Alessandro Bezzi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Alessandro Bezzi

The use of digital archaeology technologies applied to a Paleolithic contexts, such as the excav... more The use of digital archaeology technologies applied to a Paleolithic contexts, such as the
excavation in Arco - via Serafini, allowed to speed up the documentation of the archaeological evidences, ensuring a better redistribution of resources for an optimized management of the stratigraphic investigation. At the same time the new technologis increased the quantity and quality of the collected information and simplified the
workflow related to the processing stage.

Il sito archeologico noto come villa romana di Torre di Pordenone si colloca ai margini sud-orien... more Il sito archeologico noto come villa romana di Torre di Pordenone si colloca ai margini sud-orientali del conoide tardo-pleistocenico del torrente Cellina, lungo la linea delle risorgive, in un contesto geografico plasmato dall'incessante scorrere delle acque. L'attuale morfologia dei luoghi, connotata da un terrazzo fluviale (con scarpata di 300-400 m) e da un'antistante bassura, in destra e sinistra idrografica del fiume Noncello, deve, infatti, la sua origine alla presenza, circa 4000-3500 anni fa, di un paleo-Cellina, il cui alveo, una volta abbandonato intorno all'VIII-VII sec. a.C., venne rivitalizzato dalle acque di risorgiva del Noncello stesso (Paronuzzi, Rigoni, Ventura 2006) 1 . È in questo contesto umido (Frassine 2013, 101), solcato da una via d'acqua connessa ai fiumi Meduna e Livenza, che i Romani decisero di stabilire, già probabilmente verso la fine del I sec. a.C., uno dei più ampi contesti insediativi del Friuli occidentale, che, pur con fasi alterne, ebbe vita fino al V sec. d.C. . L'importanza dell'elemento acqueo, inserito in quel complesso sistema di navigazione fluviale proprio di tutto l'alto Adriatico (Rigoni 2010, 25), fu ancora una volta determinante, nel XIII secolo, per la nascita di un porto, che da un lato avrebbe favorito lo sviluppo dell'attuale Pordenone (portus Naonis), dall'altro avrebbe portato alla progressiva perdita di centralità di Torre, della sua pieve (SS. Ilario e Taziano) e del suo Castello, abbandonato alla morte del conte Giuseppe di Ragogna (1902Ragogna ( -1970.

Sommario. Con questo contributo si intendono presentare alcuni progetti aperti, svolti da Arc-Tea... more Sommario. Con questo contributo si intendono presentare alcuni progetti aperti, svolti da Arc-Team s.n.c. tra la fine del 2007 e l'inizio del 2008, in modo da condividere i risultati ottenuti (in un'ottica di "open research") e creare-ampliare una comunità di utenti e sviluppatori che da una parte si avvalga liberamente dei risultati raggiunti e dall'altra contribuisca attivamente al miglioramento dei progetti stessi. Tra le ricerche presentate vi saranno quelle riguardanti la condivisione di strumenti, di know-how e di dati.

During the last years many progress in Computer Vision technologies opened new perspectives in ar... more During the last years many progress in Computer Vision technologies opened new perspectives in archaeological field documentation. This science “is concerned with the theory behind artificial systems that extract information from images” (Wikipedia, 2010-02-01). More specifically the discipline branch known as Structure From Motion, which refers to process of 3D structure reconstruction by analysing the motion of an object over time, demonstrated high potential in archaeological application. This contribution is intended to present different experiences in SfM technologies using Free/Libre and Open Source Software. The proposed projects regard the activity of two different companies, Arc-Team s.n.c. and Oxford Archaeology (Digital Division), both involved in the research of new methodologies connected with Computer Vision. The aim of the contribution is to illustrate the state of the art and to discuss the benefits, the problems and the future development of these technologies, through the presentation of different experiences regarding fieldwork (3d reconstruction of layers and structures) and laboratory activity (objects documentation).

