Gabriele Gattiglia | University of Pisa (original) (raw)

Books by Gabriele Gattiglia

Questo volume è dedicato agli Atti del Convegno Paesaggi urbani e rurali in trasformazione organi... more Questo volume è dedicato agli Atti del Convegno Paesaggi urbani e rurali in trasformazione organizzato dalla Scuola di Dottorato delle Università di Pisa, Firenze e Siena per discutere le trasformazioni del paesaggio in una prospettiva diacronica. Il volume affronta il tema del paesaggio come entità complessa e dinamica caratterizzata da una molteplicità di fenomeni in continua trasformazione prodotti dall'interazione e dal reciproco condizionamento di fattori naturali e antropici. Adottando questa prospettiva, il paesaggio viene studiato attraverso l'analisi e l'interpolazione di molteplici fonti. Uso delle risorse, produzione, distribuzione e popolazione, vengono letti in una prospettiva ampia per contestualizzare la presenza umana nel tempo e nello spazio. Diversi casi di studio, quindi, consentono di affrontare il tema da diversi punti di vista - urbano, commerciale, produttivo, culturale - per valorizzare le caratteristiche peculiari dell'ambiente per come è stato vissuto e percepito.

Paesaggi urbani e rurali in trasformazione publishes the proceedings of a conference organised by the Doctoral School of the Universities of Pisa, Florence and Siena to discuss landscape transformations from a diachronic perspective. The volume addresses the landscape as a complex and dynamic entity characterised by a multiplicity of phenomena in continuous transformation produced by the interaction and mutual conditioning of natural and anthropic factors. Adopting this perspective, the landscape is studied through the analysis and interpolation of multiple sources. Use of resources, production, distribution and population are read in a broad perspective to contextualise human presence over time and space. The diversity of case studies thus allows us to address the issue from different points of view - urban, commercial, productive, cultural - to illuminate the particular characteristics of an environment as it is lived in and perceived.

In recent years, archaeologists began to ask to themselves if a Big Data approach can be applied ... more In recent years, archaeologists began to ask to themselves if a Big Data approach can be applied to archaeology from both a theoretical and practical point of view . In the scholarly world what constitutes Big Data varies significantly between disciplines, but it is possible to affirm that the shift in scale of data volume is evident in most disciplines, and that analysing large amounts of data holds the potential to revolutionise research, even in the Humanities. For a better understanding of the general concept of Big Data, it can be adopted the definition proposed by Boyd and Crawford (2012, 663): "Big Data is less about data that is big than it is about a capacity to search, aggregate, and crossreference large data sets". In other words, Big Data's high volume, high velocity, and high variety do not have to be considered in an absolute manner, but in a relative way. As suggested by Mayer-Schönberger and Cukier (2013), using Big Data means working with the full, or close to the full, set of data, namely with all the data available from different disciplines that can be useful to solve a question. Moreover, Big Data is about predictive modelling, i.e. about applying algorithms to huge quantities of data in order to infer probabilities, and it is about recognising the relationships within and among pieces of information. Furthermore, a Big Data approach is related to the information content of data: data are useful because they carry pieces of information, and they become information when they are processed and aggregated with other data. Finally, data are data because they describe a phenomenon in a quantified format so it can be tabulated and analysed, not because they are digital.

L’archeologo del XXI secolo non vive più di solo studio e scavo. Oggi la moderna ricerca impone d... more L’archeologo del XXI secolo non vive più di solo studio e scavo. Oggi la moderna ricerca impone di affiancare al lavoro in cantiere e ai libri in biblioteca modi sempre nuovi di indagare, comunicare e gestire l’antico. Bastano un po’ di fantasia, versatilità e intraprendenza per dare vita, da archeologo, alle attività più disparate. Come hanno fatto i 34 professionisti che si raccontano in Archeostorie: c’è chi cura un museo e chi gestisce un’area archeologica, chi narra il passato ai bambini e chi lo “fa vedere” ai ciechi, chi usa nel racconto le tecnologie e i linguaggi più diversi e persino i videogame; c’è poi chi ricostruisce l’antico in 3D e chi lo sperimenta dal vivo, chi organizza i dati di scavo e chi li rende disponibili per tutti; c’è chi scrive sui giornali e chi parla di archeologia alla radio o in tivù, chi realizza documentari e chi racconta l’archeologia sui social network; c’è ancora chi punta sul marketing e chi sul crowdfunding, chi fa dell’archeologia un’esperienza per tutti e chi difende le bellezze da furti e scempi. C’è anche chi studia e scava, e nel libro descrive la vita vera di studio e scavo al di là dei miti e dei sogni.
Il risultato è un manuale non convenzionale che offre spunti originali e concreti agli archeologi del futuro in cerca di reali possibilità di occupazione. Una sorta di bottega artigiana dove apprendere i segreti del mestiere, o meglio dei mestieri, che un’archeologia nuova, pragmatica e ancorata nel presente può ispirare.

This volume represents the third edition of a work cycle that started in 2006 for my PhD thesis. ... more This volume represents the third edition of a work cycle that started in 2006 for my PhD thesis. The thesis was presented in 2010 (first edition, GATTIGLIA 2010), partially published as a summary monograph in 2011 (second edition, GATTIGLIA 2011) or in articles (GATTIGLIA 2012, GATTIGLIA 2012a, GATTIGLIA G. 2011a), and now (third edition) takes the form of a more comprehensive publication in the light of new data. Over the past two years, the work study on Pisa, not only relating to the Middle Ages, continued within the MAPPA (Metodologie Applicate alla Predittività del Potenziale – Methodologies Applied to Archaeological Potential Predictivity) project, allowing a widespread collection of data thanks to which it was possible to explain more fully the hydrogeological, geomorphological and topographic context and to check (and in many cases change) part of the assumptions made. Archaeology, albeit slowly, is moving towards Big Data, i.e. enormous amounts of machine readable data, continuously produced , which can modify theories, conclusions and assumptions at any time and develop new applications for archaeology. We no longer live in an age in which printed texts have a long life cycle before becoming outdated; new data are enough today to contradict or validate the assumptions made. Archaeology is closer and closer to science, not only because it uses scientific analysis methods but because it is based on falsifiable hypotheses, to put it as Popper would say. For this reason, the data analysed here are published as open data on the MOD (ANICHINI et alii 2013) (the open data archive of Italian archaeology www.mappaproject.org/mod) or as searchable data on MAPPA Web GIS (MAPPAgis www.mappaproject.org/webgis).
In this first introductory chapter, the history of urban archaeology in Pisa will be briefly presented. The second chapter will provide a broad outline of the territorial context and the landscape. The rivers and marshy areas will be analysed in order to understand how the environment influenced the development of the medieval city for better or for worse. Since man was not a passive responder to these events, the study of the port system and road networks will help understand which solutions were taken to draw the geographical benefits and generate economic and commercial profits.
The third and last chapter is divided into two parts. The first part will illustrate the great urban transformations throughout the period ranging from the end of the Roman Age (VI century) to the Florentine conquest (start of the XV century). Although it is still difficult to have a clear picture of the Roman and early-medieval urban design of Pisa, it is nevertheless possible to understand some of its nodal points, to interpret the city’s development during the middle years of the Middle Ages and to analyse what happened during the transition that led to the modern city. The second part will deal with the material traces, i.e. the archaeological sources that allowed us to recover pieces of history and build the overall picture. Excavation data will provide information about the buildings, roads, workshops and craft laboratories, waste disposal and water supply systems, and on the wealth and social status of the city’s inhabitants.

