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Papers by Giovanna Liberotti

, in "Digital Humanities, patrimonio culturale e applicazioni geostoriche", a cura di Carla Masetti e Giovanna Spadafora, Roma, LabGeo Caraci, 2024, pp. 35-51 [ISBN (edizione cartacea): 978-88-945441-2-1; ISBN (edizione digitale): 978-88-945441-4-5]., 2024

Eredità Culturali è un progetto transdisciplinare del Dipartimento SAGAS dell’Università di Firen... more Eredità Culturali è un progetto transdisciplinare del Dipartimento SAGAS dell’Università di Firenze pensato per studiare, gestire e valorizzare il patrimonio storico, artistico, sociale e ambientale presente sul territorio fiorentino. Nella prima fase – di cui qui si rende conto – è stata realizzata una piattaforma web flessibile e ad accesso aperto, collegata a un sistema informativo georeferenziato in grado di restituire la polifonia culturale della città, implementata da quattro archivi digitali afferenti ad altrettante discipline: le cartografie storiche e i fondi fotografici riferiti alle esplorazioni condotte dal Duca degli Abruzzi in Asia e in Africa tra fine Ottocento e inizio Novecento (geografia); le testimonianze archeologiche nella piana fiorentina riguardanti l’acquedotto romano (archeologia); gli spazi dello spettacolo fiorentino come parte importante del patrimonio culturale della città (storia dello spettacolo); gli attori e i luoghi dell’editoria fiorentina (storia dell’editoria).
Eredità Culturali is a transdisciplinary project designed by the SAGAS Department (University of Florence) to study, manage and enhance the historical, artistic, cultural and environmental heritage in the Florentine area. The main objective is to create a flexible and open access web platform connected to a georeferenced information system that restores the cultural polyphony of the city. In the first stage, as shown in this paper, four digital archives relating to four different disciplines were added to the system. They consist in the historical cartographies and photographic funds referring to the Duke of Abruzzi explorations in Asia and Africa in the 19th-20th centuries (geography); the archaeological evidence on the Roman aqueduct in Florence (archaeology); the spaces of Florentine entertainment as part of the historical and cultural heritage of the city (history of spectacle); the actors and places in the history of florentine publishing (history of publishing).

The Shape of Monuments Project : Current Activities and Technological Training in University - Industry Partnership, 2016

International audienc

Archeologia e Calcolatori, 2017

This paper presents the preliminary results of a laser scanning survey carried out at the archaeo... more This paper presents the preliminary results of a laser scanning survey carried out at the archaeological mound site of Arslantepe, located in eastern Turkey. The Italian Archaeological Expedition in Eastern Anatolia has largely brought to light its long history spanning from the 6 th millennium BCE to the Byzantine period. The most outstanding evidence unearthed so far is a group of remarkably well preserved monumental buildings erected during the final centuries of the 4 th millennium BCE, when the economic and political centralization reached its climax. Recently, the whole area became an open-air museum protecting the archaeological structures from climatic stress and enabling visitors to have a glimpse of the monumental complex as it was. The laser scanning survey was aimed at aiding the interpretation of the archaeological features through extremely accurate measurements as well as to provide the researchers with structural and condition monitoring of the surfaces overtime. Given the ever-changing plastic shape that mud-brick buildings take on over the time, this survey turned out to be an interesting challenge for testing laser scanner technology, since it is not easy to connect to any regular design.

Arslantepe is located in the Malatya plain, in eastern Anatolia, an oasis surrounded by the Anti-... more Arslantepe is located in the Malatya plain, in eastern Anatolia, an oasis surrounded by the Anti-Taurus Mountains, 15 km south-west of the Euphrates River, with the sub-elliptic eruptive rock mass of GelincikTepe to the northeast, from which building materials are still extracted today. It is built on lacustrine soils, formed by layers of sand and marly clays. The site is an artificial settlement mound, approximately 30 m in height and 4 ha in size. It was occupied without major interruptions from at least the fifth millennium B.C. to the Middle Age. This paper presents the results of an experimental analysis carried out in order to evaluate the mechanical properties of different types of adobe bricks extracted both from residential and monumental buildings. The tested adobe samples belong to a chronological period that ranges from the beginning of the fourth millennium and the end of the third millennium B.C. and they provide an initial understanding on the characterization of a co...

