Marilisa Biscione

Predictive modeling for preventive Archaeology: overview and case study

The use of GIS and Spatial Analysis for predictive models is an important topic in preventive archaeology. Both of these tools play an important role in the Support Decision System (SDS) for archaeological research and for providing information useful to reduce archaeological risk. Over the years, a number of predictive models in the GIS environment have been developed and proposed. The existing models substantially differ from each other in methodological approaches and parameters used for performing the analysis. Until now, only few works consider spatial autocorrelation, which can provide more effective results. This paper provides a brief review of the existing predictive models, and then proposes a new methodological approach, applied to the neolithic sites in the Apulian Tavoliere (Southern Italy), that combines traditional techniques with methods that allow us to include spatial autocorrelation analysis to take into account the spatial relationships among the diverse sites.

Establishing a Remote Sensing Science Center in Cyprus:First Year of Activities of ATHENA Project

ATHENA H2020 Twinning project is a three-year duration project and its main objective is to strengthen the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) Remote Sensing Science and Geo-Environment Research Laboratory in the field of “Remote Sensing Archaeology” by creating a unique link between two internationally-leading research institutions: National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). Through the ATHENA project, CUT’s staff research profile and expertise will be raised while S&T capacity of the linked institutions will be enhanced. In this paper the abovementioned objectives are presented through the various activities accomplished in the first year of the project. These activities include both virtual training by experts in topics such as active remote sensing sensors and sophisticated algorithms, as well as scientific workshops dedicated to specific earth observation and cultural heritage aspects. During this first year, outreached activities have been also performed aiming to promote remote sensing and other non-destructive techniques, including geophysics, for monitoring and safeguarding archaeological heritage of Cyprus. The ATHENA center aims to serve the local community of Cyprus, but at the same time to be established in the wider area of eastern Mediterranean.

An Integrated Methodology for Medieval Landscape Reconstruction: The Case Study of Monte Serico

Landscape Archaeology, in addition to classical disciplines such as geography, history, environment and human topics, improved the use and the integration of all new technological instruments by other documentary sources. Lidar is a new Remote Sensing technique recently adopted in archaeological research. Its main application is the study of any kind of archaeological feature causing a variation in surface elevation adopting 3D mapping with very high resolution and accuracy. The aim of this paper is to contribute to landscape reconstruction for two Medieval abandoned settlements in Basilicata Region (southern Italy) with an integrated approach taken from other technologies as remote sensing, data management and development of predictive models in GIS environment.

Spatial Methods for Archaeological Flood Risk: The Case Study of the Neolithic Sites in the Apulia Region (Southern Italy)

Archaeological risk maps are very important both for archaeological research and for urban and territorial planning. Spatial analysis can help to improve existing methods at the local scale. In this paper spatial analysis, that is map algebra and point pattern analysis, are used, for an area characterized by several Neolithic Sites located in the Tavoliere di Puglia (Southern Italy), to 1) calculate the archaeological vulnerability with an improved predictive model that considers spatial autocorrelation together with environmental factors, 2) assess the flooding hazard with the use of morphometric indexes; that have been made spatially distributed in order to improve the effectiveness of results, 3) carry out an archaeological risk map for flooding that shows a high risk level for already known archaeological sites and areas with a high probability to find new sites.

GIS and archaeology: a spatial predictive model for neolithic sites of the Tavoliere (Apulia)

Two are the risks associated to archaeological heritage. The first one is economic and it is related to the costs needed to perform field survey in all the territory. The second one is scientific, that is the risk to lose artifacts and, consequently, witnesses of the human past [1], in particular in case of large-scale infrastructure works and looting linked to the illicit trade of antiquities. Predictive models are useful to archaeological research to look for the right compromise between the reduction of costs and effectiveness of results. It enables to identify the site locational behavior [2], more in particular environmental site location preferences [3]. From the eighties the development of more user friendly GIS softwares and the increased easiness of relative tools allowed the diffusion of predictive models, that were improved thanks to the greater availability of remotely sensed data and the image processing routines, which are effective for the detection of archaeological features. The proposal of this paper is to make a brief review of existing predictive models and to propose a new model that takes in count spatial properties of archaeological datasets to predict neolithic settlements in Tavoliere in the Apulian region (Southern Italy), already investigated by preventive archaeological methods including geophysics and remote sensing [4].

Remote sensing archaeology knowledge transfer: examples from the ATHENA twinning project

ATHENA is an on-going Horizon 2020 Twinning project aiming to promote remote sensing technologies for cultural heritage (CH) applications in Cyprus. ATHENA project brings together the Eratosthenes Research Center (ERC) of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) with two internationally leading institutions of Europe, namely the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). The project’s scope is to position the ERC regionally and stimulate future cooperation through placements at partner institutions and enhance the research and academic profile of all participants. The scientific strengthening and networking achieved through the ATHENA project could be of great benefit not only for Cyprus but for the entire Eastern Mediterranean, bearing a plethora of archaeological sites and monuments urgently calling for monitoring and safeguarding. The preservation of CH and landscape comprises a strategic priority not only to guarantee cultural treasures and evidence of the human past to future generations, but also to exploit them as a strategic and valuable economic asset. The objective of this paper is to present knowledge transfer examples achieved from the ATHENA project through intense training activities. These activities were also designed to enhance the scientific profile of the research staff and to accelerate the development of research capabilities of the ERC. At the same time the results from the training activities were also exploited to promote earth observation knowledge and best practices intended for CH. The activities included active and passive remote sensing data used for archaeological applications, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image analysis for change and deformation detection, monitoring of risk factors related to cultural heritage sites including archaeological looting etc.

A framework for cultural heritage management and research: the Cancellara case study

ABSTRACT This paper deals with the approach used to create the digital cultural heritage map (hereafter, c.h.) of the mountain village of Cancellara and its territory, located in Basilicata, Southern Italy. The map is thought to be an exhaustive georeferenced catalogue of sites of cultural interest to bring fresh insights and new life to the c.h. and support decisions for their protection, management and valorization by the municipality and public bodies, national and regional, designated to fulfil the duties in ensuring the protection and accessibility of cultural heritage. A digital c.h. map is also important and useful for scholars who conduct studies and investigations as well as for private companies and cultural associations which work in the field of Cultural and Creative Industry. This map allows access to information useful for the reconstruction of the history of the place, dispersed among various private and public archives or unpublished. The map includes a chart at the territory scale, and more detail for the built-up area and its historical centre. It summarises data from heterogeneous sources.

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].