museum, townplanning and informing the public.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1999, 10, 227-237; doi: 10.19282/ac.10.1999.16

1999 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Dispersione dei materiali archeologici e interpretazione: il contributo del GIS Idrisi

Umberto Moscatelli

Abstract

The author illustrates the results of a research project on the scattered sherd dispersion in the Lower Sangro Valley, where he has supervised a survey since 1995. While a number of dispersion causes have been detected, the author analyses here only the effects of meteoric water spill and of the agricultural work on the landscape. The analysis was performed using the DISPERSE module of the GIS Idrisi 2.0 for Windows.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1999, 10, 239-248; doi: 10.19282/ac.10.1999.17

1999 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il Tevere e il suo antico corso

Alessandra Costantini, Anna De Meo, Francesca Colosi, Roberto Gabrielli

Abstract

In this paper, the results of a scientific collaboration between the Institute of Etrusco-Italic Archaeology, the Institute of Technologies Applied to Cultural Heritage and the Civic Museum of Magliano Sabina are presented. The aim of this research is to study the distribution of archaeological sites in the territory of Magliano Sabina (Tiber Valley) and their relationship with the environmental-historical context. This area is a section of the Tiber Valley, where the river has always represented an important element from an historical point of view. In the present day in this area the river no longer follows its original course, so it was decided to find its old course in order to better understand the distribution of the ancient settlements in this territory. On the basis of research carried out at the Archivio di Stato di Roma it was possible to verify that the river Tiber originally flowed in the lower part of Magliano Sabina, nowadays the area of “Piana di Ramelli”. The study of historical cartography allowed us to verify the change of the river course since 1589, the year of the construction of the “Felice” bridge. The data has been confirmed by the morphological and geological characterisation of the selected study area. A GIS of the area has been used to compare and integrate all data sets with the aim of producing thematic maps to better understand the environmental evolution of the territory of Magliano Sabina.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1999, 10, 249-273; doi: 10.19282/ac.10.1999.18

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS usage in worldwide archaeology

François Djindjian

Abstract

This paper is an introduction to the IX issue of «Archeologia e Calcolatori», dedicated to GIS in Archaeology. GIS technologies are first put in the context of Computer Science since the sixties. It is shown that the development of GIS results from a general evolution of computer manufacturing towards both multimedia and workstation solutions. The needs of the archaeologist for graphics and GIS are mainly within Rescue Archaeology, large site excavations, regional settlements studies and Cultural Resources Management (CRM). The progress of the use of GIS in Archaeology over the last 10 years has been analysed through 150 projects described in the present volume. It shows the advance of GIS applications in Anglo-Saxon countries (US, UK, Australia), even though in other countries the success of GIS is growing. The survey indicates a global rate of worldwide development of 25% per year. Pilot studies of GIS applications are mainly conducted by research Institutes (70%) and then culture heritage administrations (30%). About 40% of the GIS projects are CRM projects, 25% excavation management projects and 35% regional settlement studies. The computers used are Unix workstations (33%) and PCs (66%). About 40% of GIS users have chosen Arclnfo from Esri, while 50% have chosen low cost software like Maplnfo, Idrisi or Grass. The market for GIS applications in Archaeology seems to be shared between vector packages dedicated to CRM, raster packages dedicated to regional settlement studies, and CAD/CAM packages dedicated to survey and excavation. But progressively, the different packages will be adapted to have all the required functions, including image processing and interfacing with DBMS and statistical packages. Finally, GIS applications in Archaeology are not intrinsically theory oriented, even if environmental determinationism has found within GIS a perfect tool for its needs.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 19-30; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.03

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS and archaeology in France

Daniel Arroyo-Bishop

Abstract

Due to the limited response to the CNR questionnaire on GIS usage in French archaeology, this paper cannot expect to give either the full extent of implementation, nor fully document its impact on this field of research. It has been possible however to extrapolate general trends, and to discuss the development of several projects and undertakings. The most important implementation of GIS is the Ministry of Culture’s nationwide SCALA program for French archaeological survey, and the most comprehensive is the CNRS’s ArchéoDATA Archaeological Information System (AIS). The majority of the smaller projects are in three sectors: regional governmental archaeological offices, the CNRS research laboratories and archaeological field units. As the majority of GIS projects are undertaken by small teams that are looking for flexibility and autonomy, the general trend in hardware/software configurations has been away from elaborate centralised systems and towards micro-computer based installations, with the combination usually being Map Info running on PCs and Macintoshs. Whilst the use of GIS is still not entirely common practice in French archaeology, it is important to note that considerable research is going into innovative ways of implementing GIS concepts in archaeology and that important results can be expected in the years to come.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 31-45; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.04

