Rebecca Sweetman

Games Methodologies and Immersive Environments for Virtual Fieldwork

The construction and consolidation of knowledge through the practical application of concepts and processes can be difficult to support for subjects where practice is an integral component of competence and expertise in that domain. For example, participation in an archaeological excavation is not readily available to students, although a detailed understanding of what processes this involves is deemed to be core to the subject. The Laconia Acropolis Virtual Archaeology (LAVA) project has created a cooperative exploratory learning environment that addresses the need for students to engage with the complex practice of excavation. By leveraging the progressive nature of games methodologies and the immersive engagement provided by 3D multiuser virtual environments, LAVA facilitates the adoption of exploratory learning for excavation scenarios which have previously been inaccessible due to barriers of travel, time, and cost. A virtual environment based on real world data has been developed where groups of users are faced with a series of dynamic challenges with which they engage until such time that a certain level of competence is shown. Once a series of domain-specific objectives has been met, users are able to progress forward to the next level of the simulation. The excavation simulator enhances the student learning experience by providing opportunities for students to engage with the process in a customizable, virtual environment. Not only does this provide students with an opportunity to put the theories they are familiar with into practice, but it also allows students to gain experience in applying their skills in a bid to manage an excavation process, thereby making it possible for a greater emphasis to be placed on the practical application of knowledge that the excavation process necessitates. The potential of this approach has been confirmed by a positive user evaluation. LAVA contributes toward the progress of technology-enhanced learning by illustrating the instantiation of a framework which demonstrates how to integrate games methods with learning management systems and virtual worlds in order to support higher order learning behaviors such as applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

Exploring canons & cathedrals with Open Virtual Worlds: The recreation of St Andrews Cathedral, St Andrews day, 1318

St Andrews Cathedral is located on the East Coast of Scotland. Construction started in 1160 and spanned Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. It was consecrated in 1318, four years after the battle of Bannockburn in the presence of King Robert I. For several hundred years, the Cathedral was one of the most important religious buildings in Europe and the centre of religious life in Scotland. During the Reformation, John Knox himself lead reformers in divesting the Cathedral of all its finery. Thereafter it fell into disuse and decline. Today the remains hint at its former glory. Here the use of Open Virtual Worlds (OVW) to support new modes of engagement with cultural heritage is presented through the example of St Andrews Cathedral. Open Virtual Worlds offer an extensible collaborative environment for developing historical scenes against which background material and intangible aspects of cultural heritage associated with a site may be explored. They offer the potential to reconstruct within a 3D computer environment both the physical structures of the past and important aspects of the lighting, sounds and lifestyles that once existed within those structures. Bringing together architecture, sculpture, illumination, stained-glass, music, procession and lighting into a scene, which can be explored from multiple spatial perspectives enables holistic appreciations to be developed.

Exploring the Second life of a Byzantine Basilica

This paper introduces the Laconia Acropolis Virtual Archaeology (LAVA) project, a cooperative exploratory learning environment that addresses the need for students to engage with archaeological excavation scenarios. By leveraging the immersive nature of game technologies and 3D Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs), LAVA facilitates the adoption of exploratory learning practices in environments which have previously been inaccessible due to barriers of space, time or cost (Collis 2001; Aitchison 2004; Colley 2004).

The Acropolis Basilica Project, Sparta: a preliminary report for the 2000 season

The Acropolis Basilica, Sparta, was first excavated by G. Guttle, under the auspices of the British School at Athens, in the 1920s. Two further campaigns were carried out by members of the Athens Archaeological Society, who were not privy to the unpublished excavation daybooks of the British campaign. As a result, 80 years on, the church is still poorly understood; its date and chronological development have been the subject of much scholarly debate, as has its attribution to Osios Nikon. The first phase of a new study of the basilica is now well underway. This consists of non-intrusive study and recording to reach a better understanding of the monument and the previous investigations before new excavations are carried out. The aims of the first phase of the project are to undertake archaeological cleaning of the basilica and its associated buildings to facilitate the production of an accurate ground plan of monuments, the creation of stone by stone elevations of the exterior walls of all the buildings, and the detailed photography of every aspect of the entire basilica complex. Detailed recording of the features exposed in the basilica has been carried out in order to assess chronological phasing (both through context and architecture), use of space within the basilica and potential reconstructions of the edifices. Following the first season of the project, we have a number of preliminary ideas regarding the phasing of the basilica and use of architectural space. In this article we present these ideas, our methodology, a new plan of the monument and its associated buildings and, for the first time, a resume of Cuttles excavations.

