CONATI BARBARO C., MALINVERNI E. S., TASSETTI A. N., LA MARCA C. - The Archaeological excavation of the early neolithic site of Portonovo as a case study for testing a 3D documentation pipeline, CAA Proocedings, Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology, 22-25 April 2014. (original) (raw)
Related papers
This volume brings together all the successful peer-reviewed papers that have been submitted for the proceedings of the 43rd conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology that took place in Siena (Italy) from March 31st to April 2nd 2015. The number of people who signed on for CAA 2015 really took us by surprise: 550 delegates registered for the conference, from many more places than we would ever have anticipated. Altogether, within the four days of the conference 280 papers were presented in 48 sections divided into ten macro topics, 113 posters, 7 roundtables and 12 workshops. That number, in itself, has prompted a thought or two. Above all it says to us that CAA is very much alive and kicking, that it is in robust good health, and that it remains a wholly relevant force in the scientific community, fully engaged with the questions of the day, and a continuing focal point for the profession. All of that speaks well for the motto of CAA 2015: KEEP THE REVOLUTION GOING Although the significance of our motto is obvious, we think it is worth some thoughts. Few would deny that in the past 30 years or so, digital technologies have profoundly revolutionised archaeology – in the office and laboratory, in the field and in the classroom. The progressive introduction of digital techniques in the archaeological process has of course led to a general increase in efficiency. But perhaps more importantly it has provided a spur to the discussion of methodology and through that has strongly influenced not only the way we go about things but also the outcomes that we have been able to achieve. The pioneering phase in the application of digital techniques in archaeological research has clearly been fruitful and today computer applications such as GIS, databases, remote sensing and spatial analysis as well as virtual and cyber archaeology are deeply embedded within our universities. This is all good, of course, but we must not assume that the task has been completed. An intrinsic revolutionary instinct towards technological development has been awakened. But it will only survive by virtue of the results that it brings about. Or using the words of our Chairman Prof Gary Lock: ‘Computers not only change the way we do things, but more importantly they change the way we think about what we do and why we do it’. The general thrust of this statement can be summed up and reinforced by recalling a quote from the philosopher Don Ihde, who has argued we should never forget that all technologies should be regarded as ‘cultural instruments’, which as well as strategies and methodologies implemented in our researches are also ‘non-neutral’. So KEEP THE REVOLUTION GOING is a motto that lays stress on the need to maintain innovation in archaeology through technological advances. But innovation must have at its root the fostering of critical thought and the framing of new archaeological questions. So there is much work still to be done, and fresh challenges to be faced in the months, years and decades ahead. One final thought. The date of this conference, and most of all the opening ceremony, has not come about by chance. The 30th of March, for the University of Siena and in particular for the human sciences and archaeology, represents a sad but enduring anniversary. Eight years ago on this day we lost a key figure in the Italian archaeological community of the last 50 years; a man who had an extraordinary influence on many aspects of medieval and archaeological studies. Not least we call to mind his role in the promotion and development of digital archaeology. Our thoughts and memories go therefore to our friend and mentor Professor Riccardo Francovich. He always inspired us to seek new horizons and without him we doubt that this conference would have found its way to Siena.
After a few years of existence, ArkeoGIS is now fully operational in his version 3. This webGIS adds over 20 databases in French and German, with over 10 000 archaeological sites and environmental features. Inventorial databases, searchers databases, students and laboratories cooperate in the Rhine valley, implementing each other datas, and having access to cross-boundary information and literature in two languages. Users and contributors, once logged, have the possibility to build quick queries with a handy interface, questioning several informations on four depth levels. For this paper, the focus will be on the benefit happening while showing archaeological sites and finds on an interactive map where the user can add geographical inventories, existing analysis and how this helps us finding new questionings.
2012
The present volume consists of the peer-reviewed papers presented at the CAA2011 conference held in Beijing, China between April 12 and 16, 2011. The theme of this conference was "Revive the Past", which means retrieving our history and using it to help create a new civilization. It was a great honour to organize the conference where over 130 researchers made presentations; ten keynote speeches were given; and sixteen sessions covered a wide variety of topics: data acquisition and recording, conceptual modelling, data analysis, data management, digging with words, 3D models, visualizing heritage sites, digital spaces for archaeology, geophysics, GIS, graphics in archaeology, visualisation in archaeology, semantic technologies, spatial prediction, visualization and exhibition, and 3D object reconstruction. In addition, student papers and posters were presented. We held two successful As organizers, we want to thank the CAA Steering Committee for their great support and help. We would like to express our special thanks to Prof. Bernard Frischer for his consistent support and kind help. We express our deep gratitude to all participants and delegates for their contributions. We appreciate the generous support given by local institutions in Beijing, and we single out for special praise all of our volunteers for their hard work on behalf of the conference. CAA2011 has passed into history but we hope Beijing will remain in the hearts of all the participants, especially those from abroad. May the events, people, and friendships made at the conference long remain in our memory!