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Beyond GIS: The archaeology of social spaces

Joan A. Barceló, Maria Pallarés

Abstract

The growing use and increasing sophistication of GIS methods to manage archaeological data is not related to an increase in diversity of use. After two decades on a trial basis, we evaluate in this paper the current ability of Spanish Archaeological GIS applications to meet the expectations placed upon them, especially concerning their role in archaeological method and theory. The purpose of this paper is threefold. Firstly, we summarize the main trends in Spanish GIS-based applications over the last years using a sample of the most recent bibliography. Secondly, we critically examine and evaluate the inherent shortcomings of some existing GIS applications, and finally we review different underlying conceptions of space in GIS projects and propose how such a software can be integrated into a proper theory of social space.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 47-80; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.05

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS applications in Australian and New Zealand archaeology - A review

Ian Johnson

Abstract

This paper discusses the way in which GIS applications have flourished in Australia and New Zealand through a combination of high levels of computer ownership, environmental awareness and the scale of the landscape relative to population. The paper covers administrative applications such as site registers; traditional landscape based research applications of GIS; and recent attempts to apply GIS to off-site archaeology and distributions of artefacts on a micro-topographic scale. The critical effects of data availability and the use of GPS are discussed, as well as research into extending GIS or desktop mapping to cope with chronological change. The paper concludes by looking at ways in which the use of GIS can be encouraged within the wider archaeological community, the importance of sharing digital map data and some ideas on future directions in the application of GIS within Australian and New Zealand archaeology.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 81-126; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.06

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS in North American archaeology: A summary of activity for the Caere project

Kenneth Kvamme

Abstract

Fifteen projects, running in a variety of hardware and software environments, are reviewed from throughout the United States and Mexico; work in other parts of the world by North Americans is also represented. Most applications occur at the regional level and represent either state sponsored archaeological management data bases or research databases. Most employ GIS to manage regional data queries and undertake visualization tasks; others focus more analytically on patterns of prehistoric settlement and land use at the regional level, with predictive models of archaeological location a management expression that relies heavily on research and analysis. Large interest is also shown in comprehensive within-site databases. Remotely sensed satellite data are being employed to construct base maps at the regional level while geophysical information is being incorporated in within-site databases. Although cost-surfaces and viewshed studies receive relatively little focus, there seems to be large interest in multitemporal studies that compare cultural differences and settlement patterns across the fourth dimension. The linkage of GIS with virtual reality and the increasing importance of the World Wide Web point to future directions the technology will take.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 127-146; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.07

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS usage in UK archaeology mid-1997: The Caere survey

Gary Lock

Abstract

There is a great deal of interest in the application of GIS within UK archaeology and, consequently, many varied examples. Rather then attempting the difficult task of itemising these, this paper discusses important themes which are emerging from the maturing understanding and usage of GIS technology within archaeology and more widely. These include issues such as establishing standards and the archiving and accessibility of digital data. It also makes a distinction between Cultural Resource Management and research led application. For each application area, the current position is offered together with discussion of relevant theoretical and practical issues.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 147-167; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.08

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS usage in Scandinavia

Torsten Madsen

Abstract

The use of GIS in Scandinavian archaeology is still limited. The current survey has revealed 18 projects, of which 12 are full research projects, four are Cultural Resource Management (CRM) projects and two are aimed at developing field methods. Minor projects based on the work of individuals prevail among the research projects, although at least one large-scale project is reported. Three of the four CRM projects are “flagships” for their country (Denmark, Norway and Sweden). The paper takes a critical attitude towards the current development in Scandinavian Archaeology, where an obvious disparity between administrative and research archaeology prevails. The way GIS is applied may be seen as a good example of what this disparity means. Large scale uses of GIS occur in the CRM context, but primarily not with a research aim. Ambitious research projects, on the other hand, are promoted by research institutions, but generally they appear impotent due to a lack of resources. Further, the paper focuses on demands for making GIS a success in archaeological research. Issues discussed here are: active research contributions from CRM units in the future; better access to digital map information for non-profit research projects; education, education and once more education of archaeologists.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 169-189; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.09