Journal of Cultural Heritage

Unfired and fired bricks were widely used as building materials in Antiquity across many geograph... more Unfired and fired bricks were widely used as building materials in Antiquity across many geographically and temporally distant cultures. Studies on archaeological bricks have long focused on bricks from ei- ther an architectural or, where possible, epigraphic point of view. Only recently have bricks attracted the interest of material sciences to investigate aspects such as the origin and processing of raw materi- als, firing conditions and physical-mechanical performance. Archaeometric analyses of bricks are not yet as widespread or developed as those of other materials or artefacts. By reviewing the whole literature available on Neolithic to Byzantine bricks from all over the world, this paper aims to sketch a guide- line for future analyses and emphasise their potential in shedding light on the bricks’ life cycle, which in turn can serve as a basis to develop suitable conservation measures and new forms of sustainable architecture.

Archaeological research since 2004 at the site of La Joya on the Gulf of Mexico has revealed that... more Archaeological research since 2004 at the site of La Joya on the Gulf of Mexico has revealed that earth was successfully used as a building material for monumental architecture in the humid tropical coastal lowlands, an extremely adverse environment with heavy summer rainfalls and winter hurricanes. It is one of the many earthen sites of Central and Southern Veracruz, where pyramids, palaces, and ball courts of a size equalling or surpassing contemporaneous stone constructions, were erected during the first millennium AD. However, ignoring the value of these ancient cities, many of these sites have been levelled for road fill or brickmaking. In the case of La Joya, what started as a salvage excavation has become a pilot study in ancient earthen architectural techniques and preservation experiments. This chapter focuses on conservation strategies that have been developed at the site in order to maintain its state of equilibrium. The data are useful both for earthen heritage conservat...

Proceedings of Mediterra 2009, The First Mediterranean Conference on Earth Architecture, 13-16 Ma... more Proceedings of Mediterra 2009, The First Mediterranean Conference on Earth Architecture, 13-16 Marzo 2009

Proceedings of the 7 th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East

e s t r a t t o 1 I would like to thank our University, which made the project possible by means ... more e s t r a t t o 1 I would like to thank our University, which made the project possible by means of the mentioned grant; the Directors of the departments (Prof. Enzo Lippolis and Prof. Marina Righetti), who believed in the idea behind the project; the professors (M. Frangipane, A. Cardarelli, C. Conati Barbaro, A. Jaia, L.M. Michetti, S. Orlandi) who joined the projects and selected the participants; the responsible for the department at the Polo Museale Sapienza (C. Carlucci), who kindly put the materials under their custody at disposal for the scans; the Director of the Villa Giulia Museum in Rome, who together with his kind and welcoming team facilitated our access to the structure; the Superior of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura basilica and to the very kind personnel, who welcomed us in our numerous working days spent in the church and the garth. My special thanks to V. Albano, M. Curuni, A. De Amicis (Leica Geosystems) and M. Svani (Hexagon).

Scienze dell'Antichità, 2016

This paper focuses on the integration of laser scanning, GPS and orthophotography data in the stu... more This paper focuses on the integration of laser scanning, GPS and orthophotography data in the study of the medieval church of Leopoli – Cencelle. Its main purpose is to present a 3d model and the methodological approaches used in the archaeological analysis. The site of Leopoli – Cencelle is in the area of Tarquinia (province of Viterbo), approximately 70 km to the north of Rome. The town was founded by Pope Leo IV (847-855) during his eighth year of pontificate, i.e. on August the 15th 854 AD; the remains of a 740 m long wall with three gates and seven towers are still visible on the top of the hill (at el. 160 m ASL). Since 1994 the Department of Medieval Archaeology and Topography at the University " Sapienza " in Rome has been carrying out archaeological excavations under the directorship of Prof. Letizia Ermini Pani and Prof. Francesca Romana Stasolla. The archaeological excavations brought to light part of the bell tower and the crypt of a church with three naves, which was built in the 12 th century, and is one of the most interesting structures at the site. The topographic team of the University surveyed these remains using both laser scanning LEICA HDS 3000 and orthophotography. Laser scanning data have been collected in several scans with a resolution of about 5 mm; orthophotos have been performed with commercial software and digitalized using CAD software. All data were positioned on UTM world standard coordinate system using LEICA GPS and a digital elevation model (DEM) was generated. The 3D model of the building was created according both to these data and to the archaeological information gathered from the excavations; it is presented here along a discussion on the relevance of these methodological approaches in the archaeological analysis.