Questo volume rappresenta la terza edizione di un ciclo di lavoro iniziato nel 2006 per la tesi d... more Questo volume rappresenta la terza edizione di un ciclo di lavoro iniziato nel 2006 per la tesi di dottorato. Questa, discussa nel 2010 (prima edizione, GATTIGLIA 2010), è stata parzialmente pubblicata, come monografia sintetica nel 2011 (seconda edizione, GATTIGLIA 2011) o in articoli (GATTIGLIA 2012, GATTIGLIA 2012a, GATTIGLIA G. 2011a) e trova ora (terza edizione) una pubblicazione più ampia alla luce di molti dati nuovi. Negli ultimi 2 anni, infatti, il lavoro di studio su Pisa, non solo medievale, è proseguito all’interno del progetto MAPPA (Metodologie Applicate alla Predittività del Potenziale) , che ha reso possibile una capillare raccolta dati attraverso i quali si è potuto ricomporre più compiutamente il quadro idrogeologico, geomorfologico e topografico e sottoporre a verifica, in molti casi modificando, parte delle ipotesi fatte in quelle sedi. I dati qui analizzati sono open data sul MOD (ANICHINI et alii 2013) (l’archivio open data dell’archeologia italiana www.mappaproject.org/mod) o interrogabili su webGIS (MAPPAgis www.mappaproject.org/webgis).
Nel primo capitolo viene sinteticamente raccontata la storia dell’archeologia urbana a Pisa. Nel secondo capitolo lo sguardo si allarga sul contesto territoriale e sul paesaggio. I percorsi fluviali e le aree palustri vengono analizzati per capire come l’ambiente abbia condizionato nel bene e nel male lo sviluppo della città medievale. Ma siccome l’uomo non è stato passivo di fronte ad esso, lo studio del sistema portuale e della viabilità terrestre permette di comprendere quali soluzioni siano state adottate per sfruttare i vantaggi geografici e generare profitti economici e commerciali.Il terzo ed ultimo capitolo è diviso in due parti. La prima vuole illustrare le grandi trasformazioni urbanistiche nel lungo periodo che va dalla fine della romanità (VI secolo) alla conquista fiorentina (inizio XV secolo). La seconda parte fa parlare le tracce materiali, le fonti archeologiche, quei tasselli della storia che hanno permesso di ricostruire il quadro generale. Saranno soprattutto i dati provenienti dagli scavi a raccontare com’erano gli edifici, le strade, gli opifici e le botteghe artigianali, il sistema di smaltimento dei rifiuti e di approvvigionamento dell’acqua, infine la ricchezza e lo status sociale dei suoi abitanti.

Questo secondo volume rappresenta il compimento del lavoro di ricerca svolto nell’ambito del prog... more Questo secondo volume rappresenta il compimento del lavoro di ricerca svolto nell’ambito del progetto MAPPA grazie alle competenze di archeologi, storici, storici dell’arte, geologi, geomorfologi, palinologi, matematici, informatici, giuristi, traduttori, grafici, web designer e web developer.
Il volume racconta i passaggi necessari alla realizzazione della Carta del Potenziale archeologico di Pisa elaborata con un modello matematico innovativo partendo dalla ricostruzione paleogeografica dell’area urbana tra protostoria e postmedieovo, in particolare la complessa idrografia della città, solcata fino all’inizio dell’età moderna da due fiumi – l’Arno a sud e l’Auser a nord – che nei secoli hanno cambiato più volte corso, dando vita a una fitta trama di paleoalvei, per proseguire con l’analisi stratigrafica degli elevati , il cui risultato è la mappatura archeologica e fotografica di tutti gli edifici del centro storico di Pisa racchiuso entro le mura. Una volta raccolte tutte le informazioni archeologiche, storiche e geologico-geomorfologiche, si è cominciato a riflettere sulle modalità di calcolo del potenziale archeologico, indispensabile premessa per arrivare a mettere a punto l’algoritmo predittivo. Proprio la creazione del modello matematico di MAPPA è uno degli elementi più innovativi del progetto, anche per la sua assoluta replicabilità: il modello può essere applicato infatti in tutti i contesti urbani con una storia plurimillenaria e di conseguenza con un patrimonio archeologico sepolto del quale occorre stimare il potenziale. Ma perché un modello matematico? Se i metodi statistici consentono di valutare le probabilità che si manifesti un determinato fenomeno, un modello matematico invece, pensato espressamente per lavorare su specifiche tipologie di dati – nel nostro caso, dati archeologici e geomorfologici – ricrea le regole che determinano il manifestarsi di un fenomeno. I matematici si sono orientati verso l’utilizzo di una versione modificata dell’algoritmo PageRank, nel caso dei resti archeologici è stato necessario assegnare un “peso” a ogni tipo di rinvenimento in base al suo potenziale informativo e definire, una ad una, le “relazioni” tra le varie categorie di ritrovamenti. La Carta di potenziale archeologico dell’area urbana e periurbana di Pisa è costituita dalla somma delle sette carte di potenziale archeologico di periodo. Una somma “pesata” però, in cui i periodi per i quali abbiamo meno dati hanno un peso maggiore perché maggiore risulterebbe il potenziale di conoscenza di ogni loro singolo ritrovamento: è il caso, ad esempio, delle carte dei periodi più antichi o dell’alto Medioevo, per i quali disponiamo di un numero assai minore d’informazioni. Non bisogna mai dimenticare, infatti, che la Carta di potenziale archeologico non ricostruisce la storia urbana di Pisa, tanto meno in modo “deterministico”, ma è solo uno strumento in grado di stimare il potenziale informativo dei depositi stratigrafici e come tale costituisce la premessa per un modo nuovo di interagire con il patrimonio archeologico ancora sepolto e non conosciuto, orientando la ricerca futura e agevolando sia l’attività di tutela, sia quella di pianificazione dello sviluppo urbano. Il progetto MAPPA si è posto anche un altro obiettivo fortemente innovativo, potremmo dire rivoluzionario per il mondo dell’archeologia italiana: far uscire dagli archivi delle Soprintendenze e delle Università i documenti contenenti i dati delle indagini archeologiche rendendo quelle informazioni accessibili con estrema facilità a chiunque, non solo agli addetti ai lavori, e per qualunque esigenza: dalla ricerca alla tutela, dalla pianificazione urbanistica al turismo di qualità e anche alla semplice curiosità erudita. È nato così il MOD (MAPPA Open Data archaeological archive), il primo archivio italiano di dati archeologici open. “Aprire i dati” non significa però limitarsi a rovesciarli in rete, senza alcuna forma di tutela della privacy e, soprattutto, dei legittimi diritti di paternità intellettuale di chi quei dati ha prodotto con il proprio lavoro sul campo. Per questo motivo, è stata condotta un’analisi approfondita di tutti gli aspetti legali inerenti le problematiche legate alla pubblicazione in rete dei dati, facendo chiarezza in una legislazione che è assai caotica. Il MOD è cresciuto considerevolmente con il passare dei mesi e, anche in considerazione dei risultati di un sondaggio promosso dal progetto sugli «Open data e l’archeologia italiana», che ha mostrato come l’esigenza della condivisione dei dati sia fortemente sentita da gran parte della comunità archeologica, è diventato un po’ alla volta l’archivio open data dell’archeologia italiana, dove chiunque può pubblicare a proprio nome i dati dei propri scavi, in qualunque parte d’Italia essi si trovino.