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS applications in Italian archaeology

Paola Moscati

Abstract

The present article is an attempt to emphasise some methodological concerns and evolutionary trends that characterise the use of GIS in Italian archaeological research. The cognitive base to attain this synthesis was offered by the analysis of answers to the questionnaire on “GIS and Archaeology”, that was distributed in the framework of the “Caere Project”, promoted within the more general “Progetto Finalizzato Beni Culturali” of the Italian CNR. The description of the results obtained follows a general definition of GIS and their capabilities. Computerised archaeological projects in which GIS are used nearly cover the entire national territory, from the Valle d’Aosta to Puglia and to the two principal islands. We have also recorded Italian projects that study archaeological areas outside the national limits. In general, there is a rather limited use of GIS in the management of archaeological excavations; in fact, the use of CAD software is more diffused. One of the emerging issues in GIS applications in archaeology is the distinction between projects carried out by institutions dealing with the administration and safeguarding of the national cultural patrimony and those carried out by the academic and research institutes. Cultural Resource Management in Italy is generally connected to the activities carried out by central and regional offices under the direction of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and addressed to the problems of management, safeguarding, maintenance and exploitation of the national patrimony. As for GIS projects carried out in the framework of the research sector, one of the characteristics of Italian studies seems to be the presence of two areas of investigation: the first one pertains to regional studies while the second one is devoted to the study of ancient towns, either abandoned or obscured by modern evidence.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 191-236; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.10

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS in Eastern Europe: Nothing new in the East?

Zoran Stancic

Abstract

This paper is an attempt at an overview of recent GIS activities in Eastern Europe. The paper is composed of three parts. In the first section organisational characteristics and the historical background of Eastern European archaeology are briefly presented. The second section focuses on current GIS activities in most Central European countries. In the final section, general trends in archaeological GIS research and practice are summarised. In this section some suggestions for improvements through international co-operation are drawn. The paper is followed by the abbreviated results of the replies to the Caere Project questionnaire.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 237-249; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.11

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Electronic Information Systems in archaeology. Some notes and comments

Albertus Voorrips

Abstract

This paper consists of some notes and comments on the use of electronic information systems in archaeology, in the form of stating a number of theses, each followed by an explanation and/or defence. Most of the theses pertain to the relationship among research design, relational database management system and geographical information system. The last section of the paper shortly discusses some projects in which electronic information systems are being used.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 251-267; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.12

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il progetto Valle del Belice: applicazioni GIS e di Remote Sensing su dati archeologici

Maurizio Forte, Marco Montebelli

Abstract

In every region of the world there are some areas that assume an important role for cultural change and development of the neighbouring regions. This was the case of the Belice Valley in Sicily: its primary role in cultural change was the product of its long running in North-East/South-West direction that cuts almost all of Sicily from North to South, connecting the Tirrenian Sea with the African Sea. This preliminary study concerns the project “The Belice Valley: early cultural development in the Mediterranean area”, carried out in order to analyse the archaeological landscape on the basis of the socio-economic activities in pre-defined archaic societies. In order to process this complex information, we have started to undertake GIS and remote sensing applications reconstructing 3D models of the valley from macro-scale (territory) to micro-scale (sites). Finally, with virtual interactive navigation through the archaeological landscapes, we have created cognitive models of archaeological information that may hopefully also be useful for planning new archaeological parks.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 291-304; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.14

1998 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

La gestione informatica del dato. Percorsi ed evoluzioni nell'attività della Cattedra di Archeologia Medievale del Dipartimento di Archeologia e Storia delle Arti - Sezione Archeologica dell'Università di Siena