Archaeological drawing still represent a fundamental instrument for recording and archiving finds... more Archaeological drawing still represent a fundamental instrument for recording and archiving finds and for chronological type analysis. Until now this activity is mostly considered a professional work, to be done manually. In this paper we would like to present a different technique to achieve a semi-automatic draw using only Free and Open Source Software. This methodology can be used to speed up the drawing process in those projects that, due to economic reasons, normally avoid time consuming pencil drawings for scientific illustrations (e.g emergency excavations, publications of huge archaeological collections or registration of finds considered of secondary interest, etc.). Actually the main advantages of this system are connected to the software, which manage not only the metric values of the images, but also the shadows of the subjects through the stippling technique. In this way it is possible to optimize the time necessary to obtain reasonable illustrations also for complex objects (few minutes) and to conform all the illustrations (it is almost impossible recognize different styles as in human artworks). The positive results we achieved till now encouraged us to further develop the system, hoping in the feedback and in the help of the community.

established by: …, 2011

The modern techniques of Structure from Motion (SfM) and Image-Based Modelling (IBM) open new per... more The modern techniques of Structure from Motion (SfM) and Image-Based Modelling (IBM) open new perspectives in the field of archaeological documentation, providing a simple and accurate way to record threedimensional data. In the last edition of the workshop, the presentation "Computer Vision and Structure From Motion, new methodologies in archaeological three-dimensional documentation. An open source approach. " showed the advantages of this new methodology (low cost, portability, versatility …), but it also identified some problems: the use of the closed feature detector SIFT source code and the necessity of a simplification of the workflow.

The paper describes the experience of Arc-Team in building and developing a prototype of UAVP (Un... more The paper describes the experience of Arc-Team in building and developing a prototype of UAVP (Universal Aerial Video Platform), an open source UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). The drone was build for archaeological aims (remote sensing).

Since 2006 the archaeological expedition of Aramus (Armenia) is supported only by Free and Open S... more Since 2006 the archaeological expedition of Aramus (Armenia) is supported only by Free and Open Source Software. This approach had positive effects on the entire project. In this paper we would like to describe our experience in using, developing, teaching and sharing this kind of applications, focusing the attention both on problems and benefits.

The “Castellum Vervassium” project concerns a series of archaeological investigations regarding t... more The “Castellum Vervassium” project concerns a series of archaeological investigations regarding the landscape around an ancient settlement now known with the name of Vervò (Val di Non, Trentino, Italy). Among the different analyses (excavation, survey, remote sensing, etc.), in 2010 a sub-project was started to reconstruct a hypothetical ancient road network inside the target landscape. In order to optimize the scientific process, the entire research project was divided into three steps: a topographic study conducted with classical methodology, the determination of the least cost path through LIDAR data and the development of a WebGIS to improve scientific publication of the final result. Every single phase of the work-flow was supported by specific Free/Libre and Open Source software applications. During the classical topographic study, the simple and light GIS OpenJUMP was used to improve precision and to avoid time consuming operations with cartography (without compromising user control in qualitative analyses). For more complex quantity analyses, the software GRASS granted a high quality, mainly thanks to its modular structure. This program satisfied our needs in determining the least cost path between main nodes of the road network and managed huge amount of data analysing a LIDAR DTM of 1 meter accuracy. A WebGIS, based on GeoServer and OpenLayer, made it possible to share the basic topographic and archaeological information of the project with the community. This type of flexible media was the best choice for offering broad access to the data, thanks to different filters and pre-built queries that simplify the internal browsing of the system.

In this paper we would like to present an experimental project born from the collaboration of the... more In this paper we would like to present an experimental project
born from the collaboration of the University of Innsbruck (Department of Near East and Ancient History) and Arc-Team. Its main purpose is to create some tutorilals about the use of Free Software in archaeology. Each tutorial is based on the real experience of the “Aramus Excavations and Field School”.

