Archeologia e Calcolatori 14 - 2003

The first section of this article concerns the theme of Humanities Computing teaching. Most experts agree with the opinion that Humanities Computing is an independent discipline - which studies the problems of formalisation and models, crossing all humanities disciplines (linguistic, literature, history, archaeology, history of art, history of music) - and as such it should be introduced into the Faculties of Humanities. The academic organisations are beginning to acknowledge the importance of teaching computer applications to the students, but their approach is far from consistent. The integral proposal of a new independent scientific-disciplinary sector, submitted by a group of experts to be approved by the Italian CUN (Consiglio Universitario Nazionale), is therefore presented. The second part of the article deals with the results of an enquiry, carried out in 21 Italian Universities, on how Humanities Computing is being introduced into the curricula of the Faculties of Humanities. Many relevant quantitative data are illustrated, which clearly clarify both the necessity to distinguish between the simple alphabetisation and the teaching of applications for research, as well as the urgency to solve in this sector of studies the problem of teachers on temporary contracts.

In 1998 the Museums Service of the Lazio Region began a project to set up a database for the archaeological finds ('RA' files) preserved in the museums of this area. The intention was to provide a simple means for locating and quantifying the finds preserved in each museum for the use of museum directors, regional offices and any external users. A management software programme - IDRA, developed by the firm Andromeda - was chosen with this in mind. Data structuring and normalisation methods to reach the necessary level of standardisation were defined during a series of meetings between archaeologists. These meetings produced a proposal for regulations in addition to those drawn up by ICCD in 1992, also including a section devoted to faunal remains from archaeological sites. The software was configured, with suitable adaptation and integration, on the basis of the specific requirements that emerged during the work. It was also designed to combine scientific correctness, data normalisation and compliance with national cataloguing rules, as well as being a functional and easy-to-use application. IDRA is designed as a client/server system with an SQL engine. As regards the database organisation, the system combines the philosophy of relational databases with object-oriented structures, in which the information is organised hierarchically. This enables data to be associated logically and permits the description of complex structures, such as those relative to the archaeological objects in question. Since it was felt that the use of a 'stand-alone' software would render much of the efforts towards the normalisation and definition of terminology lists useless, a databank sharing system will be introduced, with centralised 'management' in regional offices and diverse access levels for users. Today the database consists of about 10,000 files for 27 museums, soon to be completed with the relevant digital images. An assessment of this initial stage is currently a priority, also by means of comparison with other databases for a more accurate and selective compilation of terminology lists, while another priority is the experimentation of network connections for database sharing with each individual museum.

The Dictionary of Subjects and the TTA are the results of the cataloguing of bibliographical resources. The TTA is a source of archaeological sites (8000 sites in the Mediterranean area, mostly in Tuscany) indexed by category. In TTA a place-name is the logical focus of a record. The record place-name includes the preferred place-name, the variant names and the historical names, the note that provides archaeological information about the place, the relative position in the administrative division of the State, the geographic coordinates (UTM or Gauss Boaga) and the bibliographic sources. The purpose of the TTA is to contribute to the knowledge of the topographical distribution of ancient peoples, with the advantage that the administrative subdivisions reflect those used by the Italian Institutes responsible for cultural heritage.

This paper deals with the application of fuzzy logic to archaeological research. Fuzzy logic is based on a continuum of truth values ranging from 0 (False) to 1 (True) and thus may help whenever there exists some uncertainty on data assignment to predetermined categories. After examining the features and drawbacks of typological classification and the problem of gender and age assignment in cemetery excavations, the fundamentals of fuzzy logic are summarized. Four examples of archaeological applications are then presented. The first example deals with a necropolis in which tombs present a high degree of uncertainty as far as sex and age of the deceased are concerned. Therefore it is suggested to use a fuzzy database management system, i.e. a DBMS implementing fuzzy logic and function, for data storage and processing. Such a database software was previously developed for this application. In the following three examples, classification problems are considered and it is shown how the use of fuzzy logic may change their archaeological interpretation. The authors claim that a generalized use of fuzzy logic, as is widely applied in other sciences, may improve the quality of data processing and above all produce reliable and transparent results, or at least illustrate the degree of reliability the researcher grants to those data.

The multivariate treatment of long pollen sequences coming from peat bogs constitutes an easy and effective method of factorial regression for the semi-quantitative reconstruction of the Paleoclimates. The comparison of the results obtained for the upper Pleistocene with the isotopic profiles of sea- and ice-cores, then with the previous methods, confirms a structuralization of the last climatic cycle in four periods: the interglacial Riss/Wurm including the optimum Eemian, the lower pleniglacial, the Wurmian interpleniglacial and the upper pleniglacial, before the Holocene. A numbering system of these oscillations, correlated with the Dansgaard-Oeschger events recognized in the ice-cores of Greenland, is proposed. A final statistical treatment shows a cyclic evolution of the forest vegetation during the Eemian, an evolution which better translates the variations of the Paleoclimates (temperature and humidity) than the arboreal pollen rate (AP).

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.

The article describes the topography and the main archaeological features of the 'Vigna Parrocchiale' area, located on the urban plateau of the ancient Etruscan town of Cerveteri, where a geophysical survey has also been carried out (cfr. Colosi et al., this volume). The accurate description of data coming from field surveys, excavations and archival research makes it possible to recognize in this area a long archaeological stratification from the Villanovan through to the Roman period. These results, achieved over many years of archaeological research, can be profitably linked to those coming from the application of geophysical surveying techniques. The article closes with a technical Appendix, relevant to a magnetometric survey carried out in 1987 during the excavations conducted by CNR in the 'Vigna Parrocchiale' area.