Marco Valenti

Abstract

The paper presents a proposal fir the computer-based management of all the archaeological data produced by the Poggio Imperiale project. It highlights in particular, perhaps for the first time, a complete GIS solution to fit the needs of representing, querying and spatially analysing the features of an excavation. The hypermedia and multidirectional system we have developed provides a programmed user interface linking the interactions between three different applications: a GIS platform (with digital cartography ranging from the whole hill to a single stone of the excavation), a relational alphanumeric DBMS (collecting all the data from fieldwalking to stratigraphical layer records with all the finds) and a media archive (storing pictures, 3D reconstructions, movies, hypermedia products, etc.). The aim is to create a standard in the management of archaeological data.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1998, 9, 305-329; doi: 10.19282/ac.9.1998.15

1997 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Archeology and GIS: the view from outside

Matthew Bampton

Abstract

The rapid spread of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology confronts archaeologists with a number of opportunities and several dilemmas. Presentations and discussions at the 1996 UISPP meeting in Forlì, Italy, suggested that the current contributions of GIS to archaeological zeitgeist mixes new analytical possibilities, new data management capacities and theoretical problems. The current debate surrounding these issues is useful, yet it ignores several important areas of discussion. Many of the peculiarities of spatial data and spatial analysis have so far been overlooked, as have the changing metaphors of time and space demanded by GIS. A host of entertaining possibilities await those prepared to explore some of the remoter horizons opened by GIS.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1997, 8, 9-26; doi: 10.19282/ac.8.1997.01

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Relating time within the general methodological structure of archaelogical interpretation

Daniel Arroyo-Bishop

Abstract

During the past few years we have presented and published a series of papers on the project ArchéoDATA that we have been developing in the GDR 880 of CNRS, in our quest for a methodological structure for the recording and analysis of archaeological data and the creation of a European Archaeological Information System, designed to formalise and to structure archaeological documents. The three basic components of archaeological recording and analysis are the factors “objects”, “space” and “time”. Through their interaction the archaeologist must attempt to construct an interpretation and argue his thesis. The management of data pertaining to each one of the components of “object”, “space” and “time” should be undertaken with the same elementary structure. Due to the diversity of recording methods, and to inconsistent terminology used to express what in essence are similar things, a definition based on the word “Entity” was chosen and the “Archaeological, Spatial, Temporal, Interpretative and Analytical Entities” were consequently defined. This paper presents in detail new work that has been undertaken on structuring the basic component “time”.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 15-26; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.01

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Spatial analyses, field survey, territories and mental maps on the island of Brac

Vincent Gaffney, Krištof Oštir, Tomaž Podobnikar, Zoran Stancic

Abstract

An international team of scholars from Croatia, Canada, Britain and Slovenia is attempting to analyse the human adaptation of nature on the Central Dalmatian islands in Croatia. Archaeological data and various forms of environmental information were integrated into a GIS. This system is an ideal platform for a variety of analytical procedures: the economy of past societies was analysed, territories of larger communities were modelled, trade routes were predicted and the positioning of different sites was observed. In this paper, special emphasis is paid to the GIS application of a sites and monuments database in the analysis of the perception of space using the data from the Bronze Age.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 27-41; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.02

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Una nuova metodologia di archiviazione per una migliore gestione del patrimonio archeologico

Francesco Paolo Di Giacomo

Abstract

The procedures followed for the preparation of the thematic layers, describing the finding in an Etruscan site, are presented. The testimonial shows the advantages of using AutoCAD based tools, in order to link the database, containing the description of the objects in the drawing, to the CAD elements. This paper shows how to use the potential of a desktop GIS, based on AutoCAD and DBIV, in a variety of fields: from the preparation of hazard maps, showing the risk zones of fragile archaeological sites, to the preparation of a micro GIS project of fractures and related sections of a painting restoration project. The methodology proposed starts with the preparation of a topographic layer for the archiving of objects found on the site. The use of AutoCAD in conjunction with GDL-Graphic Data Link by Alpha Consult srl of Rome and ADE by AutoDesk is proposed, in order to simplify mapping of archaeological sites and perform relational queries on stored data. The AutoCAD application, called GDL/ARCHEO, is designed to establish and maintain DWG/DXF-DBF LINK, that can be utilized by ArcCAD (ARCINFO Data Structure), MAPINFO and INTERGRAPH. GDL/ARCHEO, a personalization of GDL is used as the data input environment for descriptive data related to AutoCAD featured in the drawing. The program has a library of Etruscan vases that can be further personalized and expanded; the default database can be modified to accommodate personalized projects. GDL/ARCHEO has the ability to create overlays, to assign ID-values to the resulting polygon, to provide network tracing capabilities and establish buffer areas for further studies. The program is an add-on ADE (AutoDesk Data Extension) for large archaeological sites. The paper also describes the GIS functions of overlay, buffer, polygon processing and network tracing to prepare hazard maps showing the risk analysis related to the different sites.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 91-102; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.07

