Archeologia e Calcolatori 30 - 2019

Editorial to the 30th anniversary issue of Archeologia e Calcolatori.

The growing success, for more than fifty years, of the scientific contribution of computer applications and quantitative methods in archaeology may be now reviewed and analyzed from different technological and sociological points of view. This examination allows us to appreciate the material importance of such contributions and how the community of specialists in computational archaeology should play a major role in the future of 21st-century archaeology.

The article illustrates the most recent achievements of archaeological computing, through a systematic survey that starts with the very name of the discipline, as used at national and international levels. The aim is to examine if the distinction made between 'archaeological computing' and 'digital archaeology' can really be helpful in framing the discipline in its theoretical and methodological evolution. From the synthesis made, the dominance of technological aspects on the theoretical and methodological approach clearly emerges. For some time now, technology has governed the three main areas of archaeological practice: field work, laboratory analysis and cultural heritage management and promotion. Two other important aspects are today rapidly gaining ground: 'Communicating archaeological research' and 'European digital infrastructures for archaeology'. Finally, particularly significant is the sector of Digital Heritage or Heritage Science, which today seems to be the focus of all digital archaeology involvements.

Online open access circulation of the journal «Archeologia e Calcolatori» started in 2005. International standards developed within the Open Archives Initiative paradigm immediately offered fascinating solutions to disseminate metadata describing the journal's content. The most relevant protocol for Open Archives implementation is OAI-PMH. Several software applications to support OAI-PMH have been proposed by different institutions and some enjoyed brilliant success. However, in certain situations the deployment of an OAI-PMH conformant repository remained problematic. For small research institutions and university departments, most of the existing OAI applications seemed difficult to implement. In this paper, the author recalls the main steps that guided the journal towards a simplified approach to the OAI implementation, one suited to small and medium-sized archives, creating a system operating now for 15 years.

The paper illustrates the recent evolution of web architectures and the choices made for the web portal of 'Archeologia e Calcolatori'. The website needed an urgent restyling to update its ASP platform, even though for 15 years it had performed its interactive work very well. Today, the ASP language is no longer supported by Microsoft and the infrastructural choices of the CNR are and will be increasingly oriented towards the world of open source and LAMP architectures (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Phyton). For this reason, a transformation was not only suggested, but vital. It was therefore decided to completely renew the website, a task consisting of about 70 physical pages to be rewritten in PHP. This work transformation has helped to pave the way for new technologies that today are modifying the web architecture of the entire WWW and that will soon allow us to implement new services and functions. Particular attention was paid to the most significant phenomena in the innovative technological panorama of Web Information Systems, with particular emphasis on the Semantic Databases and the new RIA (Rich Internet Application) technologies, the latter a splendid evolution of client-side web architectures.

Based on the case study of the journal 'Archeologia e Calcolatori', the authors investigate specific issues related to the promotion of Open Science in archaeology. The first part analyses the initiatives undertaken in order to foster the dissemination of the journal's digital resources on the web, such as the use of descriptive metadata (Dublin Core), the attribution of unique identifiers (DOI), the uploading of the full texts on institutional repositories for long term preservation (CNR-SOLAR), the collaboration with initiatives aiming at the aggregation of cultural and scientific digital contents (MiBACT-CulturaItalia). The second part illustrates many initiatives and projects promoted by the editorial committee to spread the principles of the 'open access' philosophy, nationally and internationally. The journal has thus become a record and memory of the progress in the theoretical, as well as applied, aspects of the Open Access movement. This study shows the relevance of the continuous experimentation of the practices for publishing scientific initiatives, adhering to and promoting the Open Access and facilitating the accessibility to its own resources.

The 30th anniversary of ‘Archeologia e Calcolatori’ has offered the chance to focus on its rich repository of scientific contents and to envisage further strategies to better classify the journal’s papers. Mapping web resources is crucial in organizing and managing cultural information in the Semantic Web and Internet of Things (IoT) perspective. In this context, the editorial board has decided to adopt geographical and chronological annotation strategies and to implement established gazetteers of geographical and historical entities. The first step in this annotation project was to experiment with the ‘Recogito’ Pelagios tool, an international initiative aimed at facilitating better associations between online resources documenting the past. Furthermore, an analysis has been undertaken by means of Social Network Analysis techniques, which in the last years has been developed to cover a wide interdisciplinary field of study, including social and behavioral sciences, economics, psychology, anthropology. The paper illustrates the main results, to highlight connections between themes and technologies in the papers published over the last ten years.