ARCHEOFOSS. Free, Libre and Open Source Software e Open Format nei processi di ricerca archeologica, Atti del VII Workshop (Roma, 11-13 giugno 2012), a cura di M. Serlorenzi , 2013

This article illustrates the fourth release of ArcheOS, the first GNU/Linux distribution develope... more This article illustrates the fourth release of ArcheOS, the first GNU/Linux distribution developed for archaeological aims and released under GPL. Since the first version in 2005, this free operating system has attempted to satisfy all the needs of an archaeological project, covering every single step of the operating workflow, from data collection and storage to elaboration, publication and sharing. The main target of the project is to spread the use of Free and Open Source software and to apply the ideology of the “Free Software” movement to archaeology itself (a central postulation of the Free Software Foundation is the free circulation of data and ideas ). The new release “Caesar”, based on Debian Squeeze 6.0, has some important changes in the organization of the structure of the entire project. In fact, the developer team focused more on the stability of the operating system and an on-line service to keep the different programs (APT deb-repository) up to date. “Caesar” ensures a better hardware integration and a more accurate selection of software. The research of new technological solutions is one of the most important aspects of the project, which, from this aspect, is strongly connected with innovation in archaeological methodology.

In 2008 a new excavation project started in the archaeological site of the Castle of Torre di Po... more In 2008 a new excavation project started in the archaeological site of the Castle of Torre di
Pordenone (Friuli Venezia Giulia - Italy), thanks to the efforts of the Municipality of Pordenone.
During the archaeological campaign, a new rectangular building was discovered, in connection with
the Roman villa already investigated in the 1930s. This building is divided into at least nine consecutive
areas and the W side has a porticus supported by 8 pillars. Given the nature of the architectural
elements, which are preserved in almost all cases at the foundation level, the Soprintendenza per i
Beni Archeologici del Friuli Venezia Giulia (Nucleo Operativo di Pordenone), in cooperation with
the Municipality of Pordenone and the Museo Archeologico del Friuli Occidentale, decided to test
modern information technologies, in order to create a virtual tour, based on an accurate 3D reconstruction
of the Roman building. The final prototype, developed for the project, has an Augmented
Reality level that can be visualized through video-glasses (Head Mounted Display), thanks to the
interaction with a high definition webcam and a tablet equipped with open source software.

With this article we would like to present the analysis regarding a case of study ... more With this article we would like to present the analysis regarding a case of study of “open research”: the Taung Project. The primary target of this scientific work has been the craniofacial reconstruction of the famous “Taung Child”, an hominid belonging to the species Australopitecus africanus, whose fossilized skull has been described in 1925 by Raimond Dart, in the journal “Nature”. The whole project has been conducted using only Free/Libre and Open Source Software (and Hardware), sharing the knowledge related with each phase of the workflow and releasing with open licenses all the data produced during the study, from raw photoset to final 3D models. The aim of this contribution is to focus the attention on the benefits brought by an “open approach” to the research, describing the steps that led to the Taung Project, its progress and its many derivations.
In fact, by sharing tools, knowledge and data (the cornerstones of any Open Research) and following the path of previous studies, we have achieved new results and a significant improvement in the overall project, avoiding the risks which an opposite approach (Closed Researche) could involve: a drastic reduction of human control during the critical phase of the formation and evolution of cognitive processes, a significantly lower impact of the research itself and the lack of scientific validation.
On the other hand the Open Research approach has brought benefits in the short, medium and long term. Primarily there was an exponential increase of partners with whom the research team has been able to share the development of the study until the spontaneous creation of a real network of entities directly or indirectly interested in the work. As a result we experienced a continuous evolution of the used methodologies, strenghten by the broad collaboration of the scientific community (often across individual branches of knowledge) and a faster flow of ideas. Finally we noticed that the characteristics of this new way of “producing knowledge”, summarized in greater communication inside and outside the scientific community and in a faster evolution of the disciplines, often translate into direct benefits for the community, especially in the current historical moment, in which we witness the gradual “democratization” of knowledge conveyed by the powerful media like the many systems of the “wiki” universe.
The Taung Project summarizes all this aspects: its primary stage took advantages from previous shared studies, carried on by Arc-Team and regarding the 3D digital documentation of archaeological finds; it was conducted thanks to a wide collaboration of different institutions and researchers, form different nations and continents; the research had the consequence of improving many of the methodologies used during the study, thanks to the feedbacks of the community; the know-how related with specific new technologies, developed directly for the project, was shared throught the net and has been modified and reused in other scientific works; the first results, published in the blog ATOR, were spreaded by Wikipedia and Wikimedia, increasing the impact of the whole work; many subprojects started from the original one and gave birth to different derivations, like open source exhibitions or scientific documentaries; finally the whole research remains open to new collaboration, for any further developments thanks to the open licenses used for all the produced materials.

