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

Chiara Maratini

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2011, 22, 391-412

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.

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