Recent research work, carried out as part of the international project on 'The History of Archaeological Computing', jointly promoted by the Italian National Research Council and the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, has created the premises by which to publish online the database of the Bibliography of Archaeological Computing. The database was regularly implemented during the first ten years of publication of the international scholarly journal 'Archeologia e Calcolatori' (1990-1999), and covers a period ranging from 1989 to 2000. The dataset was revised and made available online in the 'Virtual Museum of Archaeological Computing', featuring more than 2,700 titles. Data structuring and updating led us to re-appreciate the analysis of the results, published for the first time in the tenth issue of the journal, by also linking the period under investigation with the achievements of the previous decades and anticipating the challenges of the years to come. This article sets out both the research work now being carried out to classify bibliographical information and the results obtained from the statistical analysis of the dataset.

An internship at the CNR-ISMA was the starting point for the Master’s Graduation thesis ‘Audience Development in Archaeology: Strategies Based on Digital Innovation’ (Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi). The three-month internship was linked to several different educational initiatives carried out by the Institute. A series of activities was designed expressly: namely, analysis of the database of the scholarly journal ‘Archeologia e Calcolatori’, with a special focus on the articles related to data dissemination and education in archaeology, as well as Virtual Reality and multimedia projects; field observation of Audience Development initiatives in archaeology through on-site multimedia projects, presented in the cultural itinerary for the Virtual Museum of Archaeological Computing (Virtual Journey at ‘Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini’); and finally focus-group interviews both with high-school students, taking part to the Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro (ASL) program, and with expert scholars.

The rich epigraphic heritage of the Castello Ursino Civic Museum of Catania has been studied by the EpiCUM project that encoded it in EpiDoc TEI XML, an XML based standard digital representation for cultural heritage contents. The project made the epigraphic heritage available in a digital museum: under the guise of the ‘Voci di Pietra’ exhibition, a selection of epigraphs were presented, implementing innovative presentation modalities thanks to a smart use of technological and digital means. Information contained in the epigraphs was semantically reorganized in a unique homogeneous container, the EpiONT ontology, constructed according to the Linked Open Data paradigm and to consolidated international standards. The encoding of the ancient texts, by the TEI standard and its EpiDoc subset, is wedded to the paradigmatic semantic web model for museums and cultural heritage. The EpiONT ontology is currently populated by 580 epigraphs collected in the Castello Ursino Civic Museum. Designed according to the CIDOC CRM standard, it makes use of the SKOS vocabularies of the EAGLE project concerning material, execution technique, type of inscription, and type of support of an epigraph. The EpiONT ontology additionally can handle any uncertainty in the origin and place of discovery of the epigraphs.

Since 2012 the Istituto di Studi sul Mediterraneo Antico - CNR has been conducting an interdisciplinary research programme at the Roman villa of Cottanello (RI). The results of these investigations have been published in a recent work (Pensabene, Sfameni 2017). This paper presents some new studies on the villa, related, in particular, to the development of a website created with the CMS Museo and Web. The implementation of the website gave the opportunity to expand the research on the architectural terracottas, that represent one of the most important and conspicuous groups of ancient material found during the excavations. In particular, the article presents the online database of terracottas, their three-dimensional graphic reconstruction and some archaeometric analysis. The paper provides also an overview on other residential contexts, in which similar decorative terracottas were found.

The villa-complex of Theodoric in Galeata is one of the latest examples, at least within the Italian peninsula, of the great private residences of late antiquity. The site is multi-layered and has evidence of seventeen centuries of occupation, from the 6th century BC to the 12th century AD Important new knowledge of the pre-Roman (a settlement of the Late Iron age) and Roman (a large villa) phases of the site has been acquired. The most significant results, however, concern the late antiquity phase. The excavations, in fact, have led to a new interpretation of the complex known as the 'Palace' or villa of the Goth king Theodoric. In this long-running excavation it has been possible to test the transformations of excavation methods and techniques, which have evolved over the years.

