Archeologia e Calcolatori 23 - 2012

Methodological reflection on communication in archaeology greatly developed over the past fifteen years. It is now widely accepted that video-narrative medium has a larger potential compared with other media commonly used up to now. The archaeological video can be divided into some different categories - documentary, video update, docudrama - each of them potentially destined to a variety of audiences when the movie is inserted into a narrative framework. By its nature, the archaeological site of Vignale, where the relative poverty of the remains on the ground sharply contrasts with the richness of the 'stories' the site itself can narrate, is an ideal place to test the docudrama-model video. Initially intended to be just an instrument for communicating with and involving local population in the archaeological project as a whole, the video-narrative proved to be a powerful tool in stimulating the research group itself towards a more thoughtful and 'multivocal' recording of the fieldwork done. The output of the project was the making of a brief 'series' of videos, with the general title of 'The Excavation and its Stories. They were initially used as an educational support for younger students in archaeology, but later obtained a wider audience through the web.

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.

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).

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).

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.

The article presents the results obtained from the application of two different kinds of software, Photoplan (Kubit) and Image Master (Topcon), to the photographic rectification used as a graphic support methodology for the technological and building analysis of the Provincial Forum of Tarraco. The study of archaeological structures in a modern urban context often imposes limitations and obstacles of a different nature (space, time, financial resources, etc.). In order to overcome such drawbacks, photographic rectification can be used for the bi-dimensional documentation of archaeological structures, as a tool widely affirmed and accepted in a scientific context. Presently there are several different kinds of software available on the market, so that it is difficult to make a choice among the wide range of possibilities. Nonetheless, the advantages and disadvantages of these kinds of software depend mainly on the specific aims and the particular work context. Hence, the choice of Photoplan or Image Master was based mainly on the evaluation of their respective flexibility and speed in both data collection and data processing, considering the size and the location of the structure of interest. For our purposes, the best solution was to alternate the two kinds of software, as they turned out to be quite complementary.

Reconstructing the development of architectural complexes throughout time is often very difficult. Buildings are usually a series of constructive actions, changes from the original project, and collapses and reconstructions due to human actions (such as demolitions) and/or natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, etc.). The building’s structure records all these events, and by using a relief map gives us the chance to understand and decode them. The archaeological relief map is thus supposed to offer a complete and concise documentation. At the same time, it must be enriched with the additional information needed for a more detailed analysis of the archaeological object itself. In the last few years, the introduction and continuous improvements of many instruments (e.g. laser scanners and photogrammetric technologies) have led to a significant qualitative and quantitative change in the recording of material structures. In particular, the possibility of combining different relief technologies - obtaining high resolution, 3D geometrically correct models of buildings or of entire archaeological sites (which could be further investigated thanks to archaeological analysis or other procedures) - has modified the archaeological approach towards the material ‘datum’ and its divulgation. In order to acquire a better knowledge of contemporary technologies, the dissemination of different methodologies - through their application in research contexts - is the best way to transmit and compare them. This article is dedicated to the presentation and detailed analysis of a photogrammetric RGB point-clouds technology, used for the relief of a room during the archaeological excavation at Aiano-Torraccia di Chiusi (San Gimignano, Siena).

Simple photogrammetric data capture methods and equipment are able to measure accurate dense point clouds and detailed high geometric quality Digital Surface Models (DSMs) can be generated out of them. These products are frequently applied to the recording of rock art. However, their potential is not just limited to documentation and their use can be extended to perform analytic tasks. This paper describes the authors’ first experiments in the morphometric analysis of an engraved surface (an epigraph), based on a DSM generated from photogrammetric data. Slope and curvature models were derived from this DSM and used to identify and extract some structural features of the carvings, much in the same way as topographic landscape features can be identified on a terrain DEM.

