Archaeological Interest Research Articles

History and Approaches to Heritage Studies, Pedagogy and Practice in Heritage Studies

History and Approaches to Heritage Studies, Pedagogy and Practice in Heritage Studies

Dutton's Dirty Diggers: Bertha P. Dutton and the Senior Girl Scout Archaeological Camps in the American Southwest, 1947–1957

Dutton's Dirty Diggers: Bertha P. Dutton and the Senior Girl Scout Archaeological Camps in the American Southwest, 1947–1957

Archaeology of the Modern era and contemporary archaeology in Hungary?

According to the current legislation in Hungary, finds and relics buried before CE 1711, representing material remains of historical periods dating before that, are considered archaeological heritage. In other words, the Middle Ages and a large part of the Early Modern Period are still classified as being of archaeological interest in the legislative environment in Hungary, whereas the end of the Early Modern Period and the Late Modern Period are not. This boundary, which is linked to a specific historical date, is quite different from the legal framework in many European countries, where the time limit for studying, processing and, above all, the protection of archaeological heritage is defined flexibly, always preceding the current date by a hundred years. The archaeology of the Modern Period or even contemporary archaeology has become recognised as a discipline in many countries, and many other fields and heritage management conceptions do not limit archaeology and the exploration of the past to particular historical periods. This article attempts to summarise all the research directions in Hungary where the traditional chronological boundary is no longer taken into consideration in daily practice or even the legislative framework of the particular field. Due to limited space, this summary cannot be comprehensive; nonetheless, it makes a point that, based on the current state of research, +it is problematic to stick to the current chronological framework in legislation.

A geophysical insight of the lithostratigraphic subsurface of Rodafnidia area (Lesbos Isl., Greece)

<abstract> <p>The study area of Rodafnidia on the island of Lesbos (Greece) is considered of archaeological interest, as Paleolithic stone tools have been recovered through excavation and collected from the ground surface in recent years. Geologically, the area is mostly covered by Quaternary post-alpine deposits and volcanic rocks. This paper presents the application of a local geophysical survey to determine the volume of the upper Quaternary deposits in which the Paleolithic artefacts can be found and the identification of their ignimbrite substrates. For this reason, the geoelectrical method was selected as the most appropriate for determining the lithostratigraphic subsurface layers. More specifically, a grid of twenty-one (21) Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) along with an Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) was carried out. The interpretation of the results of these surveys, in conjunction with the results of older excavation trenches, revealed that the Quaternary deposits have been investigated at depths ranging from 0.5 up to 28.5 meters. Furthermore, the lithological boundary of these post-alpine deposits and their underlying pyroclastic ignimbrite flow (with resistivity 24.0–58.0 Ohm.m) seem to dip to the north. The volume of the Quaternary layer is proposed as the maximum depth for archaeological investigation with high chances to recover more Paleolithic material.</p> </abstract>

Three-dimensional muon imaging of cavities inside the Temperino mine (Italy)

Muon radiography (muography) is an imaging technique based on atmospheric muon absorption in matter that allows to obtain two and three-dimensional images of internal details of hidden objects or structures. The technique relies on atmospheric muon flux measurements performed around and underneath the object under examination. It is a non-invasive and passive technique and thus can be thought of as a valid alternative to common prospecting techniques used in archaeological, geological and civil security fields. This paper describes muon radiography measurements, in the context of archaeological and geological studies carried out at the Temperino mine (LI, Tuscany, Italy), for the search and three-dimensional visualisation of cavities. This mine has been exploited since Etruscan times until recently (1973), and is now an active tourist attraction with public access to the tunnels. Apart from the archaeological interest, the importance of mapping the cavities within this mine lies in identifying the areas where the extraction ores were found and also in the safety issues arising from the tourist presence inside the mine. The three-dimensional imaging is achieved with two different algorithms: one involving a triangulation of two or more measurements at different locations; the other, an innovative technique used here for the first time, is based on the back-projections of reconstructed muon tracks. The latter requires only a single muographic data tacking and is to be preferred in applications where more than one site location can be difficult to access. Finally the quality of the three-dimensional muographic imaging was evaluated by comparing the results with the laser scan profiles obtained for some known cavities within the Temperino mine.

