Search Results (17)

This study examines the first systematic documentation of a series of small impact marks on the northern walls of Pompeii, interpreted as the result of Roman metal dart projectiles launched during the Sullan siege in 89 BC. Using high-resolution, reality-based 3D models, comparative analysis, and reverse modeling techniques, the research explores the hypothesis that a distinctive fan-shaped configuration of quadrangular indentations may have been produced by a repeating catapult, known as the polybolos. The integration of close-range photogrammetry, laser scanning, and digital reconstruction tools demonstrates how virtual casts and comparative modeling can contribute to archaeological interpretations of ancient projectile weaponry. Full article

Starting from the critical premises that underpin the debate between archeology and architecture, some evidence emerges: sometimes, the musealization of buildings, “urban carcasses” and historical ruins—which are our legacy from the past—is even more harmful than that of any other artefact, for the purposes of their real understanding. In a country like Italy, which has archeological presences more than any other, architecture must contribute to overcoming the consolidated aporia that the Contemporary, conceived not only as a period but also and above all as its “forms and functions”, is structurally in opposition to the conservation of archeological heritage. Spatium ad Omnes, the project presented in this article, is an attempted exercise at “inhabiting archaeology”, that is, trying to re-grant inclusive usability to a historical fragment, which has lost the elements necessary for its liveability, paying attention to the reversibility of the project itself. The set of questions, doubts and steps preliminary for the design have been highlighted more than the final “figure” of the project: an essential form directly connected with the primordial principles of its constitution. Spatium ad Omnes protects and encourages visiting the complex, trying to offer new perspectives, new narratives and new connections that translate into the possibility of being—for those who visit this place—the protagonists of a unique experience made of history, memory and continuous discoveries. Full article

Reverse Archaeology is a digital method useful for rebuilding an old excavation from its documentation. It mainly involves passing data from analogical sheets to digital feature/tables or from older sources to new and open-source formats. The idea for this paper came from the Una Quantum 2021 conference, specifically from the writing of the paper presented with Agnese Vacca at that same conference. What will be presented in this paper is a new assessment, with some other examples and a larger theoretical support, toward the creation of a community and a practical manual. Full article

Frequency-domain electromagnetic induction (FDEMI) methods are frequently used in non-invasive, area-wise mapping of the subsurface electromagnetic soil properties. A crucial part of data analysis is the geophysical inversion of the data, resulting in either conductivity and/or magnetic susceptibility subsurface distributions. We present a novel 1D stochastic optimization approach that combines dimension-adapting reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) with artificial bee colony (ABC) optimization for geophysical inversion, with specific application to frequency-domain electromagnetic induction (FDEMI) data. Several solution models of simplified model geometry and a variable number of model knots, which are found by the inversion method, are used to create re-sampled resulting average models. We present synthetic test inversions using conductivity models based on 14 direct-push (DP) EC logs from Greece, Italy, and Germany, as well as field data applications using multi-coil FDEMI devices from three sites in Azerbaijan and Germany. These examples show that the method can effectively lead to solutions that resemble the known DP input models or image reasonable stratigraphic and archaeological features in the field data. Neighboring 1D solutions on field data examples show high coherence along profiles even though each 1D inversion is independently handled. The computational effort for one 1D inversion is less than 120,000 forward calculations, which is much less than usually needed in MCMC inversions, whereas the resulting models show more plausible solutions due to the dimension-adapting properties of the inversion method. Full article

Once excavated, cultural relics face immediate threats from oxidation, water loss, mold growth, etc., which are caused due to severe environmental changes. Covering with plastic films, spraying water, or applying biocides followed by mechanical polish are common conservation practices, which are effective to some extent, but with obvious side effects. Menthol, often used as volatile binding material (VBM) in heritage conservation, has been proved to be safe to conservators and cultural relics and can be removed easily via sublimation with no residue. In this study, the possibility of using menthol coatings as a reversible environmental barrier to protect cultural relics during excavation is examined. Laboratory results show that menthol coating has an excellent ability to prevent oxygen and water molecules from passing through it, to stop various fungal growths and cut off radiation below 300 nm. On-site antifungal applications on a mural tomb of the Tang Dynasty, located in the north of Xi’an Xianyang International Airport, provided satisfactory results. Laboratory and field results show that menthol coating has high potential of being used for the emergency protection of relics against sudden environmental changes during excavation. Full article