The utilisation of airborne laser scanning (Light Detection And Ranging, LiDAR) technology in archaeological research has developed signifcantly in recent years. The application of specifc algorithms to appropriate software can provide an accurate digital model of the Earth’s surface from LiDAR datasets, which helps to identify archaeological objects by the use and comparison of different visualisation techniques of the digital terrain model (DTM). Besides using LiDAR data, the application of various methods (e.g. documentation by terrestrial laser scanner and Total Station, aerial photographs, modern and historical maps, archaeological information, historical documents, on-site examination of earthwork features) helps to assure a more precise identifcation and interpretation process of the archaeological features. In addition, the Geographical Information System (GIS) offers a good solution for managing together all these various types of information in the same coordinate system. In this paper, the application of LiDAR analysis in GIS environment will be discussed and compared in two different research programmes. The HiMAT programme (History of Mining Activities in the Tyrol and adjacent areas) investigates the history of mining in the Eastern Alps and the APSAT project (Environment and Landscapes of Upland Sites of Trentino) focuses on the study of the upland anthropic system in Trentino area. In both research projects, LiDAR surveys were applied to investigate the archaeological areas such as mining regions and hilltop sites of upland areas. Some of the results from the sites surveyed by LiDAR and additional methods are presented in this paper including the discovery of new sites and the detection of new structures at known sites as well as the mapping of archaeological settings.

This paper investigates the potential for close methodological synergies between chaîne opératoire and cross-craft interaction, on the one hand, and an alternative use of the so-called process mining in Business Process Modelling, on the other. We use process mining and chaîne opératoire as an initial ground to bring archaeology and computer science closer. We suggest new theoretical models and methodological approaches fostering cross-fertilization between archaeology and computer sciences. The present paper gives an account of cross-cutting research inspired by these methodological approaches and we investigate our common methodologies and test them in case studies based on pottery making. Methodologically, we propose to adopt a formal approach inspired by the computer science notions of workflow and process mining. In fact, such notions have to be extended in order to model the complex chaîne opératoire envisaged by Brysbaert. As shown theoretically, this can be achieved by means of suitable ontologies. Consequently we have re-elaborated specific logs and shown that new notations for archaeological processes and algorithms are needed. In conclusion, we offer a list of requirements for an ontology of (workflows for) chaînes opératoires.

This article is intended to provide an overview of archaeological open access journals, with particular reference to Italy and a general survey of the situation in France and the Anglo-Saxon countries. The Internet is now established as an important tool for the dissemination of knowledge and exchange in research; all sectors are adapting to this new environment, including that of classical studies, which more than any other remains attached to traditional forms of knowledge transmission and publication. Alongside published journals, online open access journals (of which we describe some examples related to the above mentioned geographic areas) are increasing considerably, and are acquiring an important role for the publication of research studies. The article also provides a brief overview on open access features and creative commons licenses.

Introduction to the Proceedings.

The purpose of this paper is to describe methods of documentation of different archaeological contexts. The first part illustrates some solutions for the integration of tablet PC within the current standards of archaeological documentation. The second part describes several techniques of photogrammetric survey for the documentation of burials, wall stratigraphy and structural elements. With the support of photo-modelling and stereophotogrammetry it is possible to record perimeter and surface of each Stratigraphic Unit in a three-dimensional space also obtaining isomorphic reproductions of the detected object. In conclusion, the last part of the article discusses the first results of an experiment which is still in progress: the 3D PDF for publication of the archaeological record.

By examining the potential offered by the digital survey, the article aims at encourag¬ing archaeologists to undertake a more rational approach towards three-dimensional data acquisition and management. Data was derived from excavations at Aveia (AQ - Italy) and Seglamen (Ethiopia). The 3D data-capture was achieved with the laser scanner and structure from motion techniques that make it possible to obtain a point cloud of an object from a sequence of photographic images, which are neither ordered nor calibrated. The conclusions reflect the role of digital technologies in the field of stratigraphic survey. Independence from scale and the ability to extract profiles and contours of stratigraphic units are factors of great importance for a virtual reconstruction of archaeological excavations.

