Mapping of archaeological evidences and 3D models for the historical reconstruction of archaeological sites

Abstract

Archaeological research is currently based on an interdisciplinary approach which makes use of a wide range of technologies allowing for the collection of data and information about sites and archaeological findings. An essential part of the archaeological data is related to spatial information that links historical contents to the metric reconstruction of monuments and artifacts, and show their mutual relations in a map. This work presents the results of a large project of archaeological excavations and surveys carried out by a team of the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio starting from 2015 and making use of modern geomatic techniques for georeferencing and 3D reconstruction of sites and artifacts. The case-study is located into the municipality of Aquino (province of Frosinone), in southern Lazio, and discusses evidences from the archaeological excavations in the locality of S. Pietro Vetere, the surveys of the Roman Latina Way, the socalled Porta San Lorenzo, the monumental complex of the church of S. Maria della Libera and the so-called honorary Arch of Marco Antonio, all parts of the large Roman town of Aquinum. Images, orthophotos and three-dimensional precision models have been processed and transformed in digital data implemented in a GIS platform based upon the open source software Quantum GIS. The optimization of the various stages of the work-flow is essential for the future developments of archaeological fieldwork and, in particular, in the perspective of a possible future Open Project on the ancient and medieval Aquinum.