In this paper we would like to present the first official release of ArcheOS 1.0 Akhenaton. It is... more In this paper we would like to present the first official release of ArcheOS 1.0 Akhenaton. It is an operating system specially designed for archaeological aims. It is based on GNU/Linux and fitted with different software, all with GPL license or similar. ArcheOS forms a part of the OpArc project and follows its guidelines. It is freely available at http://www.arc-team.com

In September 2006 the Institute of Ancient History & Ancient Near Eastern Studies of the Universi... more In September 2006 the Institute of Ancient History & Ancient Near Eastern Studies of the University of Innsbruck (A) in cooperation with the University of Yerevan (AM) undertook the third excavation and survey campaign at the Early Iron Age and Urartian hilltop settlement of Aramus, situated about 15 km north-est from downtown Yerevan, Armenia. This year, Arc-Team s.n.c. supported the expedition with documentation of the excavation, architectural survey of the fortress walls and immediate processing of the data on site. As the excavation at Aramus was a field school too, the second endeavor of Arc-Team s.n.c. was to introduce the students to the practice of digital documentation, data recording, surveying and analysis.

Open Source, Free Software e Open Format nei processi di ricerca archeologici, Atti del I Workshop (Grosseto, 8 maggio 2006), 2006

established by: …, 2011

ARCHEOFOSS. Free, Libre and Open Source Software e Open Format nei processi di ricerca archeologica, Atti del VII Workshop (Roma, 11-13 giugno 2012), a cura di M. Serlorenzi , 2013

Open Source, Free Software e Open Format nei processi di ricerca archeologici, Atti del I Workshop (Grosseto, 8 maggio 2006), 2006

A lesson regarding the state of the art in Opes Surce Aerial Archaeology (bringing the experience... more A lesson regarding the state of the art in Opes Surce Aerial Archaeology (bringing the experience of Arc-Team in this field)

Descriptiom of the migration from proprietary software to FLOSS in the archaeological excavation ... more Descriptiom of the migration from proprietary software to FLOSS in the archaeological excavation of Aramus (Armenia), in 2006.

by Francesca Cantone, Alessandro Bezzi, Alessio Paonessa, Piro Fabio, luca bianconi, Pietro Citarella, Progetto SITAR, Andrea Ciapetti, Luca d'Altilia, Davide Debernardi, and Davide Merlitti

ARCHEOFOSS Open Source, Free Software e Open Format nei processi di ricerca archeologica. Atti de... more ARCHEOFOSS
Open Source, Free Software e Open Format nei processi di ricerca archeologica. Atti del VI Workshop (Napoli, 9-10 giugno 2011)

„Die kahlen, kalten Berge ...“ Der Erste Weltkrieg im Alpenraum, die Deutsche Gebirgstruppe und das Württembergische Gebirgsbataillon, 2017

Landscape transformations along the high alpine front line of WW1 from 1918 until today, seen fro... more Landscape transformations along the high alpine front line of WW1 from 1918 until today, seen from an archaeological point of view