Ancient History of Indigenous South America: Augmented Reality and Digital Archaeology at University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil , 2023
The present proposal is based on the extroversion of the archaeological heritage of the University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (MUAE/UFRGS) through the creation and use of 3D digital simulations of archaeological artifacts related to the Ancient History of Indigenous South America (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, is known for having been one of the main targets of an intensive European immigration project (mainly Germans and Italians) carried out during the Empire of Brazil (1822-1889) and the First Brazilian Republic (1889- 1930) between the 19th and 20th centuries. This phenomenon obscured, at least in part, the history of the indigenous peoples settled in the region before, during, and after this period. Considering this, this paper highlights the history of the formation of the museum's archaeological and ethnographic collection, as well as previous theoretical and practical experiences related to Digital Archaeology. Finally, it showcases potential uses of Mobile Augmented Reality through a Public History product aimed at disseminating part of the museum's archaeological collection (six artifacts attributable to indigenous peoples from different regions of the mentioned context from periods prior to European colonization) to the general public and explores discussions carried out by History, Museology, and Archaeology, delving into cyber-archaeology and digital humanities. The aforementioned digital (re)constructions were created using 3D modeling software, specifically Blender 3.4., and have contributed to increased socialization, dissemination and appreciation of the communicative potential of the collection.
2021
ArcheoFOSS XIV 2020: Open software, hardware, processes, data and formats in archaeological research collects the proceedings of the fourteenth ArcheoFOSS international conference, held online due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The book gathers seventeen papers on three principal topics, the main sessions of the conference: use and application of free/libre and open-source (FLOS) tools in archaeology; creation, use and promotion of open data and open formats in archaeology; and development and customization of FLOS software and hardware solutions for cultural heritage. Forty-one scholars of very diverse age, academic affiliation and geographic location, but all actively involved in the promotion of FLOS culture, open data and open science in digital archaeology and humanities, contribute. The volume is completed by a critical analysis of the contribution of these important annual meetings to the scientific and cultural activity of the ArcheoFOSS community. The opportunity offered by the pandemic-related difficulties to widen the geographical scope of the conference has been further boosted by the decision to adopt the English language for most of the papers, with the hope that this will extend the work of the ArcheoFOSS community far beyond the Italian national borders.
Archaeology and computers: a long story in the making of modern archaeology
Archeologia e Calcolatori, 2019
The growing success, for more than fifty years, of the scientific contribution of computer applications and quantitative methods in archaeology may be now reviewed and analyzed from different technological and sociological points of view. This examination allows us to appreciate the material importance of such contributions and how the community of specialists in computational archaeology should play a major role in the future of 21st-century archaeology.
2015
The archaeological excavation is a destructive and not repeatable process: the documentation of archaeological stratigraphy and relations between the layers is an essential component of the work of the archaeologist aimed at the understanding the site object of researches. The traditional techniques of documentation, based on direct survey and manual drawing, are time consuming to be executed and they are also characterized by some poor level of precision and accuracy that, spread over time, can lead archaeologist to errors and misunderstandings. The use of traditional techniques of survey does not allow any margin of error in the interpretation: once produced documentation, layers are destroyed and it is hardly possible to make further corrections in documentation. Over the last two decades technological innovations have progressively reduced these issues: survey instruments such as total stations and dGPS have gradually replaced the direct survey. The introduction of digital SLR cameras has eliminated the cost of production of photographs and allowed the archaeologists to produce a massive documentation of contexts, mainly qualitative. The laser scanners have been tested within various excavation sites: the possibility to record excavations in three dimensions have been found to be of great interest by archaeologists, but the high cost of the instrumentation and the complexity of the whole process of processing and management of laser data have limited its use and dissemination. In recent years, the advent of photogrammetric software based on the 'Structure from Motion' technique has gradually made accessible three-dimensional survey within the excavation sites. During the excavation of the roman site of Santa Marta, in Cinigiano (GR), we developed a pipeline for fast 3D recording of excavation. Through an integrated approach of topographic instruments, aerial and terrestrial images, semi-automated photogrammetric packages and GIS system we have been able to systematically recording in tree dimension the stratigraphy of the sites. This approach allowed us to overcome issues related with precision and accuracy of the documentation and different datasets can be integrated to create diachronic 2D and 3D documentation. The high resolution and precision of recorded surfaces allow us to improve both quality and speed of documentation, optimizing all the work in excavation site.