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Impiego di un sistema geografico informativo per un confronto modellistico preliminare tra due aree archeologiche sabine

Anna De Meo, Giuseppe Espa, Salvatore Espa, Roberto Gabrielli, Ugo Ricci

Abstract

The aim of this work is to contribute to a better understanding of the historical and archaeological heritage. Archaeological and territorial data have been collected and processed in a GIS in order to provide information on the evolution of the population settlement in a selected area used as a case study. The area investigated was that located between the rivers Nera and Aniene (North-South direction) and between the river Tiber and the Sabine Mountains (East-West direction). It is historically identified as the “Sabina Tiberina” region. This area is characterised by a large number of sequential settlements of different populations beginning in the Iron through to the Medieval period. The GIS developed offers the possibility of describing and interpreting the territorial changes caused by the various populations. One of the main features of the GIS is its easy use for non-expert users (such as teachers, students and decision makers). Examples of different types of maps that can be generated by our GIS are presented. Two examples of composite maps containing different types of information (geographical, historical, geological etc.) are presented to show the possibilities afforded by the system.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 103-112; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.08

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Sistema cartografico per il centro antico di Nora

Maria Letizia Gualandi, Manuela Tascio, Giorgio Pala, Jacopo Bonetto

Abstract

Due to the recommencing of methodical archaeological excavation on the site of Nora, first Phoenician then Punic and Roman town, situated on the southern coast of Sardinia approximately 30 Km west of Cagliari, it was necessary to establish a cartographic system extended to all the hill on which the settlement standed (the settlement had never been completely mapped). This system had to cover previously surveyed areas and to allow the continuous updating with data resulting from new excavations. With these requirements, a computerised cartographic system was created, which consisted of basic information regarding not only the archaeological remains, but also the modern topography and the morphology of the hill. The aim was to design an operating system practical both for research and for safeguarding the archaeological site and allowing planning of its infrastructure. The project has been carried out in several phases: a) planning of the cartographical base; b) aerial survey of the zone; c) aerophotogrammetric zone; d) implementation of the numerical cartographic system; e) layout of the archives. The aerophotogrammetric information produced numerical files containing 3D data for every mapped point; using this data it was possible to create 3D models whose use is not only for archaeological research but also for aiding in planning for future infrastructural intervention in the archaeological park.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 113-128; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.09

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Unbiasing the archaeological record

Martijn van Leusen

Abstract

The Wroxeter Hinterland Project is a three-year regional research project employing GIS technology in the planning, management, research and publication of a study of the Iron Age and Roman landscape around the Roman city of Viroconium (Wroxeter) in Shropshire. The use of GIS technology in projects such as this has again highlighted the problems associated with scientific interpretation of the known archaeological record, built up mainly over the past century. In particular, the capability of GIS to recognise, extract, and extrapolate patterns in multivariate map data has meant that archaeologists must now resist the temptation to interpret such patterns as anything more than relatively recently introduce biases of site preservation and visibility. This paper explores ways in which GIS can be used to discover, and correct, such biases.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 129-135; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.10

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Building an urban image

Roger White

Abstract

Abandoned towns have long been recognised as one of the most important resources to understanding the development and decline of the urban environment. In Britain, the number of opportunities for studies into abandoned Roman towns is limited as most have continued in use until the present day. The Wroxeter Hinterland Project is currently engaged in research on the best-preserved deserted Roman town in Britain: Viroconium Cornoviorum, in Shropshire – modern Wroxeter. The approach has been to use a broad range of geophysical prospecting methods to elucidate the nature and density of occupation on the site. Standard geophysical techniques such as magnetometry and resistivity have been extensively deployed alongside the newer technologies of Ground-penetrating radar, multi-probe, continuous-reading automated resistivity, seismology and conductivity. Airborne survey is adding another dimension through multi-spectral scanning and conventional aerial photography, while sub-surface surveys are being hatched up with ground-truthing data collected through conventional survey methods. The results are being processed in the Project’s GIS database and will provide as full an insight into the nature of occupation at Wroxeter as is possible without further extensive excavation. It is intended that the results will be published in an atlas and will also be accessible via the World-Wide-Web.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 137-147; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.11