Knossos Medical Faculty site: Late Antique graves and other remains 1

The perception of Late Antique Knossos has changed in recent years from one of a city in desertion to one of a flourishing innovator. Within this context of renewed theories regarding the Late Antique city, this article provides a contribution to the further understanding of the nature of society during this period. Of the Late Antique remains at the Knossos Medical Faculty site, only the Basilica building itself has been published in detail. As such, the aim of this work is to complete the publication record for the Late Antique and other features at the Knossos Medical Faculty site. To this end, the evidence of the entire Basilica complex is discussed and a full account of the mortuary data including the skeletal remains is presented. In addition to the religious architecture and mortuary data the secular material dating to the Venetian and Ottoman periods is considered. Consequently, this overview of the history and function of the KMF basilica complex adds to the expanding knowledge of Late Antique Knossos with particular regard to the religious and burial practices.

THE CHRISTIANISATION OF THE PELOPONNESE: THE CASE FOR STRATEGIC CHANGE

The issue of the persistence of paganism is now quite well considered; however, it is only in recent times that the same concern approached from another perspective, the multifaceted nature of the Christianisation of the Peloponnese, has become the topic of detailed discussion. It is likely that Christianisation in Achaea took place incrementally and with a variety of effects according to the location. The processes of how this took place and under what circumstances remain to be discussed in detail. As a considered and active process, understanding methods of conversion should provide insights into the nature of society at the time, particularly in terms of communications. Church location reflects a range of choices made in terms of the conversion process and therefore is fundamental to analysing religious transformation. Such insights are important, particularly given the dearth of historical sources for, and difficulties of refining, church chronologies in the Peloponnese. In the case of the Late Antique Peloponnese, a great deal is known about many individual churches as a result of quite extensive excavation of a majority of them, particularly through the work of Pallas and Orlandos. This evidence, together with the results of a survey of all the known Late Antique churches in the Peloponnese undertaken in 2012, makes possible a synthetic interpretation of all the material within the surrounding landscape. While the precise chronologies may remain elusive, this present study shows how sociological theories of conversion processes can be applied to the topographic analysis of the Late Antique churches of the Peloponnese to help determine the nature of Christianisation across the diachronic range. In this work I will present some new theories regarding processes and phases of conversion, and the implications of these in terms of understanding networks and society in the Late Antique Peloponnese. Ο εκχριστιανισμός της Πελοποννήσου: μια περίπτωση στρατηγικής αλλαγής Ενώ το ζήτημα της επιμονής στον παγανισμό έχει πλέον συζητηθεί εκτενώς, ένα ανάλογο ζήτημα, το οποίο προσεγγίζεται από μια άλλη σκοπιά, μόνο κατά τα τελευταία χρόνια έχει γίνει θέμα λεπτομερούς συζήτησης: ο πολύπλευρος χαρακτήρας του εκχριστιανισμού της Πελοποννήσου. Είναι πιθανόν ότι ο εκχριστιανισμός της Αχαΐας πραγματοποιήθηκε σταδιακά και με ποικίλες επιπτώσεις ανάλογα με την τοποθεσία. Οι διαδικασίες που σχετίζονται με το πώς πραγματοποιήθηκε και υπό ποιες συνθήκες εξακολουθούν να μην έχουν συζητηθεί λεπτομερώς. Παρόλα αυτά, η κατανόηση των μεθόδων της αλλαγής θρησκεύματος, ως μια συνειδητή και ενεργή διαδικασία, θα πρέπει να παρέχει πληροφορίες για τη φύση της κοινωνίας εκείνη την εποχή, ιδιαίτερα όσον αφορά στις επικοινωνίες. Οι τοποθεσίες των εκκλησιών αντανακλούν μια σειρά από επιλογές, όσον αφορά στις διαδικασίες θρησκευτικής μετατροπής και, συνεπώς, είναι θεμελιώδους σημασίας για την ανάλυση τους. Αυτές οι πληροφορίες είναι σημαντικές κυρίως λόγω της έλλειψης ιστορικών πηγών σχετικά με τις χρονολογίες των εκκλησιών στην Πελοπόννησο, καθώς και των δυσκολιών επεξεργασίας τους. Για την περίπτωση της Ύστερης Αρχαιότητας στην Πελοπόννησο, πολλά είναι γνωστά για πολλές μεμονωμένες εκκλησίες, ως αποτέλεσμα των αρκετά εκτεταμένων ανασκαφών στην πλειονότητα από αυτές, κυρίως μέσα από το έργο των Πάλλα και Ορλάνδου. Τα στοιχεία αυτά, σε συνδυασμό με τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας όλων των γνωστών εκκλησιών της Ύστερης Αρχαιότητας στην Πελοπόννησο που πραγματοποιήθηκε το 2012, επιτρέπουν να γίνει δυνατή μια συνθετική ερμηνεία όλου του υλικού στο πλαίσιο του γύρω τοπίου. Ενώ οι ακριβείς χρονολογίες μπορούν να παραμείνουν ασαφείς, η παρούσα μελέτη δείχνει πως κοινωνιολογικές θεωρίες των διαδικασιών μετατροπής είναι δυνατόν να εφαρμοστούν στην τοπογραφική ανάλυση των εκκλησιών της Ύστερης Αρχαιότητας στην Πελοπόννησο ώστε να βοηθήσουν στον προσδιορισμό της φύσης του εκχριστιανισμού σε διαχρονική κλίμακα. Σε αυτή την εργασία θα παρουσιάσω κάποιες νέες θεωρίες σχετικά με τις διαδικασίες και τις φάσεις της θρησκευτικής μετατροπής, καθώς και τις συνέπειές τους σχετικά με την κατανόηση των δικτύων και της κοινωνίας κατά την Ύστερη Αρχαιότητα στην Πελοπόννησο.