The paper presents the restoration activities carried out at Tell Mardikh-Ebla (Syria) by the Italian Archaeological Expedition to Syria of the Sapienza University of Rome. In particular, the study focuses on the operations to preserve the mudbrick structures that have specifically suffered from erosion by rain wind which has caused the collapse of sections of walls. The programme of restoration at Ebla sought to clarify and outline a plan of excavated structures with swift, non-invasive, and reversible interventions and reconstructions. The protection of mudbrick buildings is indeed a challenge for archaeologists working in the Near East: mudbricks are extremely fragile both during the excavation and even more so after they have been excavated. Starting from the results at Ebla, the issue of preserving mudbrick structures is far from being completely solved; the lack of any archaeological research at Ebla, because of the political crisis in Syria, heavily affected the site and the restored buildings that have been seriously damaged by illicit digging and the occupation of the archaeological areas. New techniques and solutions are needed to improve the quality of maintenance and the protection of such a fragile heritage. Full article

Community-based approaches in archaeology are poised to make an important contribution to the decolonization of the discipline. Archaeologists who are committed to this agenda are undoubtedly aware that community archaeology is a vibrant and growing research area, but the extent to which the practical aspects and interpretive impact of community archaeology are known beyond its adherents is unclear. This article reviews recent publication trends in highly ranked, international archaeology journals to determine if and what kind of community archaeology is reaching a discipline-spanning audience. The main finding of this analysis is that community archaeology occupies a dynamic but narrow niche within general archaeological scholarship. I argue that this pattern must be confronted and reversed if the transformative potential of community-based research is to be realized in archaeology. Full article

Spring Outing Painting of Madam Guo is one of the representative works of Zhang Xuan, a famous Chinese court painter of the Tang dynasty (618–907), who was the “leader” of the trend of figure painting in the Tang dynasty and had a great influence on later figure painting. The costumes of the characters in the paintings not only show the artistic aesthetics of the prosperous Tang dynasty, but also reflect the rich cultural connotation. At present, the research on this painting is mainly about character discrimination and painting appreciation. There are few studies involving the costumes in this painting. With the rapid development of digital clothing technology, it provides a new way and path for the restoration of ancient costumes. Based on the costume archaeology of Spring Outing Painting of Madam Guo, this paper uses 3D virtual simulation and reverse engineering technology to restore the costume style of the characters in the picture, realize the digital restoration and protection of the style drawing, paper pattern, and 3D simulation drawing of the characters’ costumes in the picture. Finally, we introduce the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) to comprehensively evaluate the costume restoration effect. Our proposed method solves the problem of the constraints of time and space on the presentation of ancient traditional costumes, promotes the excellent historical culture of China, and provides a certain reference for the modern redesign of ancient costumes. Full article

This paper takes the tomb murals as the research object, and realizes the development of the costume patterns of the Tang tomb murals and the 3D simulation restoration of the costumes through 3D interactive clothing pattern-making technology and virtual simulation technology. Firstly, the 3D garment model is constructed in the virtual environment according to the costume outline of the Tang Dynasty tomb mural costume. Then, the structural curves of the garment are drawn on the 3D garment according to the characteristics of the Tang Dynasty tomb mural garment style, the 3D surface is expanded and surrounded by these curves into the 2D garment plane, and the expanded surface is adjusted to obtain the 2D garment plane pattern. We use 3D virtual simulation technology to sew the patterns of Tang Dynasty tomb mural costumes and realize the virtual simulation restoration of Tang Dynasty tomb mural costumes. Finally, we create a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation of the restoration effect of the restored costumes. Compared with the traditional costume restoration methods, the method proposed in this paper reduces the technical requirements for operators in the restoration process without destroying cultural relics, and provides a new method for the rapid simulation and restoration of ancient Chinese costumes. Full article