The paper addresses the theme of photomodelling techniques supporting archaeological survey and of the role played by the contemporary archaeologist dealing with computing and information technology. In particular, photomodelling, being a simple and economical technique, for years has gained ground in the archaeological survey as an efficient instrument to respond to the needs for documentation, study, and communication, which are inherent to digitization. Likewise, in the enhancement of perceptive aspects and in computation automatisms, which are at the basis of the models' genesis, some pitfalls can be hidden that may lead to underestimate the centrality of interpretation. The critical analysis proposed aims at underlying the contribution of digital techniques, by analysing their reliability and their possible application to the traditional design. The paper compares some examples of archaeological data survey conducted in the Umbria region, in the last fifty years, from the point of view of experts involved in representation studies, and tries to capture the peculiarities that are still valid in the current transformation of graphic representation tools.

The paper presents the first results of the Basilica Julia Project, aimed at the analysis and reconstruction of the transformations affecting the southern side of the Forum Romanum. In the excavation campaigns conducted between 1960 and 1964 beneath the Augustan building, the remains of the basilica of Julius Caesar, the Basilica Sempronia (169 BC), a large house with an atrium dated to the 4th cent. BC, and traces of a 5th cent. BC building were brought to light. During the first phase of the work, the stratigraphic sequences were reconstructed according to the archive documentation and the study of the archaeological materials. In the second phase, a wide-ranging survey campaign was undertaken. The paper examines the methods of acquisition, connected to conservation demands, the lack of natural light and the complex physical configuration of the site. Surveying was undertaken by integrating topographical survey with massive data collection through 3D Laser Scanner and Structure from Motion. The paper also focuses on the process of integration of all these different data-sets into a single model, which produces a considerable quantity of information already translated into a unique system. Finally, thanks to the possibility to explore the 3D model in the restitution phase, the model made it possible to produce a 2D plan and sections in a process that ensured the correct reading of the data.

The survey campaign on the monumental remains of the West Hall of the Domitian Complex (Roman Forum) has provided an opportunity for a general reflection on the archaeological surveying of architecture. Above all, there is the problem of how to guarantee an accurate documentation, when approaching 'XXL buildings', like those of this architectural complex. Working with two different methodologies, in particular digital photogrammetry and laser scanning, the authors have detected the best operating procedure for the documentation of such very big structures. The data obtained during the surveying campaign has also allowed the reconstruction of the different historical phases for the West Hall in the Roman Forum.

The author illustrates a research project aimed at making an important contribution to the topographical knowledge of the urban area inside the city walls of Roman Telesia, located near Benevento (S. Salvatore Telesino). The urban survey has involved topographical and archaeological research and a selected coverage of the western area of the city, near Porta Volturno, using satellite images and low altitude aerial photography. A Geographical Information System, based on the integration of aerial data, maps and the digitization of several negative cropmarks, has allowed the author to develop a database for the visualization and comprehension of the complex ancient site of Telesia and to interpret the urban planning of the Roman city.

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.

This article illustrates the potential of multispectral satellite data for archaeological scope in the volcanic area of Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy). In particular, by adopting a post-dictive approach, GIS and FOSS technology was used to analyse different indices derived from World-View-2 multispectral data. The selected examples (two circular buildings and a wall-structure) illustrate successes and challenges of our method. The results indicate that NIR-1 and RED-EDGE are undoubtedly the most useful, while NDVI and SRI are the best performing indices.

The territory of Sarcidano is very important for the study of the settlements of the Nuragic population in the central-southern Sardinia (Italy), as the archaeological evidence of the late phases of Bronze Age and Early Iron Age shows. In particular, the great sanctuary of Santa Vittoria at Serri stands out on the homonymous plateau and exercises a control of the surrounding territory, corresponding in whole or part to the territories of the Serri, Escolca, Gergei, Isili, and Nurri municipalities. In this work, we experimented with an analytical procedure not yet widely used in the study of settlement processes in the Bronze and Iron Ages: that of Spatial Autocorrelation Techniques. The advantage of this approach lies in the fact that it not only shows spatial relationships, but does so on the basis of different values connected to the spatial data. Results showed that the Nuragic monuments were built near routes of passage so as to control the valleys below the basalt plains. This demonstrates the existence of a specific and organized approach for exploiting and monitoring the landscape, in which settlement choices depend on functionality criteria, with both nuraghi and villages having a key role on the strategic control of the territory.