Roman Knossos: discovering the city through the evidence of rescue excavations

Thus far, much of the analysis of Roman and Late Antique Knossos has been based on the material culture produced through research excavations such as the Villa Dionysus and the Unexplored Mansion. Such excavations provide a tantalizing view of select aspects of the community and city and are essential for an understanding of the chronology of much of the material culture. However, these excavations cannot provide a complete picture of the character and diachronic range of the entire city. To do so, it is necessary to turn to the hitherto unpublished rescue excavations undertaken in dispersed locations of the valley. These range from the many graves located on the slopes of the surrounding hills, to monumental architectural remains in the area to the east of the Villa Dionysus, and to mundane features such as cisterns and roads in the modern village. In this paper, within the context of the published Roman material and with a focus on mosaics and ceramics, the evidence of the rescue material is used to develop a better perception of the city and all its residents, including the layout in terms of administrative, residential, and industrial areas from the first to the seventh century ad. Μέχρι σήμερα ένα μεγάλο μέρος της εξέτασης της Κνωσού κατά τη ρωμαϊκή περίοδο και την ύστερη αρχαιότητα έχει βασιστεί στα υλικά κατάλοιπα από συστηματικές ανασκαφές, όπως στην Έπαυλη του Διονύσου και την Ανευξερεύνητη Οικία. Αυτές οι ανασκαφές παρουσιάςουν μία δελεαστική όψη επιλεκτικών εκφάνσεων της κοινότητας και της πόλης. Επιπλέον είναι σημαντικές για την κατανόηση της χρονολόγησης ενός μεγάλου μέρους των υλικών καταλοίπων. Ωστόσο, δεν μπορούν να παρουσιάσουν μία συνολική εικόνα του χαρακτήρα και της διαχρονικής αλληλουχίας όλης της πόλης. Για να γίνει κάτι τέτοιο είναι απαραίτητο να στρέψουμε την προσοχή μας στο μέχρι σήμερα αδημοσίευτο υλικό των σωστικών ανασκαφών που έχουν πραγματοποιηθεί σε διάφορες θέσεις στην πεδιάδα. Αυτές οι ανασκαφές ποικίλλουν: από τους πολλούς τάφους στις πλαγιές των γειτονικών λόφων, στα μνημειακά αρχιτεκτονικά κατάλοιπα στην περιοχή ανατολικά της Έπαυλης του Διονύσου και τα κοινότοπα στοιχεία, όπως δεξαμενές και δρόμοι στο σύγχρονο χωριό. Στο άρθρο αυτό, μέσα στο πλαίσιο του δημοσνευμένου ρωμαϊκού υλικού και με έμφαση στα ψηφιδωτά και την κεραμεική, τα δεδομένα από το υλικό των σωστικών ανασκαφών χρησιμοποιούνται για την καλύτερη κατανόηση της πόλης και όλων των κατοίκων της συμπεριλαμβανομένης της διάρθρωσής της ως προς τις περιοχές διοίκησης, κατοίκησης και βιοτεχνικής παραγωγής από τον πρώτο μέχρι τον έβδομο αιώνα μετά Χριστόν.