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Trattamento informatico dei dati relativi alle trasformazioni di aree centuriate dell'Italia centrale: il caso di Urbs Salvia

Umberto Moscatelli

Abstract

The author illustrates the main purpose of a research project that he is carrying out on Roman centuriation in Central Italy. In particular, the paper discusses the evolution of Roman cadastre of Urbs Salvia during the Early Middle Ages and Middle Ages. The author suggests that starting from a hypothetical centuriated form, study should be made of field boundaries that can be extracted, for example, from medieval documents, ancient maps and cabrei. In this way, if significant data is found, we have a reliable confirmation of the supposed original schema. In the Urbs Salvia’s centuriation several medieval field boundaries abut the Roman limits or the burial monuments that the Romans used to mark limits. Moreover some roads, mentioned in several documents of the Chiaravalle di Fiastra Cistercian Abbey, run exactly in the middle of a row of centuriae. Data is recorded using AutoCAD R13 (for numeric cartography) and Paradox 5.0 for Windows (other data).

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 149-159; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.12

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Un archivio georeferenziato di insediamenti archeologici

Franco Niccolucci, Giulia Pardi, Tommaso Zoppi

Abstract

This contribution deals with the survey of medieval sites in Tuscany, carried out to record territorial, topographical, historical and archaeological data and to integrate these different kinds of sources. It studies the region corresponding to the ancient county owned by the Ardengheschi family, in the south of Tuscany. The collected data are organised into a relational database; its most important tables contain administrative, geographical, environmental, historical and archaeological (descriptive and interpretative) data. Each database record is also geographically referenced by means of the coordinates of the central point of the corresponding site. This organisation makes it possible to investigate chronological and spatial relationships among sites. Some examples show the inadequacy of Euclidean distance and how it can be correctly defined to obtain coherent results; others deal with the definition of “contemporary” settlements, and it is shown how paradoxical results may derive from a “blind” use of database queries. To avoid such consequences, the use of “fuzzy logic” is proposed to define the lifetime of a site, especially if historical and archaeological records span over different periods; an application of fuzzy logical operators is considered in a final example.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 161-177; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.13

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

A critique of G.I.S. in archaeology. From visual seduction to spatial analysis

Joan A. Barceló, Maria Pallarés

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to critically explore the role of Geographical Information Systems in archaeological research. Currently, some archaeologists seem largely captivated by new computing technologies believing that the sophistication of powerful software outputs will lend respectability by itself. In our opinion GIS is merely a set of techniques to visualise and manage large amounts of georeferenced data. Thus, there must be other tools to move from visualisation to explanation, which fall within the domain of Spatial Analysis. The ultimate aim of this paper is to show how we can integrate these already existing tools (geostatistics, intra-site statistical tests, digital image processing, artificial intelligence, etc.) into a GIS framework, in order to move from beautiful images to hard analysis. Finally, we criticise the lack of a theoretical background in archaeological uses of GIS technology, arguing that GIS is only a software and may benefit our research only if we use well defined archaeological problems on a well-based theory.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 313-326; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.26

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Towards a computer information system for the archaeological sites and for the monuments in Rhodes

Nicholas Zarifis

Abstract

In the Archaeological Institute of the Dodecanese, the need for establishing an information system has been evident for many years. The Est expansion in personal computing systems and the development of GÌS during the fast years have provided the possibility of its realisation. Three major projects are under development. The first covers the monuments on the whole island of Rhodes, the second deals with the Ancient City of Rhodes and the third examines the Old Town of Rhodes as a living monument. Experiments with digital editing of photographs have provided us with a useful tool in presenting archaeological information. Computer aided design is occasionally used in case studies of monuments. The digital information system itself, with all restrictions due to hardware and software limitations, encourages, in a way, a more clearly defined and better organised data collection procedure. The transformation of a non-computerised to a computer-supported institution is a long procedure. Data input has always been a major difficulty. Due to this fact the full potential of the information system has never been realised. The system depends highly on the continuous data import and information updating and, as such, its accuracy and usefulness are highly vulnerable.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 809-819; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.65