This paper presents the combined use of UAV-derived Digital Elevation Models, optical and IR imaging and multispectral satellite images to produce a (micro)topographic survey of the proto-historic village of Bostel, in the municipality of Rotzo (province of Vicenza, Italy). It aims to improve our knowledge of the structural organization of the site. Different vegetation indices were calculated from the multiband images to enhance the grass and soil-marks in open field, allowing the identification of buried structures. Close-range images were acquired with a commercial DJI Phantom 2 and a customized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), equipped with both high-resolution digital and IR cameras. Structure from Motion was used on the acquired data to create digital elevation models (DEM) of sample areas, which were enhanced by using different data visualization techniques. Remote sensing analyses were then combined with fieldwork data, producing a complex environmental model. The houses found during the excavations seem to be embedded in a framework of structures for the sake of space organization, defense and control. Moreover, the presence of a dense network of terraces and buildings, running right up to the south-eastern ridge of the promontory, confirms the existence of an intense human occupation of the entire area.

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.

The aim of this paper is to provide an update to the debate concerning the production technology of bucchero pottery, as well as presenting new data on the use of raw material for its manufacture and the temperatures of firing. This interdisciplinary research focused on a period of technological changes in bucchero production during the sixth century BC, by applying a quantitative analytical approach using X-Ray powder Diffraction (XRD), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Thermogravimetric Analysis and Differential Thermal Analysis (TG-DTG), and multivariate statistical analyses. A series of samples from northern Etruria (mainly the area of Volsinii) were compared with products from Veii, Ardea, Segni and Pompeii. XRF and XRD analyses provided quantitative results, statistically analysed, concerning the use of raw material, both calcareous and non-calcareous, and the technology of firing where temperatures reached 950°C or above. TG analysis proved that the black surface of bucchero was due to reduced iron oxides and the presence of carbonaceous material on the surface. However, XRD results demonstrated that firing occurred at a high temperature and the ratio between aluminium and iron in the samples led to the formation of hercynite, an iron-aluminate spinel. The results of the study show that during the sixth century BC the changes in technology to obtain a quality bucchero production were related to a sufficiently long soaking period at a high temperature in a reduced atmosphere, regardless of the presence of calcite in the source material.

The rapid development of digital and multimedia technologies has generated a renewed attention on a number of alternative models for facilitating and enriching the relationship between visitors and the cultural assets they are interested in, in various disciplinary areas (archaeology, sociology, economics, information technology, design). Digital technologies, and in particular mobile technology, are capable of transforming any cultural visit, improving and strengthening the ways in which visitors can enjoy it. In the most rewarding examples, the use of such technologies acts as a trigger for the development of innovative scenarios in line with the needs for improving the experience, so reigniting a sense of discovery, reality and surprise. The ViaggiArte project offers an unusual way of acquiring knowledge about the monumental Ossuary of Naples, developed by using the latest VR and Oculus Rift technology, in order to encourage potential visitors to travel in the real site. The programme designed for the Cemetery of the Fontanelle in Naples is able to transform a series of anonymous, and so difficult to appreciate, objects into an immersive and engaging travel experience. The emotional impact of the site is fuelled by the exposure to the programme, amplified by its virtual reality cinematic experience. The project also provides a paradigmatic example of innovative forms of contemporary storytelling.

The author describes the recent set up of the Archaeological Museum Santi Furnari at Tripi (ME), inaugurated in 2012, and considers it as an example of technological innovation focused on the regional territory. Thanks to the application of digital technologies during the visit, the quality and value of the archaeological exhibition has improved considerably. Recently, to complete the path of modernization, the virtual tour experience of the Museum has also been added on the web platform (http://goo.gl/maps/hqNw4). This window of innovation has stimulated a considerable increase in the number of visits which, at present, amounts to around two thousand people a year.

Introduction to the XII ArcheoFOSS Workshop Proceedings (Roma, 19-22 febbraio 2018).

Articles 106 and following of the Italian Legislative Decree 42/2004 raise some critical issues for those who want to reproduce cultural heritage and disseminate these reproductions. In 2014 and 2016, changes were introduced to article 108 of that same Legislative Decree: these, under certain conditions, make it easier to carry out such activities when they are not done for profit. This paper explains in particular the changes recently introduced by the Italian Law 124/2017.

The paper provides a brief overview on the cultural open data status in Italy, taking into consideration also the economic factor arising from data reuse. From a quick survey of Italian portals, and from European and national reports on this topic, a rather diversified and fragmented situation is discerned: this explains why there are significant limits to the further development of open culture, the actual availability of usable data and the triggering of economic activities.

