New Documentation Technologies: The “Mosaico de Otoño” of the “Casa del Anfiteatro”, Mérida, Spain

Abstract

The graphic documentation of a mosaic preserved in situ is a laborious job. Nowadays, with the advance of new technologies, it is feasible to elaborate a detailed and accurate documentation. To do this, two technologies must be combined: Orthophotography and a Geographic Information System (GIS). The application of these new tools allows qualitative and quantitative studies based on the knowledge of the geographical space. You can make measurements and identify each tessera in its exact location, with geographic coordinates, and, in addition, you can see all the details of the mosaic and the entire room, with a single digital file. With this objective, we have designed and put into practice this new documentation methodology. We have applied this method in the Archaeological Site of Mérida, in Spain. In particular, we have studied one of the most emblematic mosaics of Augusta Emerita: the “mosaico de Otoño”. This pavement is located in the famous “Casa del Anfiteatro”, which stands out for the quality and quantity of its Roman mosaics. The management and conservation of the archaeological site is carried out by the Consorcio of the Monumental Ciudad of Mérida, institution from which we have carried out this investigation. With this work we have obtained the first study on the reintegration of tesserae, getting a map with the old interventions (from Roman times) and modern ones that had not been documented since the discovery in the 60s. Also, from the drawings on the orthophotography, we also get the first results for the analysis of the iconography, identifying the figures and the geometric motifs in their whole. This digital analysis is, in addition, a fundamental document to certify the current state of conservation and keep track of deterioration over time.