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Il contributo della cartografia numerico-digitale nel rilevamento architettonico e territoriale come base conoscitiva di analisi delle tessiture murarie e dello sviluppo storico urbano

Paolo Peduto, Angela Peduto, Ugo Santoro

Abstract

Studies in historic urban sites are very important for the defence and conservation of monuments and to preserve buildings. In this context particular consideration has to be used to layer-object, that is submerged structures and what is adjacent. With modern tools for photogrammetry bearing we can have numerical cartography with topological entities; it offers the means for structural and spatial study of objects. This can be drawn from their context and returned in 3D after some inspections. Useful elements can be added to numerical-cartographic maps by digital orthoimages resulting in mapping and storage operations. Our software inputs four files: - a tiff file storing the orthoimage - an ascii file with .par extension (the aim of this extension, like the following ones, is only indicative) containing rotoscalotraslation coefficients - an ascii file with .dtm extension containing che (x-y-z) coordinates of some generic points - an ascii file with .brk extension containing the (x-y-z) coordinates of some break-line points. Fundamental characteristic of this software is the possibility of recording orthoimages with no loss of geometrical information. The implemented functions include the possibility of displaying the orthoimage on PC screen, zoom in and zoom out, showing the geographic coordinates (East, North) in real time, creating more layouts for drawing, calculating distance between polygons, lines or points, calculating areas and perimeters, showing the altitude (approximation), displaying a DTM (digital terrain model). The interface is very friendly. Now our goal is rendering this prototype independent from its development environment.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 917-921; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.77

1996 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Death on screen!: SPANS Explorer visits the underworld

Dimitris Papailiopoulos, Evi Baxevani

Abstract

Over the years, the subject of archaeological publications, with regard to their style, format, content, and size, has been extensively debated. Nevertheless, all debates have axiomatically accepted that when talking about archaeological publications this automatically implies that we practically speak about the production of a book. Recent advances in Information Technology, supported by copyright legislative amendments, however, have forced us to reconsider this axiom; it is possible nowadays to replace the book, as we all knew it, with electronic presentation platforms and computer Cds. The computer hardware and software market now offers a variety of fairy sophisticated and relatively cheap off-the-shelf products that can be considered as both adequate and reliable publication platforms. Such a product is SPANS Explorer which is presented in this paper as an illustrative example.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1996, 7, 1179-1193; doi: 10.19282/ac.7.1996.102

1995 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Sistemi informativi territoriali e prospezioni archeologiche: una convergenza necessaria

Mauro Cucarzi

Abstract

The Geographic Information System ODYSSEUS presented here is a database, set up according to the procedures established by the Ministero dei Beni Culturali e Ambientali, and extended through an additional information system relevant to archaeological and geophysical prospection, core drilling and surface collection. The database is organised for information retrieval (Highway) whereby any data may be found by name rather than graphical identificatio. The drawing of maps is undertaken in vector (DWG) format, the most commonly used in archaeology. In essence, the system is designed to receive images and link them to the appropriate database tables. It allows the visualisation and management of a DWG file, and the overlay at the same scale on other raster images (e.g. aerial photos), thereby producing a vector drawing of all the data highlighted on the raster maps. For all database “objects”, a series of mathematical algorithms automatically construct thematic maps. Geo-archaeological exploration of the data inserted in the database - geophysical prospections, core drillings, surface distribution of ceramic fragments, etc. - increases the number of parameter classes important in determining the characteristics for settlement-location models. This article provides a brief overview of the ODYSSEUS system, and two examples of its application: Oppido Mamertina, in the Calabria region of Italy, and the “Microregion”, a large area under protection in eastern Hungary.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1995, 6, 61-73

1994 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Advancing in archaeological recording and interpretation: The ArchéoDATA groups and entities