Identification of materials, masonry elements, their shapes, physical and mechanical parameters and type of connection is crucial for the conservation works related to ancient masonry structures. In the case of the archaeological site where the research was carried out (Tanais in Russia), some irregular masonries made of limestone and earth-based mortar were stated. Such type of structures is a common finding during the archaeological excavations in the Black Sea basin carried out by the Division of Fundamental of Building of the Civil Engineering Faculty of the Warsaw University of Technology in cooperation with the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw and the Antiquity in Southeastern Europe Research Center. The structure of such walls is degraded to a large extent, has low strength, internal cohesion and, as a result—low durability. At the same time, due to their historical importance, proper conservation, as well as the development of the whole methodology for selecting the best composition of earth-based mortar, is of great importance. Presented in the article, research on earth-based mortars were carried out to determine the best way to strengthen them, using cement (creating an earth-based mortar stabilized with cement with the most appropriate recipe) and other substances available in the region where conservation works are carried out not only to improve the durability physical and mechanical parameters but also to achieve the desired esthetic effect in the form of a suitable tone together with the compatibility of repair mortar with the substrate and constitutes the primary stage of creating the whole methodology of selecting a proper composition of earth-based mortar for the conservation of ancient stone structures. In this stage, four criteria were taken into consideration: mechanical (compressive strength test), conservation (compatibility, reversibility, color, texture and surface profile), durability (freeze–thaw test, the appropriate finish of the surface, shrinkage, workability) and technological one (application of materials, technology and techniques available at the conservation area). Applied treatment was evaluated in the next two years of the conservation works. Parameters of repair earth-based mortar stabilized with cement fulfilled all of the above-mentioned requirements. Full article

A large part of the archaeological remains still to be discovered and excavated are not in remote and depopulated areas of the earth but are often beneath urban centres that have buried them with centuries of debris and later constructions. Excavating in these contexts is much more complex than digging in rural or sparsely inhabited areas because of the constraints imposed by existing buildings and infrastructure. It should also be considered that within an urbanised area, any archaeological remains are concentrated in the subsoil of the historic centre, which is, therefore, often surmounted by buildings that are more recent than the remains but historical as well, and thus, of considerable value and vulnerability. For this reason, an archaeological excavation in an urban area must be preceded by a real feasibility study, where the potential risks for the structures above are minimised and accurately quantified. In many situations, as in the case under study, the discovery of a small segment of a structure is the only clue to reconstruct the development of the remaining part still to be excavated, which may stretch tens or hundreds of metres away from the measurable part. As a consequence, an error of a few centimetres in the survey of the excavated part can lead to errors of metres in estimating the positions of the far parts still to be excavated, and this, in many cases, as in the one under study, must absolutely be avoided. In practice, high-precision geomatic surveys, in support of the archaeological and historical interpretation of the observable structures, will help to establish the exact locations to possibly continue the excavations, helping the accurate planning of the excavation itself. Here, we have shown how the various techniques, compared to each other, have made it possible to reconstruct the location of a short stretch (less than 7 m) of the Emperor Augustus’ Sundial, the only currently visible evidence of a scientific instrument of imposing dimensions (tens of metres in length and height) that served to define some of the characteristics of the calendar that we still use today. The portion of the sundial currently observable, according to the most reliable hypotheses, is located approximately at one end of a structure and extends for several tens of metres. The accurate positioning of the observable parts in a geodetic reference system will enable to identify with certainty the possible areas in which excavation may continue and will also allow to accurately reconstruct the principle of operation of the sundial through an approach that could be defined as “reverse engineering” of the scientific instrument itself. The aim of this work is to study and thus define the combination and integration of existing geomatic techniques for this specific field of application. Full article