"The fruitful cooperation over the years between the university teaching staff of Pisa University... more "The fruitful cooperation over the years between the university teaching staff of Pisa University, the officials of the Superintendency for Archaeological Heritage of Tuscany, the officials of the Superintendency for Architectural, Landscape and Ethno‐anthropological Heritage for the Provinces of Pisa and Livorno, and the Municipality of Pisa has favoured a great deal of research on issues regarding archaeological heritage and the reconstruction of the environmental and landscape context in which Pisa has evolved throughout the centuries of its history. The desire to merge this remarkable know‐how into an organic framework and, above all the wish to provide Pisa with a Map of archaeological potential (the research, protection and urban planning tool capable of converging the heritage protection needs of the remains of the past with the development requirements of the future) led to the development of the MAPPA project ‐ Methodologies applied to archaeological potential predictivity. The first year of research was dedicated to achieving the first objective, that is, to retrieving the results of archaeological investigations and to making them easily accessible; these results have often never been published or have often been published incompletely and very slowly. For this reason, a webGIS (“MappaGIS” that may
freely accessed at http://mappaproject.arch.unipi.it/?page_id=452) was created and will be followed by a MOD (Mappa Open Data archaeological archive), the first Italian archive of open archaeological data, in line with European directives regarding access to Public Administration data and recently implemented by the Italian government also (the archive can be viewed at http://mappaproject.arch.unipi.it/?page_id=454). Details are given in this first volume about the operational decisions that led to the creation of the webGIS: the software used, the system architecture, the organisation of information and its structuring into various information layers. But not only. The creation of the webGIS also gave us the opportunity to focus on a series of considerations alongside the work carried out by the MAPPA Laboratory researchers. We took the decision to publish these considerations with a view to promoting debate within the scientific community and, more in general, within the professional categories involved (e.g. public administrators, university researchers, professional archaeologists). This allowed us to overcome the critical aspects that emerged, such as the need to update the archaeological excavation documentation and data archiving systems in order to adjust them to the new standards provided by IT development; most of all, the need for greater and more rapid spreading of information, without which research cannot truly progress. Indeed, it is by comparing and connecting new data in every possible and, at times, unexpected way that research can truly thrive.

"Il volume presenta il primo anno di lavoro del progetto MAPPA incentrato soprattutto sulla reali... more "Il volume presenta il primo anno di lavoro del progetto MAPPA incentrato soprattutto sulla realizzazione del livello informativo archeologico e del webGIS denominato MappaGIS.
Viene analizzata la struttura, l'organizzazione del dato archeologico e la sua pubblicazione tramite webGIS, viene, inoltre, proposta una prima serie di analisi dei dati incentrate soprattutto sulla problematica dello sviluppo della pratica dell'archeologia urbana e il risultati della fotointerpretazione aerea dell'area pisana."

Il volume, attraverso l'analisi dei dati archeologici, ricostruisce le trasformazioni della città... more Il volume, attraverso l'analisi dei dati archeologici, ricostruisce le trasformazioni della città a partire dall'Altomedieoevo, quando pisa si contra e della città romana non rimangono che resti abbandonati; racconta la presenza longobarda e la precoce ripartenza economica tra IX e X secolo, favorita da una fitta rete di porti marittimi e fluviali e dalle relazioni commerciali: la città diventa un importante centro di crescita economica, che porterà allo sviluppo di una classe mercantile sempre più intraprendente e alla conseguente trasformazione urbanistica avvenuta tra XI e XIII secolo con la costruzione delle case-torri, delle mura comunali e dei grandi edifici religiosi.

Papers by Gabriele Gattiglia

Quaternary

In central Italy, the Charterhouse of Calci hosts the Natural History Museum of the University of... more In central Italy, the Charterhouse of Calci hosts the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa. This monumental monastery was founded in 1366 by Carthusian monks. The Charterhouse has experienced various transformations over the centuries, until its abandonment in the 1970s. Since 2018, interdisciplinary archaeological research focused on the monks’ gardens (and particularly: the Prior’s, the Apothecary’s, and the Master’s garden) and the green spaces outside the cloister walls, consisting of courtyards and orchards, to determine the individual (gardens) and collective (green spaces and surrounding woods) practices adopted by Carthusians. Palynology and archaeobotany have allowed to reconstruct the plant biodiversity, with flowers and ornamental, aromatic, and medicinal herbs that grew in the gardens, as well as the management of local hilly woods and agricultural practices, including the cultivation of fruit trees, such as chestnut, olive tree, almond tree, and grapevine. O...

Archeologia e Calcolatori, 2022

This paper aims to demonstrate how field data collection applications can represent a good resour... more This paper aims to demonstrate how field data collection applications can represent a good resource in archaeological surveys. As an alternative to the classic paper documentation, using a smartphone application saves time both during the survey (automatic geolocation, GPS tracking) and in the post-processing (easier data import in a computer software, reduction of typo-errors and prevention of transcription errors). The focus of this paper is Geopaparazzi, an open source application for Android that allows customized and easy collection of field data by using a smartphone; collected data are ready to be processed by computer software like GIS. Geopaparazzi 6.1.0 was tested in four archaeological survey campaigns, three in Versilia (Italy, Tuscany) and one in Lampedusa (Italy, Sicily). The two environments are profoundly different: Versilia is a mountain landscape, and Lampedusa is a small island. Moreover, the data collected are different but these differences helped to understand how adaptable the application can be.

European Journal of Post Classical Archaeologies, 2022

The ArchAIDE project realised an AI-based application to recognise archaeological pottery, develo... more The ArchAIDE project realised an AI-based application to recognise archaeological pottery, developing two deep learning algorithms to propose identifications based on images captured on-site while retaining key decision points necessary to create trusted results. One method relies on the shape of a potsherd; the other on decorative features. Developing the project meant facing challenges related to real-world archaeological data, deep learning techniques, ethics, epistemology, and hermeneutics. The project is still alive and moving towards long-term sustainability, which involves new challenges.