Arslantepe is located in the Malatya plain, in eastern Anatolia, an oasis surrounded by the Anti-... more Arslantepe is located in the Malatya plain, in eastern Anatolia, an oasis surrounded by the Anti-Taurus Mountains, 15 km southwest of the Euphrates River, with the sub-elliptic eruptive rock mass of GelincikTepe to the northeast, from which building materials are still extracted today. It is built on lacustrine soils, formed by layers of sand and marly clays. The site is an artificial settlement mound, approximately 30 m in height and 4 ha in size. It was occupied without major interruptions from at least the fifth millennium B.C. to the Middle Age. This paper presents the results of an experimental analysis carried out in order to evaluate the mechanical properties of different types of adobe bricks extracted both from residential and monumental buildings. The tested adobe samples belong to a chronological period that ranges from the beginning of the fourth millennium and the end of the third millennium B.C. and they provide an initial understanding on the characterization of a constructive culture at the beginning of human civilization. The investigation permitted to establish a relationship among the mechanical and physical properties of the samples, the type of building that they belong and the raw material used.

Boletin de la Sociedad Geologica Mexicana

This paper aims to further the knowledge of the raw materials used in the elaboration processes o... more This paper aims to further the knowledge of the raw materials used in the elaboration processes of the earthen architecture in archaeological sites. Although earth as a building material has a wide distribution in the world, there is little information on the way raw materials were processed in antiquity. That’s why we are proposing an “architectural" study comparing some of the buildings of two pluristratificated sites: on the one hand Arslantepe (V millennium BC – VII century AD), in the Province of Malatya, Turkey, and on the other hand La Joya (I millennium AD), in the State of Veracruz, Mexico. The methodology used to achieve the objectives is based on a) the chemical, physical and mechanical analysis of building material samples – mud-bricks, mud-plasters and fills; b) the architectural analysis of wall bonding and construction systems and; c) the 3D virtual reconstruction of the major buildings, supported by the archaeological evidences. The combination of these differen...

In recent years, an interdisciplinary study has been carried out on the building materials and co... more In recent years, an interdisciplinary study has been carried out on the building materials and construction techniques of Arslantepe. Representative samples from Late-Chalcolithic structures were analyzed to shed new light on ancient technology and manufacturing processes. The conducting of a choice among the various kinds of available raw earth as well as a difference in the installation of building materials were observed. Monumental architecture is characterized by mud-bricks with a wide color range, while in the housing units color is homogeneous. Moreover, an incipient intention to rationalize the mud-brick shape suggests increased control over the labor force by the elites.

Archaeological research since 2004 in the humid tropical coastal lowlands along the Gulf of Mexic... more Archaeological research since 2004 in the humid tropical coastal lowlands along the Gulf of Mexico has revealed that earth was successfully used as building material for monumental architecture in an extremely adverse environment of heavy summer rainfalls and winter hurricanes. At the site of La Joya, one of the many earthen sites of Central and Southern Veracruz, pyramids, palaces, and ball courts of a size equalling or surpassing contemporaneous stone constructions, were erected and modified during the first millennium AD. For the first time in
Mexican research, the combined efforts of archaeologists, architects, restorers, chemists, geologists, and biologists permit understanding the techniques that made these constructions possible in the tropical environment. Our paper focuses on a new reconstruction of the building sequence of the East Palace Annex at La Joya, to emphasize the quality of the architecture and the importance of this underrated heritage. We address aspects of construction technique and architectural layout, pointing out the original strategies developed by the ancient
builders.

Aunque la arquitectura de tierra es ampliamente difundida en toda Mesoamérica, se ha realizado un... more Aunque la arquitectura de tierra es ampliamente difundida en toda Mesoamérica, se ha realizado un número limitado de estudios formales sobre los sitios arqueológicos de tierra. La falta de interés en ese tema contrasta con la evidencia de una fuerte tradición en México, con ejemplos sobresalientes como Cholula, entre otros. En un intento de llenar este vacío, se empezó un proyecto de investigación que, a partir del sitio arqueológico de La Joya (Veracruz), se propone analizar y catalogar las técnicas de construcción de los principales sitios de la costa del Golfo y del Altiplano Central de México, resaltando algunos aspectos de la vida social de las antiguas sociedades, como el uso compartido de recursos y la organización del trabajo.