The Roman mosaics of the Knossos Valley

Thirty Roman mosaics are now known from the Knossos Valley. The Villa Dionysos, with eight mosaics thus far uncovered, forms the largest coherent group. Recent work undertaken at the nearby bath house has revealed a small group of three mosaics. For the most part the remainder are isolated examples, commonly found during rescue excavation and often not well preserved. The mosaics range in date from the late first to the late third century AD and they display a variety of styles from black and white to polychrome and themes from simple geometric to complex figured designs. This paper presents a catalogue of the mosaics followed by a synthetic analysis, providing cultural evidence for the hitherto not well-understood Roman period of Knossos and adding to the corpus of mosaics in Greece. Despite the limitations of such a study, imposed by the nature of the recovery of the material culture, it is possible, through an understanding of mosaic distribution, context and type, to make suggestions regarding the function of different areas within the city. An analysis of chronology and evidence for workshop production provides data for economic and cultural fluctuations and, importantly, a study of the mosaics helps to place Knossos within the broader context of the Roman Empire.

Late Antique Knossos. Understanding the city: evidence of mosaics and religious architecture

Interpretation of the historical and epigraphical data can only provide a bare outline of the political and social environment of Knossos between the 5th and 7th centuries AD. Consequently, our understanding of late Antique Knossos comes primarily from the excavated remains of two of the Christian basilicas in the Valley; the Sanatorium Basilica and the KMF Basilica. Although excavations of the former have been published in full, concerning the KMF Basilica, only a brief summary of its architecture has been published. As a result, a detailed analysis of the excavations of the basilica itself will be made available here, including particulars of its architecture, mosaics, and summaries of the associated elements of the entire basilica complex (a detailed discussion of the whole Late Antique KMF excavations is forthcoming). As such, not only is a new and full interpretation of the KMF Basilica provided, but also for the first time the material culture of Late Antique Knossos is collated and subsequently analysed to provide a clear understanding of the nature of the city during this period. Despite a dearth of domestic evidence, a contextual study of the surviving architecture (principally religious) in conjunction with the mortuary remains, allows a broad perception of society and a clear comprehension of the development of the city. Thus the aim here is to examine the compelling evidence that, contrary to common belief, during the Late Antique period Knossos continued to be a vibrant and influential city as it had been in the Roman period.

Networks and church building in the Aegean : Crete, Cyprus, Lycia and the Peloponnese

Studies of Christianisation in mainland Greece have indicated different processes, planned and unplanned, of religious change. Memory and tradition were drawn on to help situate the earliest churches within existing social and religious structures without creating significant tension. Using the methodology developed for the study of the Peloponnese, the aim of this work is to examine three topographically and politically distinct regions (Crete, Cyprus and Lycia) to assess the extent to which various network connections provided a conduit for religious change throughout the Late Antique period. Δίκτυα και ανόρθωση εκκλησιών στο Αιγαίο: Κρήτη, Κύπρος, Λυκία και Πελοπόννησος. Οι μελέτες για τον εκχριστιανισμό της ηπειρωτικής Ελλάδας έχουν αναδείξει την διαδικασία θρησκευτικής αλλάγής, που ήταν είτε σχεδιασμένη είτε όχι. Η διαδικασία θρησκευτικής αλλαγής χρησιμοποίησε τη συλλογική μνήμη και την παράδοση για να τοποθετήσει τις πρώτες εκκλησίες μέσα στις υπάρχοντες κοινωνικές και θρησκευτικές δομές χωρίς να δημιουργήσει μεγάλες εντάσεις. Χρησιμοποιώντας τη μεθοδολογία που αναπτύχθηκε στη μελέτη της Πελοποννήσου, εξετάζουμε τρεις τοπογραφικές και πολιτικά αυτόνομες περιοχές (Κρήτη, Κύπρος, Λυκία) για να εκτιμήσουμε το βαθμό στον οποίο οι συνδέσεις δικτύων λειτούργησαν ως αγωγός θρησκευτικής αλλαγής κατά την περίοδο της Ύστερης Αρχαιότητας. Μετάφραση: Χ. Κωνσταντακοπούλου