Fabrizio Terenzio Gizzi

On the LiDAR contribution for the archaeological and geomorphological study of a deserted medieval village in Southern Italy

Airborne laser scanning (ALS) is an optical measurement technique for obtaining high-precision information about the Earths surface including basic terrain mapping (digital terrain model, bathymetry, corridor mapping), vegetation cover (forest assessment and inventory) and coastal and urban areas. Recent studies examined the possibility of using ALS in archaeological investigations to identify earthworks, although the ability of ALS measurements in this context has not yet been studied in detail. This paper focuses on the potential of the latest generation of airborne ALS for the detection and the spatial characterization of micro-topographic relief linked to archaeological and geomorphological features. The investigations were carried out near Monteserico, an archaeological area in the Basilicata region (Southern Italy) which is characterized by complex topographical and morphological features. The study emphasizes that the DTM-LiDAR data are a powerful instrument for detecting surface discontinuities relevant for investigating geomorphological processes and cultural features. The LiDAR survey allowed us to identify the urban shape of a medieval village, by capturing the small differences in height produced by surface and shallow archaeological remains (the so-called shadow marks) which were not visible from ground or from optical dataset. In this way, surface reliefs and small elevation changes, linked to geomorphological and archaeological features, have been surveyed with great detail.

23 November 1980 Irpinia–Basilicata earthquake (Southern Italy): towards a full knowledge of the seismic effects

This paper overviews the procedures and tools used for a systematic study of the macroseismic consequences caused by a strong earthquake that struck Southern Italy. The event referred to the 23 November 1980 (Io = X MCS, Ms = 6.9) which affected the Campania and Basilicata regions. Two aspects are addressed here: to broaden the knowledge of the macroseismic field and delineate damage maps of the sites affected on an urban scale. The target area of this study is the Basilicata region about which the current macroseismic information is poor. This research study, based only on unpublished documentary sources, supplies about 50 new assessments and about 30 new re-assessments of the macroseismic site intensity (MCS scale) as outputs. Moreover, about 80 thematic maps showing the damage pattern of the sites affected are also supplied. It is the first time that a large earthquake has been the subject of such extensive studies from a macroseismic point of view, with special attention to the analysis of damage effects at town scale.

High-Detail Damage Pattern in Towns Hit by Earthquakes of the Past: An Approach to Evaluate the Reliability of the Historical Sources

Historical data relating to damage in urban areas are useful to evaluate and mitigate seismic risk. However, documentary data need to be considered in relation to their quality. The paper describes a mathematical approach to assess reliability of historical sources referring to damage effects caused by earthquakes in the past. The method applied is based on Rough Set Theory. Its application has been explained by analyzing a huge amount of archive data reported by documents concerning earthquake effects in eight towns of Basilicata (southern Italy), heavily damaged by the 1930 Irpinia earthquake. Mathematical analysis has been applied to evaluate whether technical reports citing the effects on buildings were affected by voluntary or involuntary “manipulation” by compilers. This has been possible by comparing damage descriptions reported in technical reports to damage inferred by the analysis of independent technical-economic-administrative data. Results seem to suggest that the sentences on damage were subjected only to limited and involuntary “falsification” that, however, caused negligible changes in the spatial distribution of damage.

Reconstructions, Transfers and Forced Abandonments Brought About by Earthquakes and Landslides in the Historical Centres of Southern Italy: The Role of Primary Sources

Italy is among the most prone Mediterranean countries to extreme natural menaces, such as earthquakes and landslides. These can cause serious damage to the properties and consequent changes in urban areas and historical centres especially, due to their high vulnerability. Starting from these preliminary remarks the paper deals with an ongoing research activity aimed at analyzing in depth and in a systematic way the damage and the consequent abandonments, transfers, and forced reconstructions caused by significant earthquakes and/or landslides in the historical centres of Southern Italy during the twentieth century. To make clear the methodology followed, the paper analyses three case studies related to the same number of historical centres menaced by mass movements and/or earthquake phenomena. The final aim of the research is to setup a reference Web Gis Atlas that will be a further tool that the stakeholders will find useful to improve mitigation risk actions against the two main geological menaces acting in Italy.

Assessing Macroseismic Data Reliability through Rough Set Theory: Application on Vulture Area (Basilicata, Southern Italy)

This paper deals with the analysis of the reliability of information concerning damages caused to buildings by earthquakes. This research was started after analyzing a huge amount of written sources drawn up after 1930 Irpinia (southern Italy) earthquake. The analysis led to delineate damage ‘scenarios’, useful in trying to mitigate seismic risk for most affected towns. Once analyzed the effects induced by the quake, it was suitable to assess the reliability of the retrieved information. A data-set has been built concerning administrative-technical aspects of 1930 earthquake and referring to the most important towns of the area. Data have been analyzed through Rough Set Approach, a non-parametric statistic methodology.

Global Research Patterns on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

The article deals with the analysis of worldwide research patterns concerning ground penetrating radar (GPR) during 1995–2014. To do this, the Thomson Reuters’ Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) and the Social Sciences Citation Index accessed via the Web of Science Core Collection were the two bibliographic databases taken as a reference. We pay attention to the document typology and language, the publication trend and citations, the subject categories and journals, the collaborations between authors, the productivity of the authors, the most cited articles, the countries and the institutions involved, and other hot issues. Concerning the main research subfields involving GPR use, there were five, physical–mathematical, sedimentological–stratigraphical, civil engineering/engineering geology/cultural heritage, hydrological (HD), and glaciological (GL), subfields.

Sensing the Risk: New Approaches and Technologies for Protection and Security of Cultural Heritage. The “PRO_CULT” Project

The PRO_CULT project promotes the development and the use of innovative low cost methodology for both monitoring and protecting cultural heritage and the growth of a cultural identity of local communities. It aims to develop sensing technologies and operating procedures in the field of security and the preservation of artistic, archaeological, architectural and landscape heritage with particular reference to emergency situations and to involve new different end users types. This approach has led to the release of products, technologies and operational methods, low cost and user-friendly paying attention to accessibility, sustainability, and citizen participation [1].

Conservation Of The Cathedral Of Acerenza ByMeans Of A Multidisciplinary Approach

The study concerning the historical-constructive evolution of a monument becomes very difficult when the monument looks as a palimpsest of traces, forms and materials which are placed one upon another as a result of different construction phases. The Cathedral of Acerenza, an important example of religious architecture of XI-XII century, characterised by a presbytery built by an ambulatory with radial chapels, represents one of these cases. On this church, the research has been developed by means of a cross-disciplinary approach. The first one regards the morphological and metrological analysis of the architecture. It has allowed, after a topographical survey, to trace the elements of the architectonic body to regular geometrical forms. Besides useful information has been drawn about the structural homogeneous elements. The outcomes are confirmed by the petrographic and mineralogic study of constructive materials and techniques, which stimulated a second phase of the research. The study of the masonry has been particularly interesting to know the constructive phases. It has been realised on the basis of a photogrammetric relief of the facades. Another analysis concerns the seismic hazard. In particular, in the town of Acerenza at least three seismic events, with macroseismic intensity greater than VII MCS, have been recorded