Archeologia e Calcolatori, 2022

Digital technologies are not neutral tools; rather, they mediate our knowledge of material eviden... more Digital technologies are not neutral tools; rather, they mediate our knowledge of material evidence. This contribution stems from the reflections on the sidelines of the ArchAIDE project, which developed AI tools to recognise ceramics and attempts to answer questions, among others, on how technological intervention takes place in archaeology, particularly through AI, and if such effects are disruptive concerning epistemology and hermeneutics. Postphenomenology and material hermeneutics have been considered to describe the relationship between archaeology and digital technology. In the AI age, Archaeology’s challenge is to recognise technology as an actor (or maybe as an agent) on whom we depend on extracting meaning and, at the same time, as something that partially reflects our hermeneutic. The algorithms have digital technological intentionality that creates information, performs hermeneutics in our place, and finally directs archaeologists what to read. This act of knowledge is performed instead
of ours. If, in Heidegger’s ontological inversion, science becomes dependent on technology and, in a sense, a tool of technology, in the same way, archaeology has become dependent on technology and entrapped by it.

FOLD&R Fasti On Line Documents & Research, 2022

The Certosa of Calci is a monumental monastery founded in 1366 by Carthusian monks and located ne... more The Certosa of Calci is a monumental monastery founded in 1366 by Carthusian monks and located near the city of Pisa (Italy). During its long life, the Charterhouse has experienced various transformations until its abandonment in the 1970s; nowadays it hosts the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa, a popular touristic attraction. Since 2018, the MAPPA Laboratory of the University of Pisa has been conducting an archaeological research of the complex, as part of a project finalised at its restoration. The main objective was the investigation of the gardens of the monks to determine modi-fications in their design, changes in the plant typologies, and their relationships over time. The investigations focused on three different monks’ cell gardens (the Prior’s, the Apothecary’s and the Master’s) and stratigraphic excavations were combined with archaeobotanical and archaeozoological analyses. The most representative is the Prior’s meditation garden, where the excavation explored the phases prior to the construction of the building (14th century), the 18th-century renova-tion in its current form, and the abandonment of the garden at the end of the 20th century. Pollen analysis has enabled us to reconstruct a rich group of herbal essences characterising an ever-blooming garden, with flowers and ornamental plants, such as roses, lilac and water lilies, as well as vegetables and medicinal plants. According to charcoal and fruit-remain analyses, the Charterhouse exploited local hilly woods, satisfying its fuel requirements with maquis and thermophilous de-ciduous forest. Agrarian practices included the cultivation of fruit trees, such as chestnut, olive, almond, and vine.

ArcheoLogica Data, 2021

A first thank goes to all the colleagues who have enthusiastically joined the idea of ArcheoLog... more A first thank goes to all the colleagues who have enthusiastically joined the idea of ArcheoLogica Data. Many of them have been committed for years, each in their domain, to promote data sharing in Archaeology. The Scientific Committee of ArcheoLogica Data brings together researchers, professionals, and cultural heritage institutions. We sincerely thank all the Committee members who, by accepting to participate in this new challenge, are willing to share ideas and skills, placing data at the centre of archaeological reflection and allowing the journal to gain an international and interdisciplinary perspective. ArcheoLogica Data was born within the MAPPALab and its Editorial Committee, composed of young researchers, is its pulsating heart, the thrust that projects this new journal towards the future. We thank them for welcoming the idea, spending time and energy, building this new publication with us. Finally, thanks to Massimo Pietroni, who, with great willingness, offered to help us as well as the publisher, who believed in this project.

Tiziano Mannoni: attualità e sviluppi di metodi e idee, 2021

Partendo dalla materialità e dal presupposto che le cose siano importanti, che sia importante la ... more Partendo dalla materialità e dal presupposto che le cose siano importanti, che sia importante la loro essenza e che il compito di comprendere perché siano importanti non sia né ovvio, né semplice, l’archeologia teorica di stampo anglosassone ha sviluppato, a partire dagli anni ’90 del XX secolo, una serie di idee teoriche controintuitive, sintetizzate nell’espressione Material Turn. Superando gli approcci dualistici, le cose e le persone vengono poste al centro di connessioni intricate che producono continue relazioni e dipendenze. Le cose assumono un’agency, posseggono una biography e mediano le relazioni sociali. Una lettura critica del Material Turn evidenzia, da un lato le relazioni (non solo di contiguità) esistenti con la storia della cultura materiale e la sua attualità, dall’altro, la necessità, per gli archeologi italiani, di partecipare con la propria originale formazione al dibattito teorico internazionale.

ArcheoLogica Data, 2021

This work concerns the analysis of data related to Terra Sigillata (TS), gathered integrating dif... more This work concerns the analysis of data related to Terra Sigillata (TS), gathered integrating different sources, and carried out within the ArchAIDE project (www.archaide.eu). We analysed the data to disclose statistical relationships between the variables considered. Statistical techniques were used as explorative in order to summarise the main characteristics of data and identify outliers, trends or patterns. Specifically, we focused on Network Analysis and on the identification of significant temporal breaks in the data. The network structure is given by linking together locations where ceramics were produced to locations where the same ceramics were retrieved, getting 3853 locations forming its vertices throughout Europe, Middle East and North Africa. The 16820 different edges were built, joining 322764 different data. Network analysis allowed identifying communities in the network, i.e. groups of vertices being densely connected internally but poorly connected externally. Such communities can represent commercial routes adopted by producers or that established themselves by geographical or historical reasons. Temporal breaks were identified by an algorithm minimising the variance within intervals, while maximising the variance between intervals. Production and supply of ceramics have a specific relevance only in certain temporal intervals. We were able to distinguish four main periods, characterised by different production centres emerging and declining in the different phases (Italian, South-Gaulish, Rhine productions), and showing different production dynamics.This work also underlines how the availability of a high volume of data (unfortunately rare in Archaeology), joined with data analysis, allows new insight into archaeological research.

Studi Classici Orientali, 2020

This contribution is part of the University of Pisa Research Project (PRA) entitled “Funerary lan... more This contribution is part of the University of Pisa Research Project (PRA) entitled “Funerary landscapes between ritual and society. New approaches to the study of the necropolis in the ancient world ", coordinated by Anna Anguissola. The biennial project is aimed at studying necropolises in different contexts, both spatial and chronological. The study in question aims to investigate the urban necropolis of Pisa from the Iron Age tothe Middle Ages, through methods of spatial and social network analysis. It concerns (a) the study of the distribution and typology of burials in urban areas; (b) the ethnic, social, and (where possible) family composition of cemetery areas; (c) the dissemination as open data. This paper focuses on (a) the collection of the data relating to the burials found in the city of Pisa in their complete diachrony; (b) the creation of a relational database and a GIS project; (c) the development of quantitative and spatial analyses. The formalization of the data and their graphic description as elements placed in the space allows to recontextualize at spatial and typological level all the available information concerning each burial (anthropological data, outfit, type of deposition, container, etc.), and to carry out exploratory, quantitative and spatial analyses which allow to shed light on the funeral rites and the demography of Pisa over the centuries.