In the last few years, public administrations and university archives have been promoting the dissemination of cultural heritage via the web, so making it accessible and shared. The aim of those promoting the Open Access movement was to encourage the democratic and fast distribution of scientific knowledge. Furthermore, the benefits of using and sharing linked data do not accrue only to the public administration, though this may indeed become more efficient and effective, but also profits the citizenry, as online tools can stimulate public participation and social inclusion.

Archaeological stratigraphy-datasets are widely represented and visualised by the Harris Matrix. However, even digital Harris matrices retain most of the limitations their paper originals experienced and they are still in need of a standardised format for automatic recording. This paper presents an example, based on the well-known CSV open format, with a Data Package descriptor. The Harris Matrix Data Package standard is the result of two independent software implementations, one in Common Lisp by T.S. Dye and one in Python. The proposed format is not limited to describing the stratigraphy for the sole purpose of generating a diagram to look at, but it can be used to model stratigraphy as a Directed Acyclic Graph and to guide the interpretative process and integrate the results with established procedures for Bayesian modelling.

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.

This paper presents an overview on the development and use of open hardware devices in archaeology and their operation in extreme conditions. State-of-the-art technologies are analysed, based on the working experience of the Arc-Team company, which, in 2006, started up a new branch of research, informally called Archeorobotics. The research was initially focused on open hardware radio-controlled UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle); over time different devices were developed, like ROV (Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle), USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle), CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine and other electronic and mechanical tools.

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.

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.

The project involves the setting up of a virtual tour for the Museum of the Origins, namely the Museum of Prehistory and Protohistory at the Sapienza University of Rome Museum Pole. The virtual tour has been developed through open source technologies: a low-cost approach was pursued to provide a work-flow example for other museum sites wishing to acquire this promotion tool. The final product was designed both for museum use (in-site) and for a web spread (web-site).

3D Heritage Online Presenter (3DHOP) is a framework for advanced web-based visual presentations of high-resolution 3D content. Developed at the Visual Computing Lab CNR ISTI, 3DHOP was designed to cope with the specific needs of cultural heritage projects, supporting web-based publishing of very high-resolution digitized results and enabling the documentation of complex restoration actions. The present paper highlights, through some case studies (Peltuinum archaeological area, AQ, and Castillo de La Muela in Consuegra), the potentials of 3DHOP’s tools for the management of data from both active (laser scanner) and passive sensors (photogrammetry and aerophotogrammetry). In addition, problems and solutions encountered during the organization and personalization of web pages will be presented. The goal of this operation is to create a three-dimensional hub that can collect and link traditional archaeological documentation to 3D geometry.

The Virtual Museum of the Upper Calore Valley is a website which allows visitors to travel in time and space through and have access to various information on monuments, towns, culture, history, wine and food of the Hirpinian territory. By accessing six fictional videos on characters drawn from local history, users can also experience a historical overview, from the Longobard invasion up to the Unification of Italy, through the troubled periods of the Kingdom of Naples. The project works by open source software for video editing, GIS elaboration, and image processing. The browsing platform is based on the earliest release of the Aton framework created by CNR ITABC for browsing large-scale geographical and architectural data, with advanced features for graphic rendering, stereoscopic view, online representation of complex geometry and resolution through powerful paging algorithms. Aton is compatible with every modern HTML5 multimedia standard and is a powerful tool for historical storytelling.

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.

From the nineteenth century on, archaeological research has been conducted into the vicus of Bedriacum (2nd cent. BC-5th cent. AD), a minor centre in the territory of the Latin colony of Cremona near the modern town of Calvatone (CR). Different strategies and methods were used: iGIS was conceived and developed to become an immersive, scalable and fully customizable 3D-VR system that integrates 2D data and 3D models, ranging from MySQL online databases to Virtual Reality.

The excavation of the medieval city of Leopoli-Cencelle (Tarquinia, VT) has reached its 24th campaign. The graphic documentation produced over this period faithfully reflects how Information Technologies and instruments for data acquisition have developed in the course of about 20 years. In the case of Leopoli-Cencelle, the main challenge was to produce a modern system of managing and using data and to subsume all the paper elements into one functional and searchable digital format.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.