Daniel Arroyo-Bishop

Abstract

The author illustrates the structuring that was carried out for the development of the ArchéoDATA project with the aim of forming a basis for a more general Archaeological Information System. The conception of this project was undertaken from an archaeological perspective; the subsequent use of computers, and in particular the possibilities offered by GIS, enabled the enhancement of the system. The problems of basic information are also discussed, with an attempt to overcome the traditional concepts of site, finds and features by replacing them with the more general concepts of spatial and temporal entities and interpretative grouping.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1994, 5, 237-255

1994 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

GIS and historical archaeology. The case of the island of Hvar in Croatia

Vincent Gaffney, Zoran Stancic

Abstract

The authors illustrate the application of a GIS technology within the field of historical archaeology. They discuss a GIS pilot study of the Adriatic island of Hvar in Croatia, using the Geographical Resource Analysis Support System (GRASS), a Unix based software. Basic data was obtained through a survey of all the archaeological monuments on the island. In contrast to Greek literary sources, the GIS application gives a different perspective of the historical Greek colonisation of the island of Hvar (385/4 BC). In fact, after founding Pharos, there is no evidence of permanent Greek settlements extending beyond the plane, so the life of native communities would have continued unchanged.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1994, 5, 257-267

1994 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Topografia di Roma antica: ipotesi per una sistematizzazione dei dati a valenza topografica

Giovanni Azzena

Abstract

This paper is a synthesis of an experimental study on ancient topography and town-planning in a historical quarter of Rome, Trastevere. The focus is on methodological aspects, and in particular on computerized applications. Thy have been used, at first, to speed up the input and the management of data, but the results deeply influenced the methods and the logical course of the research itself. The study can therefore be considered also as a proposal for a modular application to other urban contexts. Traditional sources of information were taken into account, as in any study on ancient topography, including the archaeological map (concerning both visible and bibliographically documented elements) drawn on the basis of present-day cartography, literary and archival sources and historical cartography (from Forma Urbis Severiana to Catasto Pio-Gregoriano). In addition to the study of some important methodological consequences of this approach, the results are outlined of having applied computerised procedures of cartographical transformation, not previously adopted in any archaeological framework.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1994, 5, 269-292

1993 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Carta Archeologica d'Italia: tradizione e innovazione

Giovanni Azzena, Paolo Sommella

Abstract

Between 1989 and 1992, studies and experiments on automatic systems for the acquisition, calculation and management of archaeological data relating to the Carta Archeologica d’Italia (Forma Italiae) were carried out. The different phases of application confirmed the methodological assumptions originally outlined in the first issue of this journal: from the use of a GPS system to locate the archaeological survey station, to the exploitation of particular functions of commercial geodetic software, and to the strengthening of the value of an approach whose “natural” end consists in creating a Geographic Information System for archaeology.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1993, 4, 153-158

1991 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Calcolatori ed archeologia: un progetto per gli anni '90

Armando De Guio

Abstract

The paper identifies a number of possible developments in archaeology in the ’90s. The epigenetic panorama is seen as evolving in three major directions, which are termed, ironically, “pie archaeology”, “ambush archaeology” and “glove archaeology”. This latter direction, an emerging but still undefined area at the critical interface between archaeological theory and Artificial Intelligence, is identified as the most promising for the near future, particularly since it may unblock the impasse which hinders theoretical development. This “pipe-dream” is discussed with reference to the Anglo-Italian field-survey project, the “Progetto Alto-Medio Polesine-Basso Veronese”, where an attempt is being made to put theory into practice

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1991, 2, 25-78

1990 Open Access Article Download PDF BibTeX

Informatica e topografia storica: cinque anni di esperienza su un secolo di tradizione

Paolo Sommella, Giovanni Azzena, Manuela Tascio

Abstract

The application of computer science and advanced technologies to the topographical management of archaeological data have made it possible, in the last five years, to adjust an instrument of a strong tradition, such as the “Forma Italiae”, to the new requirements for the planning and protection of a territory. From the application of digital mapping to historical cities, the management of territorial archaeological data, satellite survey and multimedia distribution of information, the development outlook becomes gradually broader, respecting however, the methodological progress achieved during a century of tradition in historical topographical studies.

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1990, 1, 211-236