Since 2005 the Aswan-Kom Ombo Archaeological Project (AKAP), managed by Yale and Bologna Universities, has investigated a number of selected areas in the region between Aswan and Kom Ombo. Many of the rock art sites identified within the concession areas are under threat, due to the impact of modern human activities. Three-dimensional technologies, such as digital surveying, laser scanning and photogrammetry, were used for the first time in the Egyptian Nile Valley in order to obtain a highly detailed image of the rock art and its environmental setting. The aim of the project is to improve data recording and analysis while saving economic resources and reducing time in the fieldwork.

Recently, the team of researchers who collaborate with the journal ‘Groma’ was involved in two major archaeological projects relating to abandoned Roman towns in the Adriatic area: Burnum (Šibenik, Croatia) and Suasa (Ancona, Italy). The Burnum Project is primarily a remote sensing research project that aims at promoting the archaeological heritage of the site. The main results have already been presented during the first edition of the Workshop (2011). The Roman town of Suasa is located in the middle valley of the Cesano River, in the northern Marche region. The Department of Archaeology of Bologna University has spent over twenty years conducting archaeological excavations and multidisciplinary studies in the site. The present paper focuses on the new season of research, which involves new tools and methods for the analysis and documentation of the site and its territory. In particular, in recent years there has been an increased use of remote sensing techniques and the systematic management of the new data excavations through an innovative webGIS system. The integration of historical and modern aerial photographs, finalized aerial photogrammetry, new aerial and geophysical survey, made it possible to identify several buildings in the urban area and to locate the most important elements of the ancient topography in the suburban area. The large amount of archaeological data acquired from the excavations and from remote sensing techniques was managed by webGIS technology, which made it possible to conduct different levels of analysis.

In the last few years in Italy the scientific community has increasingly focused its interest on the documentation of Cultural Heritage. The evolution of relief and modeling technologies combined with an outstanding variety of software and hardware available on the market and online has allowed an increasing number of operators to produce three-dimensional models, to elaborate new reflections, studies and popular products. In the archaeological relief field, after an early preponderance of laser tools, interest has recently shifted towards photogrammetric tools, with a switch from stereo-photogrammetry to bundle reconstruction through commercial and open source software available online. In the field of Building Archaeology, the technological evolution has allowed us to continually set new goals, from the increasingly detailed three-dimensional recording of buildings, to the representation of realistic models of the construction phases and the demolition of the buildings over time. This article attempts to illustrate, through the presentation of some projects of the Laboratory of Building Archaeology of the University of Siena, the ‘mental structure’ existing before the material one, that is behind the recording of the construction characteristics of a building, by focusing on the factors that are at the base of the choice of a particular survey system and on the consequent possibilities in generating and managing three-dimensional models.

The aim of this paper is to present the experience of a photogrammetric survey started in May 2009 to record the current state of some religious buildings involved in the earthquake of April 6th which affected L’Aquila and its municipalities. This experience gave us the opportunity to evaluate and verify a solution for a metric survey of buildings, which is based on photography applied in a post-earthquake scenario. An archaeological recording can become part of a wider process of knowledge and reconstruction, in which there is interaction between several agents (engineers, architects, archaeologists, etc.); in this way the approach to the survey problems was discussed taking into account specific needs. The paper illustrates the process of analysis and synthesis that led to the representation of architectural and archaeological data, and especially attempts to define, through specific case studies, the targeted use of the photogrammetric solution.

The site of San Severo is located between the cities of Ravenna and Classe, just a few kilometers from the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, on the same road. In recent years the archaeological area has been the focus of scientific research by the University of Bologna and the Ravenna Antica Foundation, which is the main sponsor for the excavation activities, directed by prof. Andrea Augenti (Dept. of Archaeology of Bologna University). During the last two seasons of work and discoveries, we decided to develop a system to promote interest in this important site not only for specialists but also for the general public, by creating a virtual reconstruction of its historical background, starting in the 6th century A.D. Using a new robotic total station, we conducted a 3D digital survey of all the structures, and produced the documentation to do the modeling. By means of different kinds of software, we made a multiphase model which reveals the former splendor of this monument and allows users to navigate in it in a virtual and realistic way.