Quaternary

Archeologia e Calcolatori, 2022

European Journal of Post Classical Archaeologies, 2022

Archeologia e Calcolatori, 2022

FOLD&R Fasti On Line Documents & Research, 2022

ArcheoLogica Data, 2021

Tiziano Mannoni: attualità e sviluppi di metodi e idee, 2021

ArcheoLogica Data, 2021

Studi Classici Orientali, 2020

Raw data, the archaeological source code, that is, all the excavation and �eldwork recorded, shou... more Raw data, the archaeological source code, that is, all the excavation and �eldwork recorded, should be published on digital on-line archives stored in recognizable format documents. This paper contributes to the discussion with the description of a project dedicated to the creation of an urban GIS about medieval Pisa.

Heritage

In the last ten years, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have been applied in archaeology. ... more In the last ten years, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have been applied in archaeology. The ArchAIDE project realised an AI-based application to recognise archaeological pottery. Pottery is of paramount importance for understanding archaeological contexts. However, recognition of ceramics is still a manual, time-consuming activity, reliant on analogue catalogues. The project developed two complementary machine-learning tools to propose identifications based on images captured on-site, for optimising and economising this process, while retaining key decision points necessary to create trusted results. One method relies on the shape of a potsherd; the other is based on decorative features. For the shape-based recognition, a novel deep-learning architecture was employed, integrating shape information from points along the inner and outer profile of a sherd. The decoration classifier is based on relatively standard architectures used in image recognition. In both cases, trainin...

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Opening the Past 2013. Archaeology of the Future, Preatti del convegno (Pisa 13-14-15/06/2013), MapPapers 1-III, 2013, pp. 1-86 (doi: 10.4456/MAPPA.2013.17) = F. Anichini, Bini M., Dubbini N., Fabiani F., Gattiglia G., Ghizzani Marcìa F., Gualandi M.L. (a cura di), MapPapers, 4, Roma., 2013

ABSTRACT We will present the results obtained by the analysis of multi-faceted, diachronic, GIS m... more ABSTRACT We will present the results obtained by the analysis of multi-faceted, diachronic, GIS managed data for determining the archaeological potential of the urban area of Pisa. This work is conducted on behalf of the MAPPA project (www.mappaproject.org), a multidisciplinary research project investigating predictive modelling tools applied to the archaeological potential of an urban area. The archaeological potential repre¬sents the possibility that a more or less signi¬ficant archaeological stratification is preserved. The following parameters were identified to estimate the archaeological potential: type of settlement, density of settlement, multi-layering of deposits, removable or non-removable nature of the ar¬chaeological deposit, degree of preservation of the deposit, depth of the deposit. The identification of the relations that exist among finds is a key issue for the data mining during the archaeological interpretation process. In urban areas the spatial and the functional organization provide meaningful information for the automatic extraction of possible configurations of the parameters defining the potential. In other words, depending also on the archaeological period we are considering, it is possible to distinguish parts in which only some configuration of parameters that defines the archaeological potential are feasible, or most probable. So the relations among finds can strengthen or weaken the archaeological potential of the area itself. We already showed how the page rank (Bini et al, 2011; Bini et al 2012) model can be used to assign archaeological potential, because the criteria used for attri¬buting archaeological potential and those used for assigning importance to web pages by search engines are both based on relations. So, in a three-dimensional grid model of the subsurface every single cell plays the role of a web page, and its importance will be the archaeological potential. Using a wide range of datasets (i.e. archaeological data, building archaeological data, historical data, toponymic data, geomorphological data) we proceeded with: - A categorization of finds: each find is associated to a category with a proper level of generality, to allow for a spatial induction about archaeological poten¬tial; - A list of the possible levels of spatial and functional organization (e.g. quarters or manufacturing areas) in which an urban area is organized; - A graph will be constructed whose vertices are the categories of finds, and arrows associate finds whose discover (within a proper distance) increase the probability that they are in a common level of spatial or functional organization; - Application of the page rank model: the information available for a cell is used in an abso¬lute manner, providing the absolute value of the archaeological potential, and in a relative manner to build the elements of the matrix that rules the transfer of importance among cells. On the other hand the shape and the size of the area of influence of a particular find depends (also) on the graph of the precedent point.

in "Opening the Past 2014. Immersive Archaeology. Pisa 23/05/14", May 2014

You need to think about the archaeological data as a common good (like the water!). To transform ... more You need to think about the archaeological data as a common good (like the water!). To transform the data in a common good, in addition to open them (essential condition), it is also necessary that they are accessible to all. The archaeological data, as many of the raw data of other scientific disciplines, are cryptic words whose meaning is known only by a restricted community. Now, if an archaeologist does not need someone to explain him the story behind the Harris matrix because its expertise and background allow him to see what is written beyond numbers and links, for a "non-archaeologist" those same data are inaccessible and unusable. So it seems that a narrative passage is essential. In this way, the publication of open archaeological data, as well as being an important contribution to the archaeological community, could be a source of inspiration for different professions in the field of tourism, education , business, etc.

Internet Archaeology, 2020

Pottery is of fundamental importance for understanding archaeological contexts, facilitating the ... more Pottery is of fundamental importance for understanding archaeological contexts, facilitating the understanding of production, trade flows, and social interactions. Pottery characterisation and the classification of ceramics is still a manual process, reliant on analogue catalogues created by specialists, held in archives and libraries. The ArchAIDE project worked to streamline, optimise and economise the mundane aspects of these processes, using the latest automatic image recognition technology, while retaining key decision points necessary to create trusted results. Specifically, ArchAIDE worked to support classification and interpretation work (during both fieldwork and post-excavation analysis) with an innovative app for tablets and smartphones. This article summarises the work of this three-year project, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement N.693548, with a consortium of partners representing both the academic and industry-led ICT (Information and Communications Technology) domains, and the academic and development-led archaeology domains. The collaborative work of the archaeological and technical partners created a pipeline where potsherds are photographed, their characteristics compared against a trained neural network, and the results returned with suggested matches from a comparative collection with typical pottery types and characteristics. Once the correct type is identified, all relevant information for that type is linked to the new sherd and stored within a database that can be shared online. ArchAIDE integrated a variety of novel and best-practice approaches, both in the creation of the app, and the communication of the project to a range of stakeholders.