The article presents activities and specific technologies connected to a multidisciplinary project, developed within the 'Caere Project' (http://www.progettocaere.rm.cnr.it) and conducted by researchers of the CNR-ITABC and the University of Molise. The goal of the research is to contribute to the archaeological documentation of the Etruscan town of Cerveteri (Rome-Italy), employing a vast array of technologies for the 3D reconstruction of the landscape. The research is also aimed at integrating instruments for topographic relief and innovative methodologies of surveying (DGPS, total stations, 3D laser scanning), to collect geometrical and morphological data at territorial and site scale. A geophysical survey in the Vigna Parrocchiale area, located in the centre of the urban plateau, was carried out using geoelectric methods of investigation to enable archaeologists to detect subsurface structures. The results obtained and illustrated in this paper will be validated by the reopening in the near future of the excavations by CNR-ISCIMA.

Since its establishment in 1987, the Cecina Valley Survey Project, directed by Nicola Terrenato of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has undertaken the systematic investigation of the landscape surrounding the Etruscan, and then later Roman, city of Volaterrae in Northern Etruria, modern Tuscany. Whilst the main aim of the study is to investigate the distributions of settlements in the valley between 600 BC and AD 600, the survey has recorded the presence of artefacts of all periods. Together with a diverse approach to geophysical survey, the project has generated a wealth of data that has been documented within a spatial database, thus permitting interpretation to include both remotely sensed data and field surface collection. Through the powerful application of this GIS technology combined with a detailed site documentation, a useful methodology was developed that could be reapplied in the field. The combination of field walking and a multiple site approach to geophysical survey, enhanced by the application of mobile computing technology, allowed an immediate initial interpretation of the site to be made. This approach to field survey, combining the techniques of GIS, geophysics and traditional field walking, allowed a rapid detailed appraisal of the site, particularly through a target specific form of remote sensing. Presented here are some results from two seasons of geophysical surveying of rural settlements in the Cecina Valley and a discussion of the development of this integrated field survey approach. Appraisal is also made of the most suitable geophysical methods to be applied to individuate Hellenistic and early Roman rural settlements and the different forms of computer filter analysis that can be applied to extract clearer results.

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.

The 'domus del Centenario' is one of the largest houses in Pompei, and the focus of a far-reaching project of study and valorisation, based on an agreement between the Soprintendenza Archeologica of Pompei and the University of Bologna (Department of Archaeology). Its aim is to experiment with the use of a virtual reconstructive model to better contribute to both research and instructional aspects. An approach to build virtual environments for education in archaeology is described, in which many actors are involved. The required equipment, the professional skills and the related job planning issues are discussed. Virtual Archaeology products may be directed through many channels. Virtual sets, where real actors play in virtual reconstructions, offer new education opportunities to a large audience. PDA based interactivity enhances user-centric communication. The purpose of this paper is also to discuss a user-centric multichannel system, providing access to Virtual Archaeology based contents, both on-site and off-site; while the information base is shared, the interface devices are channel-specific and are calibrated to the fruition context. The system is called MUSE and is developed by a private company (DUCATI SISTEMI S.p.A.). The key system component is Whyre, an interactive and mobile device, designed to act as a personal virtual guide and to provide knowledge through words and images, on-site. Whyre technology is hidden behind its interface and shape: it carries inside a tiny PC-like computer equipped with a 3D-graphics accelerator and augmented with location detection sensors. It is wireless connected to a site server and is context-aware, so that only location and context relevant contents are submitted for the visitor's attention. The display size is 6.4 inches and its resolution is 640x480 pixels. Several types of Virtual Archaeology based contents may be displayed. The paper reviews the Whyre architecture as well as the context production framework for the entire multichannel system. Eventually a visit experience with Whyre in Pompei, from Porta Marina to the 'domus del Centenario', is described, and the impact of delivering location-specific contents originated by virtual archaeological reconstructions is discussed.

The article illustrates and discusses the planning and execution of an Internet site for the archaeological area of the ancient Latin city of Crustumerium. The city is located north of Rome and prospered from the ninth to the fifth centuries BC in parallel to Rome, which eventually conquered it. The text is divided into three parts. The first confronts problems linked to the presentation (and editing in response to new data) of a State controlled Internet site devoted to State controlled archaeological areas. The second clarifies the semiotic choices made during the creation of pages which synthesise various aspects of the archaeological discipline. The third concerns to the editing principles employed to reconcile the logic of hypertext with popular scientific presentation. A last section offers a commentary of a small selection of Internet sites belonging to institutions which present archaeological areas, grouped into three sections.

The article presents some aspects of the research project which has been carried out in the middle Tiber Valley (Sabina Tiberina), to analyse the distribution of archaeological sites in the territory, based on new field surveys and the study of archive documents ('Progetto Galantina'). The research takes advantage of the positive experiment conducted by the Istituto di Studi sulle Civiltà Italiche e del Mediterraneo Antico (ISCIMA) of the Italian CNR to set up and integrate within a Geographical Information System a new model of archiving, managing and querying archaeological information, focused on the analysis of excavation diaries and their SGML and XML encoding. The implemented system gives rise to a many-sided repeatable digital model, easily exportable in various situations. The integration between the DTD established to formally describe archaeological data and the elements of the TEI Lite and Dublin Core standards makes it possible to record and query data coming from both published excavation reports and archive documents dating from the nineteenth century, which deal with the description of archaeological itineraries around Rome. The example presented in this paper refers to the manuscript by Ercole Nardi 'Ruderi delle Ville Romano-Sabine nei dintorni di Poggio Mirteto' (1885) and is aimed at preserving archaeological information through digital supports, electronic exchange formats and especially reliability of the information integrity. Moreover, it makes an attempt to experiment and develop new forms of knowledge diffusion which are more suitable for interactive web consultation than passive reading.

Review article.

Review article.

Review article.