FIFTY YEARS OF EXCAVATIONS AND RESEARCHES AT ARSLANTEPE-MALATYA (TURKEY). THE CONTRIBUTION OF LA SAPIENZA UNIVERSITY TO THE STUDY OF THE EARLIEST CENTRALISED SOCIETIES, 2012

Earthen architecture is one of the most powerful expressions of the human capacity to build, to m... more Earthen architecture is one of the most powerful expressions of the human capacity to build, to make the best use of the resources available in the nearby environment, through a variety of very interesting local know-how and specific social organizations. This research is an attempt to identify the properties of earthen construction elements – mud bricks, mud plaster and raw earth – in order to deepen our understanding of the production technology. A site-specific study based upon earthen architecture at Arslantepe (Malatya, Turkey) will assess the relationship of the technological and cultural influences on the construction of the site. The Late-Chalcolithic periods are best suited for addressing an analysis focused on architecture techniques due to the extensive mapping and ongoing research
at the site. Furthermore, thanks to the wealth of data collected throughout 50 years of excavation it was also possible to get information about the main buildings of other periods, looking closely at the construction techniques.

The Shape of Monuments Project : Current Activities and Technological Training in University - Industry Partnership, 2016

International audienc

Archeologia e Calcolatori, 2017

Journal of Cultural Heritage

Proceedings of the 7 th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East

Scienze dell'Antichità, 2016

Arslantepe is located in the Malatya plain, in eastern Anatolia, an oasis surrounded by the Anti-... more Arslantepe is located in the Malatya plain, in eastern Anatolia, an oasis surrounded by the Anti-Taurus Mountains, 15 km southwest of the Euphrates River, with the sub-elliptic eruptive rock mass of GelincikTepe to the northeast, from which building materials are still extracted today. It is built on lacustrine soils, formed by layers of sand and marly clays. The site is an artificial settlement mound, approximately 30 m in height and 4 ha in size. It was occupied without major interruptions from at least the fifth millennium B.C. to the Middle Age. This paper presents the results of an experimental analysis carried out in order to evaluate the mechanical properties of different types of adobe bricks extracted both from residential and monumental buildings. The tested adobe samples belong to a chronological period that ranges from the beginning of the fourth millennium and the end of the third millennium B.C. and they provide an initial understanding on the characterization of a constructive culture at the beginning of human civilization. The investigation permitted to establish a relationship among the mechanical and physical properties of the samples, the type of building that they belong and the raw material used.

Boletin de la Sociedad Geologica Mexicana

FIFTY YEARS OF EXCAVATIONS AND RESEARCHES AT ARSLANTEPE-MALATYA (TURKEY). THE CONTRIBUTION OF LA SAPIENZA UNIVERSITY TO THE STUDY OF THE EARLIEST CENTRALISED SOCIETIES, 2012

Archeologia e Calcolatori, 2017

The study of the 4th Millennium mud-bricks at Arslantepe-Malatya (Turkey): preliminary results. ... more The study of the 4th Millennium mud-bricks at Arslantepe-Malatya (Turkey): preliminary results.

Arslantepe is in the southeastern area of the large Malatya plain (Eastern Anatolia, Turkey), 15 km west of the Euphrates river. The site is an artificial mound (tell), formed by the overlapping deposits of many settlements, built for millennia in the same place. The wealth of data from a large public area, with monumental mud-brick buildings from Late Chalcolithic period (3800-3000 B.C.), has made it possible to reconstruct an early “State” system strongly interacting with the Mesopotamian societies, but based on the growth of local organizational structures. In the present work the chemico-physical preliminary results obtained on several specimens sampled on coloured mud-bricks from late Chalcolithic structures are reported. The main purpose of the work is aimed to understand the relationships between cultural contexts and the material culture in order to provide a more articulated picture of: 1) the mud-bricks raw material provenience, 2) the production process, 3) the connection between material properties and technical know-how. On the basis of this considerations, it will be possible to shed new light on the architectural characteristics and reconstruction hypothesis in the crucial periods of the formation of monumental public areas. Due to the above mentioned purposes the samples were characterised by means of:
- light microscopy for the observation of the macroscopic aspect as well as of the fine particles;
- X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) to characterize the crystallographic structure of random sample;
- dehydration in drying oven to determine the water content;
- Helium pycnometry and dry flow porosimentry to measure density and porosimetry;
- scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to observe morphological and fossil fibre fragments features;
- X ray fluorescence in order to assess the chemical composition.
The results of this preliminary study show some aspect correlated with the production of the mud-bricks such as the use of various local raw materials and the high value of porosity obtained, which could justify the good state of mud-bricks conservation at the present day. For the future, in order to develop a method based on an integrated historical and scientific approach, further analysis based on analytical (grain size distribution, sedimentology, thin sections, oriented powder diffraction, soluble salts) and technological methods (compression test, Young modulus, methilene blue test, Atterberg limits) will be carried out. The principal component analysis seems to be the tool able to correlate archeological and materials data.