The 3D digitization and Building Information Modeling (BIM), which is based on parametric objects, have considerably advanced by developing massive data capture techniques. Thus, reverse engineering currently plays a major role as these technologies capture accurately and efficiently the geometry, color and textures of complex architectural, archaeological and cultural heritage. This paper aims to validate close-range Structure from Motion (SfM) for heritage by analyzing the point density and the 3D mesh geometry in comparison with Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS). The accuracy of the results and the geometry mainly depends on the processing performed on the point set. Therefore, these two variables are significant in the 3D reconstruction of heritage buildings. This paper focuses on a 15th century case study in Seville (Spain): the main façade of Casa de Pilatos. Ten SfM surveys were carried out varying the capture method (simple and stereoscopic) and the number of shots, distances, orientation and procedure. A mathematical analysis is proposed to verify the point spatial resolution and the accuracy of the 3D model geometry by section profiles in SfM data. SfM achieved acceptable accuracy levels to generate 3D meshes despite disordered shots and the number of images. Hence, stereoscopic photography using new instruments improved the results of close-range photogrammetry while reducing the required number of photographs. Full article

Waterlogged archaeological wood (WAW) is considered a precious material, first-hand account of past civilizations. Like any organic material, it is subjected to biodegradative action of microorganisms whose activity could be particularly fast and dangerous during the phases of excavation, storage and restoration. The present work aimed to characterize the microorganisms present in WAW during these tricky periods to evaluate the biological risk it is exposed to. The bacterial and fungal communities inhabiting woods coming from two archaeological sites (Pisa and Naples) were investigated through Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). High-throughput sequencing of extracted DNA fragments was performed using the reversible terminator-based sequencing chemistry with the Illumina MiSeq platform. The analyses revealed that the two archaeological sites showed distinct richness and biodiversity, as expected. In all the WAWs, the bacterial community harbored mainly Proteobacteria, whereas Bacteroidetes was well represented only in Naples communities and taxa belonging to the phyla Chloroflexi only in the Pisa site. Concerning the fungal community, the two sites were dominated by different phyla: Ascomycota for Naples samples and Basidiomycota for Pisa. Interestingly, most of the identified bacterial and fungal taxa have cellulolytic or ligninolytic ability. These results provide new and useful background information concerning the composition of WAW microbiota and the threat it represents for this precious material. Full article

We investigate the applicability of offshore geoelectrical profiling in the littoral zone, e.g., for archaeological prospection, sediment classification and investigations on coastal ground water upwelling. We performed field measurements with a 20 m long multi-electrode streamer in inverse Schlumberger configuration, which we used to statistically evaluate measurement uncertainty and the reproducibility of offshore electric resistivity tomography. We compared floating and submerged electrodes, as well as stationary and towed measurements. We found out that apparent resistivity values can be determined with an accuracy of 1% to 5% (1σ) depending on the measurement setup under field conditions. Based on these values and focusing on typical meter-scale targets, we used synthetic resistivity models to theoretically investigate the tomographic resolution and depth penetration achievable near-beach underneath a column of brackish water of about 1 m depth. From the analysis, we conclude that offshore geoelectric sounding allows the mapping of archaeological stone settings. The material differentiation of low-porosity rock masses < 15% is critical. Submerged wooden objects show a significant resistivity contrast to sand and rocks. Distinguishing brine-saturated sandy sediments from cohesive silty-clayey sediments is difficult due to their equal or reversed resistivity contrasts. Submarine freshwater discharges in sandy aquifers can be localized well, though difficulties may occur if the seafloor encounters massive low-porosity rock masses. As to the measurement setups, submerged and floating electrodes differ in their spatial resolution. Whereas stone settings of 0.5 to 1 m can still be located with submerged electrodes within the uppermost 4 m underneath the seafloor, they have to be >2 m if floating electrodes are used. Therefore, we recommend using submerged electrodes, especially in archaeological prospection. Littoral geological and hydrogeological mapping is also feasible with floating electrodes in a more time-saving way. Full article

The availability and accessibility of digital data are increasingly significant in the creation of archaeological knowledge with, for example, multiple datasets being brought together to perform extensive analyses that would not otherwise be possible. However, this makes capturing the silences in those data—what is absent as well as present, what is unknown as well as what is known—a critical challenge for archaeology in terms of the suitability and appropriateness of data for subsequent reuse. This paper reverses the usual focus on knowledge and considers the role of ignorance—the lack of knowledge, or nonknowledge—in archaeological data and knowledge creation. Examining aspects of archaeological practice in the light of different dimensions of ignorance, it proposes ways in which the silences, the range of unknowns, can be addressed within a digital environment and the benefits which may accrue. Full article