Proceedings of the Workshop on Cultural Informatics (CI 2018), 2018

The ArchAIDE project (archaide.eu) is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and in... more The ArchAIDE project (archaide.eu) is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and has developed a new app that aims to improve the practice of pottery recognition in archaeology, using the latest automatic image recognition technology. Every day, archaeologists are working to discover and tell stories around objects from the past, investing considerable time, effort and funding to identify and characterise individual finds. Pottery is of fundamental importance for the comprehension and dating of archaeological contexts, and for understanding the dynamics of production, trade flows, and social interactions. Today, this characterisation and classification of ceramics is carried out manually, through the expertise of specialists and the use of analogue catalogues held in archives and libraries. The
goal of ArchAIDE is to optimise and economise this process, making
knowledge accessible wherever archaeologists are working. ArchAIDE
supports the classification and interpretation work of archaeologists (during both fieldwork and post-excavation analysis) with an innovative app for tablets and smartphones, designed to be an essential tool for archaeologists. Pottery fragments are photographed, their characteristics sent to a comparative collection, which activates the image recognition system, resulting in a response with all relevant information linked, and ultimately stored, within a database that allows sharing online. The system currently supports shape-based recognition of Terra Sigillata and Roman Amphorae, and decoration-based recognition of Majolica of Montelupo, as proof-of-concept.

The ArchAIDE project is a Horizon 2020 project that has the main goal to digitally support the da... more The ArchAIDE project is a Horizon 2020 project that has the main goal to digitally support the day-today operations on the field of archaeologists. This allows them to reduce time and costs of delivering an accurate and quick classification of ancient pottery artifacts. To effectively reach such ambitious goal, the project has several sub-goals: (semi-)automatic digitalization of archaeological catalogs, a mobile app to be used on site for live classification of sherds with the generation of a complete potsherds identity card (ready for print), and an on-line database with real-time visualization of data. In this paper, we describe the work carried out during the first year of life of this project. The main focus is on the procedure for digitizing paper catalogs in an automatic way, and more precisely we will discuss: archeologist's methodologies, digitalization of text, vectorization of technical drawings, and shape-based classification of virtual fragments.

Seminario sul progetto ArchAIDE - riconoscimento automatico della ceramica - Webinar on ArchAIDE ... more Seminario sul progetto ArchAIDE - riconoscimento automatico della ceramica - Webinar on ArchAIDE project by Università di Pisa - laboratorio MAPPA (in Italian)
Hosted by Università di Cassino - DiSUSS - LaRSArA in collaboration with Direzione Generale Educazione, Ricerca e Istituti Culturali & German Archaeological Institute

[IT] L’incontro di Studio intende avviare un dibattito intorno alle possibilità che diversi appro... more [IT] L’incontro di Studio intende avviare un dibattito intorno alle possibilità che diversi approcci metodologici offrono allo studio dei reperti numismatici in contesto, dal livello stratigrafico al ampio ambito spaziale. Ad indirizzare verso un comune obiettivo saranno indicati ai Relatori una serie di quesiti come “griglia” di base di confronto e per l’avvio della discussione.

Temi:
Sessione I
Dalla moneta al contesto - Dal contesto alla moneta

Il reperto in base ai contesti di rinvenimento: quali sono i processi che possono portare alla immobilizzazione della moneta nella stratigrafia e come interpretarli. a) Situazioni di giacitura primaria e secondaria, b) di posizione nel volume o interfaccia degli strati anche in relazione a processi formativi, c) di dialettica con altri materiali in associazione posti a confronto.
Interpretazione di uso e funzione del reperto numismatico in base al contesto funzionale e spaziale di rinvenimento (domus, necropoli / cimitero; santuario / chiesa, ecc.).
Differenze tra rinvenimenti monetali in siti di carattere pubblico/luoghi del potere e siti di carattere privato con annesso dibattito su come collocare e interpretare categorie particolari quali luoghi di culto o aree cimiteriali.

Sessione II
Dai dati sul rinvenimento allo studio della circolazione

come utilizzare, nell’analisi dei dati, i diversi livelli di informazione inerenti il rinvenimento numismatico: scavi archeologici da un lato e scoperte fortuite, prive di documentazione stratigrafica, dall’altro (dibattito sulle possibilità di analizzare le diverse fonti di informazione insieme o separatamente).
Possono i calcoli matematico-statistici aiutare a localizzare, in base ai rinvenimenti conosciuti, l’area di provenienza (zecca, ecc.), oppure le probabilità di circolazione di moneta in date aree? Quale apporto può fornire al materiale numismatico il confronto con metodi di analisi GIS applicati ad altri tipi di reperti?

A recent Ph.D. research studied medieval Pisa through GIS analysis producing new data about early... more A recent Ph.D. research studied medieval Pisa through GIS analysis producing new data about early medieval and medieval settlement, and about the surrounding environment. Map algebra and geostatistical analysis enabled to study the nearby complex hydrogeological system analysing the interaction between environment and the town’s growth and decline. Archaeological data analysis permits to comprehend the road system, the buildings, the production activities, the water supply system and the waste management, while comparison of pottery imports distribution enlighten of how these materials were used by different social groups, pointing out a correlation between social groups and urban areas.

Lo scavo presso il palatio novo tardo duecentesco di Rocca Cerbaia ha permesso di individuare una... more Lo scavo presso il palatio novo tardo duecentesco di Rocca Cerbaia ha permesso di individuare una fase di rioccupazione dell’edificio avvenuta nel 1512, quando, dopo un periodo di abbandono durato circa un secolo, l’edificio venne ristrutturato e trasformato in corpo di guardia per i soldati inviati dal governo fiorentino a controllare la Val di Bisenzio nel timore che questa fosse la via di transito scelta dalle truppe spagnole dirette su Prato e Firenze. Lo scavo ha così messo in evidenza come parte dell’edificio fosse stato adibito a refettorio e cucina per la truppa. Il repertino abbandono dello stesso, una volta venuta meno la sua funzione difensiva, ha permesso di rinvenire un ricco contesto ceramico riferibile al servizio da mensa e da cucina della guarnigione, caratterizzato soprattutto da ciotole, piatti, scodelle di ceramica ingobbiata e graffita a punta prodotta in area fiorentina ed emiliana, in maggioranza con decorazione policroma, mentre rari sono gli individui monocromi, a fondo ribassato e le forme chiuse. Interessante è anche la presenza di contenitori di grandi dimensioni (catini) ingobbiati e dipinti prodotti in area fiorentina che, dal punto di vista decorativo, presentano l’estenuazione di motivi legati alle ultime produzioni di Maiolica Arcaica. Rara è la presenza di ceramica smaltata, di produzione montelupina, riferita a forme chiuse (boccali) e a piccole scodelle. Il servizio da cucina vede invece la predominanza di pentolini invetriati, associati a paioli in ceramica priva di rivestimenti ad impasto grezzo e a testi. La possibilità di datare con precisione all’inizio del XVI secolo il contesto esaminato consente di avere un quadro delle forme riconducibili al servizio personale (ciotole, scodelle, piatti), al servizio di uso comune (boccali e catini) e al pentolame da cucina, legato ad una committenza che cercava stoviglie a basso costo, che circolavano in area pratese e dei suoi contatti con l’area emiliana resi possibili dall’asse commerciale della Val di Bisenzio.