Earthen construction techniques: 3D reconstruction and material analysis at La Joya (Mexico) and ... more Earthen construction techniques: 3D reconstruction and material analysis at La Joya (Mexico) and Arslantepe (Turkey)

Why: Although earth as a building material has a wide distribution and ease of location in the world, there is little information on the processes to which the raw materials have been submitted in antiquity. According to UNESCO, 17% of listed World Heritage Sites are of earthen architecture. The use of earth as building material has been associated with various types of building techniques, thereby showing its versatility in creating new forms and languages that characterize each region. Because of the large spread of the earth used as building material, both the spatial arrangement of buildings and the architectural features may vary greatly with time and places, depending on the cultural practices and traditions they reflect. Nonetheless, the problem remains of preserving the huge but fragile earthen cultural heritage. In this context the advance of scientific knowledge about materials is a fertile direction towards reliable solutions. By focusing on two different but related case studies, I shall try to show the importance of material science and the archaeological and architectural study of buildings, in an attempt to relate the macroscopic performance to mechanisms that occur at the micro scale level.
Where or Context: The case studies are the archaeological sites of Arslantepe and La Joya. Arslantepe is an artificial mound located in the Malatya plain (Eastern Anatolia, Turkey) inhabited without interruption at least since the 5th millennium BC until the Roman and Byzantine periods. From 1961 onwards investigations have been carried out by the Italian Archaeological Expedition of the “Sapienza” University of Rome, directed by Prof. Marcella Frangipane. Monumental mud-brick buildings have come to light dated back to the period known as that of early state organization. This work presents a preliminary study of the architectural features excavated from the Late-Chalcolithic period (3800 – 3000 AD), analyzing their building sequence and constructive technologies. La Joya, on the other hand, is a prehispanic city of earthen buildings at the confluence of Jamapa and Cotaxtla rivers in the centre of Veracruz State (Mexico). Since late 2004, an archaeological project led by Prof. Annick Daneels (National Autonomous University of Mexico) has been investigating the emergence and the developments of state-government systems in classic Mesoamerica. Extensive excavations of the remains of a 22 meters high pyramid and two palaces, built in accordance to the Mesoamerican architectural canons, has revealed an unexpected richness in the building system, with the construction sequence covering the first millennium AD.
When: What I try to verify with this PhD project is how structural and technical problems were faced in two very different times and places, Mesoamerica and Turkey. To this end, I shall follow three different methods: a) the study of cultural context and building system on the field, looking for the reasons for their transformation/continuation; b) the characterization of the earth used for the construction of buildings through chemical and physical analysis; c) 3D virtual reconstruction of the monumental structures as a tool for studying the construction techniques.
Samples of mound-fills, mud-bricks and mud-plasters obtained from both sites were collected and studied by means of thin section analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and diffraction (XRD), compressive strength tests, FTIR spectroscopy, sedimentation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dry flow porosimetry. Furthermore, the original drawings - plans, perspectives and profiles - made by the archaeologists in both sites were used to propose a hypothetical 3D reconstruction of the monumental buildings, based on the updated archaeological and historical information. For example, through the analysis of the slope of the few preserved steps belonging to the west staircase, it was possible to attempt the reconstruction of twelve tiers of the La Joya pyramid using 3D AutoCad software. Also, drawing on the results of the surveys, the digital elevation model of La Joya (DEM) was reconstructed using GIS software (ArcView 9.2), giving an idea of how the monumental complex appeared to the eyes of those who walked into it.
Effectiveness: Laboratory analysis when combined with archaeological considerations and architectural studies of the structures, provided useful results for the study of ancient earthen architecture. A fully intentional technological process in the production of the mud-bricks at Arslantepe can as yet not be demonstrated, but it is certain that the know-how was understood and applied. Indeed, various materials were used in the preparation of the mud, such as pottery fragments and animal bones, as well as chopped grasses, to reduce the shrinkage of clay and prevent the consequent phenomena of cracking and deterioration of the mud-bricks. At the same time, it seems clear that the know-how of the ancient builders of La Joya is much more complex than could be imagined before starting the excavation. In fact, it shows very effective devices such as an excellent disposition of the charges in the structures and the protection against high weathering typical of the humid tropics (high summer rains and hurricane force gales in winter). The on-going comparative work between Arslantepe and La Joya is showing that the ancient builders were fully aware of the influence of environment on construction materials, adopting effective solutions. In this sense, 3D reconstruction of the excavated buildings clearly emphasizes some constructive aspects that are not evident from plans and profiles alone.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BUILDING MATERIALS AT ARSLANTEPE (MALATYA, TURKEY). LEVEL VII AND VI A ... more COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BUILDING MATERIALS AT ARSLANTEPE (MALATYA, TURKEY). LEVEL VII AND VI A