In the last 20 years Italian professional archaeology grew up. This produced an exponential incre... more In the last 20 years Italian professional archaeology grew up. This produced an exponential increase in the archaeological documentation, especially in urban contexts, and a strict separation between archeographic practice (i.e raw data-gathering) and archaeological practice (data analysis and rendering). This development hasn’t rekindled the discussion about archaeological methodology, documentation standards and data accessibility. As a matter of fact data are often not available. The recent law (Dlgs.195/2006) about preventive archaeological evaluation makes the archaeological data sharing even more necessary. The simplest solution would be publish archaeological raw data, the archaeological source code, that is all the excavation and fieldwork recording (planning of context, context recording sheet, photographs, findings quantification sheet), on digital on-line archives stored in recognizable format documents, so agreeing an easy exchange and a limited cost. It's therefore necessary to consider such practice like a scientific publication, granting the archaeologist who collected them, meantime offering the possibility to all the archaeological community, both scientific and professional, to use the data for other works. We must translate in archaeological practice the open source idea: open access to raw data could improve our knowledge. As a matter of fact the cooperation between researchers can produce more analytical results than single researcher work. Through the description of a project of an archaeological digital archive correlated to the realization of a GIS aimed to prefigure areas of archaeological potential in urban area of Pisa, this paper would depict the situation of archeographic practice and the first steps of digital archives in Italy suggesting possible standardization of digital formats, metadata records and archaeological data recording, so as to allow the comparison between the data.

The main use of GIS in archaeology is connected to regional research or to manage excavation data... more The main use of GIS in archaeology is connected to regional research or to manage excavation data set. The use of GIS for urban archaeological research is far less extensive. The urban GIS about Pisa medieval town contains all archaeological data from occasional findings to modern stratigraphic excavations, geographical data, historical cartography data and urban data, each described by the geometrical shape (point, line, polygon) that best represent each feature. The distinguishing environmental context to which the town is connected is characterized by a complex hydrographic system; GIS analysis enabled to study the relationships between the urban transformations and the surrounding environment. I would explain how geostatistical analysis permitted to create a model of ancient ground or how the use of map algebra was useful to understand the medieval environment. The difficulty to find archaeological raw data, that is all the excavation and fieldwork recording (planning of context, context recording sheet, photographs, findings quantification sheet), suggested the necessity to realize an open digital archive and to provide possible standardization of digital formats, metadata records and archaeological data recording, so as to allow the comparison between the data.

During the last ten years many archaeological researches have been carried out in Pisa’s urban an... more During the last ten years many archaeological researches have been carried out in Pisa’s urban and extra-urban area, as well as in high Tyrrhenian region. These researches, associated with toponomy and G.I.S analysis, enable to study the relationships between the urban transformations and the surrounding environment, which is characterized by a complex hydrogeological system. The starting point of our archaeological analysis is the end of the 7th century A.D., when the area was in the hands of Lombard’s aristocracy which took possessions of all coastal zone; its ending point is Pisa’s submission to Florence in 1406, so that all Pisan history as Mediterranean Maritime Republic is included. In this period Pisa’s growth is connected to an elaborated port system which has its fulcrum in Portus Pisanus (Pisan harbour). This system took advantage, albeit sometimes a problematic one, from being in the middle of a network of rivers and canals equipped with landing places, shaped by river Serchio – Auser and river Arno basins. In Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages, Pisa had the opportunity to use many ports, differently from other Tuscan coastal sites. This made easier Pisa’s precocious economic upturn, its later growth and wealth between the 11th and the 13th century, quite in advance if compared to many other Tuscan sites (i.e. geomorphology as development’s positive and irreplaceable effect). The gradual burying of Pisan ports occurred between the late 13th and the late 14th century, but it does not appear as a decisive factor in Pisa’s crisis, which, on the contrary, looks deep and systemic(i.e. geomorphological changing plays a negative, but not decisive role in the crisis).
Getting on to the analysis of Pisa’s zone we can observe some interesting phenomenas. In the course of Early Middle Ages the rivers flowing along Pisa’s plain and the absence of maintenance of roman farm channelings produced wide marshes and wetlands. During the transition between Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages Pisa’s urban landscape appears completely modified: archaeological excavations outline an urban morphology defined by deep unevenness, with principal settlements on higher elevations. Transformation of settlement areas is connected to the entrance of river Auser into the urban pattern, which occurred during the 6th century, and to the formation of a marshy zone in the southern sector of the town due to the Arno river.
Between the 11th and the first half of the 12th century the place of the Early Middle Ages civitas became too narrow for a town with a steady economic growth, so that it was necessary to reclaim lands to the west, to the east and along the left bank of river Arno, while the northern boundary was set by river Auser. This became possible by means of fields drainage and huge building operation attested by the setting up of tower houses. Those houses were built with architectural solutions which were able to overcome the subsurface problems connected to the presence of “pancone”. This impulse required a continuous contribution of building materials, which first came from recycling material of more ancient structures and later came from limestone and “verrucano” quarries of Pisani Mountains, via the Auser river, and from “panchina” quarries of Leghorn area. After the late 12th/ early 13th century bricks were used in buildings, and rivers played again a lead role in their manufacture and their marketing on a regional scale.

We should aim to open access in archaeology, that is the free access to the archeological source ... more We should aim to open access in archaeology, that is the free access to the archeological source code , i.e. the archaeological data from which is possible to develop the knowledge. Archaeological source code, is not personal property, but scientific community’s collective property, and its free accessibility becomes the central point of the matter. Archaeological source code is all the excavation recording: planning of context, context recording sheet, photographs, findings quantification sheet. Too much often these data are considered private property, more impregnable of a copyright license, by archaeologist who collected them, until the end of the times or until their publication, also in this case, however, is not the archaeological source code data to be available, but their interpretation. It's therefore necessary to publish via web such data, agreeing so an easy exchange and a limited cost, and to consider such practice like a scientific publication, granting to the archaeologist who collected the data a reasonable margin of time to arrive to a complete publication, meantime offer the possibility to all the scientific community to use the data for other works, obviously always citing the source. To carry out this process is necessary to define digital formats standard, to standardize the archaeological data recording, so as to allow the comparison between the data, in this manner it is also possible to rekindle discussion about Archaeological method.

Inserito nel MOD MappaOpenData www.mappaproject.org/mod

L'indagine archeologica di Via Consoli del Mare ha portato alla luce i resti di due edifici, prob... more L'indagine archeologica di Via Consoli del Mare ha portato alla luce i resti di due edifici, probabilmente eretti nel corso del XII secolo, separati da un vicolo. L’edificio nord (settore 100) è destinato, dal XII all’inizio del XIV secolo, alla lavorazione dapprima solamente siderurgica, poi più genericamente metallurgica, mentre l’edificio sud (settore 700), disposto su due piani, ha una funzione abitativa ed è, forse, una casa. Gli edifici crollati nel corso della prima metà del XV e in seguito spoliati delle parti in muratura in due momenti differenti (terzo quarto del XV secolo per l’edificio nord, terzo quarto del XVI secolo per l’edificio sud), lasciano spazio dapprima ad un’area abbandonata, poi, con la costruzione della chiesa di S. Stefano dei Cavalieri (1565-7), ad un’area aperta, probabilmente uno spazio alberato, che, fatta eccezione per l’ampliamento tardoseicentesco della chiesa stessa, rimane praticamente inalterato fino ad oggi.
In totale sono state individuate 439 unità stratigrafiche (US) riunite in 205 attività.
I reperti archeologici rinvenuti nel corso dello scavo di Piazza Consoli del Mare sono costituiti in massima parte da frammenti ceramici di dimensioni variabili da pochi centimetri a pezzi che si presentano piuttosto integri e di dimensioni medio-grandi. Il materiale ceramico è stato tutto lavato e fotografato, e per ogni US è stata effettuata una prima quantificazione dei frammenti, dividendo per classi ceramiche e funzione d’utilizzo, e tenendo conto dei luoghi di produzione e dei decori al fine di poter essere il più precisi possibile nel datarli. In questa maniera sono state quantificate 190 US contenenti ceramiche, divise nelle due aree d’indagine.
Tutto distribuito con licenza CC-BY

Lo scavo ha portato alla luce i resti di due edifici, probabilmente eretti nel corso del XII seco... more Lo scavo ha portato alla luce i resti di due edifici, probabilmente eretti nel corso del XII secolo, separati da un vicolo. L’edificio nord (settore 100) è destinato, dal XII all’inizio del XIV secolo, alla lavorazione dapprima solamente siderurgica, poi più genericamente metallurgica, mentre l’edificio sud (settore 700), disposto su due piani, ha una funzione abitativa ed è, forse, una casa. Gli edifici crollati nel corso della prima metà del XV e in seguito spoliati delle parti in muratura in due momenti differenti (terzo quarto del XV secolo per l’edificio nord, terzo quarto del XVI secolo per l’edificio sud), lasciano spazio dapprima ad un’area abbandonata, poi, con la costruzione della chiesa di S. Stefano dei Cavalieri (1565-7), ad un’area aperta, probabilmente uno spazio alberato, che, fatta eccezione per l’ampliamento tardoseicentesco della chiesa stessa, rimane praticamente inalterato fino ad oggi.

"Registration is free Predictivity (predictive modeling) in Archaeology In the last few deca... more "Registration is free

Predictivity (predictive modeling) in Archaeology
In the last few decades, interesting methodological and theoretical developments have occurred in the field of archaeological predictive modelling, including attempts to consider cultural variables. Also the maps of archaeological potential are based on more or less complex predictive models. These maps have been primarily created and used by public administrators in the planning process to protect archaeological heritage, but they have been proved also useful for the purpose of research. What are the best parameters to determine archaeological potential? Is there a need to rethink the way that predictive models are constructed? Can pure and applied sciences methods improve the quality of the predictions? Can the predictive models be good decision-making tools? Contributions are invited from anyone who is working in the field of archaeological predictive modelling, in any part of the world.

Open Data in archaeology
Open data = open mind. Archaeologists are ready for open data? Raw data are useful to archaeologists and archaeologists are prepared to re-use raw data produced by others? One year after the presentation of the first Italian Open Data Archive (MOD) it’s important to take stock of the situation, analyzing the critical issues related to legal and technical aspects. The session will pay a special attention to the adoption of machine readable formats and open solutions able to transform raw data in interoperable data so to lead to the creation of archaeological linked open data, to effectively implement our knowledge.

Open Access in archaeology
This section will explore the adoption of Open Access practices in archeology and geoarchaeology. Considering the term Open Access in its broadest sense, that is free online availability of digital content of the research, not subject to intellectual property rights or released with copyleft licenses, the session will deal in theme such as open access literature (books or journals), dissemination through web applications like web-mapping, databases or wikis.In particular, the session will discuss the real diffusion of open access practices and whether adherence to these matches need to affordability or a real cultural membership, it will shed light on the adoption of technical solutions and innovative methodological experiences such as open peer review and/or repositories such as ArXiv.

Urban Geoarchaeology
Geoarchaeological practice applied to urban settings proved, worldwide, to be an efficient tool in unraveling cities’ development in its anthropic and natural components. Combining a number of methods and techniques that are typical of archaeological and earth science research (e.g. landforms detection, stratigraphic analysis of sediments, study of archaeological finds) it is possible to operate in a strongly integrated way in order to collect an exhaustive set of information about subsoil architecture, landscape evolution and ancient settlement characteristics, and finally disclose the features of past landscapes through their traces stratified in the subsoil. This session is aimed at collecting contributions dealing with case studies from different urban contexts, testifying that there is an increasing awareness of the opportunity to support comprehensive, geoarchaeological surveys in cities affected by urban development needs.
"

ArcheoLogica Data, 2023

ArcheoLogica Data offers researchers and professionals the opportunity to publish Open Access and... more ArcheoLogica Data offers researchers and professionals the opportunity to publish Open Access and peer-reviewed articles free of charge, as required by the European community and desired by the ANVUR national directives. POTTERY AND BEYOND: Pottery is commonly considered as an index fossil for archaeological research. Its study requires an interdisciplinary approach to the reconstruction of operational sequences, productions, trade networks, as well as the usage of pottery and the identity of its users. The unravelling of questions related to the production and circulation of ceramics requires a holistic perspective, beyond geographic and chronological boundaries. The advent of digital tools has remodelled traditional approaches to the study of ceramics-and not just quantification methods-. Databases, artificial intelligence, and regressive models allow new analyzes, interpretations and syntheses.

First Italian Data Volume - Call for Papers - Deadline 6 April 2015

Si definisce “Dato aperto” un dato di qualunque tipo (grafico, tabellare, ecc.) che possa essere ... more Si definisce “Dato aperto” un dato di qualunque tipo (grafico, tabellare, ecc.) che possa essere classificato come:

completo, ovvero esportabile e utilizzabile online e offline con le specifiche adottate;
primario, ovvero grezzo, in modo da essere integrabile e aggregabile con altre risorse digitali;
tempestivo e accessibile, vi si deve accedere in maniera rapida e immediata, senza pagamenti o registrazioni, direttamente via web;
machine-readable, ovvero processabile in automatico da computer;
ricercabile e interamente riutilizzabile e integrabile per creare nuove risorse, applicazioni, programmi e servizi, anche per scopi commerciali.

Atti del II Congresso Nazionale di Archeologia Medievale., 2000