In recent years, an interdisciplinary study has been carried out on the building materials and construction techniques of Arslantepe. Representative samples from Late-Chalcolithic structures were analyzed to shed new light on ancient technology and
manufacturing processes. The conducting of a choice among the various kinds of available raw earth as well as a difference in the installation of building materials were observed. Monumental architecture is characterized by mud-bricks with a wide color range, while in the housing units color is homogeneous. Moreover, an incipient intention to rationalize the mud-brick shape suggests increased control over the labor force
by the elites.

This research project aims to deepen the investigation on the Arslantepe ancient production proce... more This research project aims to deepen the investigation on the Arslantepe ancient production processes transforming the raw material - the earth - in construction and architectural elements. In particular, looking closely at the construction techniques and analyzing the form, function and space organization of buildings, we tried to contribute to the knowledge of the material setting systems.
The methodology used to achieve the aims is based on the multidisciplinary nature of the research: the study of cultural context and building system on the field, looking for the reasons for their transformation/continuation; the characterization of the earth used for the construction of buildings through chemical and physical analysis; 3D virtual reconstructions of the monumental structures as a tool for studying the construction techniques.
To validate the method of study applied to Arslantepe another earthen archaeological site was supervised for a period of six months. It's the excavation project of La Joya - Veracruz, directed by Prof. Annick Daneels behalf UNAM - National University Autonomous University of Mexico.
In Arslantepe fifty-two samples of mud-bricks, mud-plasters and raw material have been collected and characterized by means of XRF, XRD and SEM analyses, density measurements and dry flow porosimetry. At La Joya the same type of samples, already analyzed in the laboratory by the specialists, were studied. Furthermore, by studying the building sequence and constructive technologies it was possible to contextualize the data, making the monuments themselves a primary source of information. The on-going comparative work has revealed an unexpected richness in the building systems and is showing that the ancient builders were fully aware of the influence of environment on construction materials, adopting effective solutions.

Volume pubblicato con inanziamenti dell'Università Sapienza di Roma e del Ministero degli Afari E... more Volume pubblicato con inanziamenti dell'Università Sapienza di Roma e del Ministero degli Afari Esteri e Cooperazione Internazionale. Lo studio e le ricerche condotte dall'autrice per la preparazione del presente volume sono state in parte supportate dalla Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung. his volume has been published with the inancial support of the Sapienza University of Rome and of the Ministry of Foreign Afairs and International Cooperation.he researches carried out by the author in preparation of this volume have been partly supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung.

México. Restauración y Proteccion del Patrimonio Cultural (p. 109-130), Apr 2014

Seemingly humble yet a rich and multifaceted resource, earth is the natural background to our lif... more Seemingly humble yet a rich and multifaceted resource, earth is the natural background to our life, with which it is deeply interwoven. Moreover, it represents an ancestral and genuine example of sustainability both in architecture and in craftworks. Earth-based artifacts and structures have been long object of interdisciplinary approaches employing natural scientific methods.
Pottery, non-ceramic clay-based artifacts used in domestic, metallurgical, textile and administrative activities as well as earthen and brick architecture have been largely explored in their chemical, physical, mineralogical and optical properties. Aim of these high-resolution analyses is to tackle provenance, technology and conservation issues as well as to reconstruct the use of both the built space and natural landscapes. However, the rigid categorization of specialisms has often hindered a more global and theoretical discourse between scholars who ultimately deal with the same material ‒ earth ‒, only used and processed in different ways and contexts.
This workshop aims at establishing a multilogue beyond any chronological period, geographical area and type of artifacts. The common denominator is earth, explored in its various material properties and cultural perceptions, specifically by looking at the interweaving relation between crafts, administration as well as daily and living spaces.