UAV LiDAR Based Approach for the Detection and Interpretation of Archaeological Micro Topography under Canopy—The Rediscovery of Perticara (Basilicata, Italy)

This paper deals with a UAV LiDAR methodological approach for the identification and extraction of archaeological features under canopy in hilly Mediterranean environments, characterized by complex topography and strong erosion. The presence of trees and undergrowth makes the reconnaissance of archaeological features and remains very difficult, while the erosion, increased by slope, tends to adversely affect the microtopographical features of potential archaeological interest, thus making them hardly identifiable. For the purpose of our investigations, a UAV LiDAR survey has been carried out at Perticara (located in Basilicata southern Italy), an abandoned medieval village located in a geologically fragile area, characterized by complex topography, strong erosion, and a dense forest cover. All of these characteristics pose serious challenge issues and make this site particularly significant and attractive for the setting and testing of an optimal LiDAR-based approach to analyze hilly forested regions searching for subtle archaeological features. The LiDAR based investigations were based on three steps: (i) field data acquisition and data pre-processing, (ii) data post-processing, and (iii) semi-automatic feature extraction method based on machine learning and local statistics. The results obtained from the LiDAR based analyses (successfully confirmed by the field survey) made it possible to identify the lost medieval village that represents an emblematic case of settlement abandoned during the crisis of the late Middle Ages that affected most regions in southern Italy.

The Mernda VR Project: The Creation of a VR Reconstruction of an Australian Heritage Site

The Mernda VR Project is an initiative exploring the possible applications of hypothetical digital reconstructions of rural archaeological sites, with an aim to investigate the efficacy of virtual reality as a means of fostering engagement and interest in rural archaeology. Expanding on existing work into digital reconstructions of heritage, the Mernda VR Project investigates whether reconstructions of heritage sites may be suited to smaller scale rural archaeology, in addition to reconstructions of grander, more well-known, and celebrated heritage sites. While reconstructions of renowned heritage sites certainly have their place in engaging the public with heritage, rural archaeological heritage is at a greater risk of destruction resulting from development, or simply being overlooked and forgotten in the public imagination. As such, these sites are in greater need of innovative representations and outreach programs for their cultural merit to be understood and remembered. The Mernda VR Project used physically based rendering (PBR) to create a life-like digital environment reconstructing a mid-19th century cottage and flour mill in Mernda, Victoria, and imported the 360 degree rendered images into the virtual tour software 3DVista for development into an interactive educational experience. The experience is planned for display in local schools to assess the practicability and effectiveness of such displays for increased engagement, interest, and comprehension compared with more traditional educational displays. This article is intended as a technical guide for the creation of 3D modelled archaeological displays using polygonal modelling and PBR textures and structure from motion photogrammetry, and acts as a companion piece to Keep (in press) which provides further details on the historical context of the reconstructed site.

Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR FT-IR) Spectroscopy Sensitivity to the Thermal Decay of Bone Collagen.

The analysis of collagen stability is of interest in forensics, archaeology, and molecular paleontology. Collagen decay rates are often measured by thermal kinetic studies that employ liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to assay collagen quantities. However, these kinetic studies generally focus on measuring the decreasing levels of collagen instead of an exact molecular concentration of each sample. Thus, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy can offer a simpler and less expensive alternative to LC-MS. The application of a new protocol to determine decreasing amounts of bone collagen in artificially decayed porcine and bovine bone was assessed. The protocol uses a forensic application of ATR FT-IR spectroscopy on size-restricted bone powder from three uniformly high temperature conditions. Also, for the first time, collagen-specific second-harmonic generation (SHG) imaging was also applied to artificially aged bone to add an independent, qualitative perspective to parallel FT-IR assessments. SHG images and ATR FT-IR spectra together reveal the same orderly bone collagen decay as found in previous thermal kinetic studies. Resulting Arrhenius plots with r2 values > 0.95 suggest that the ATR FT-IR-based protocol has potential as a precise and simple tool for measuring bone collagen decay rates. The results are significant for applications of thermal kinetic studies, and our protocol can serve as an inexpensive, precise, and pragmatic means of evaluating bone collagen stability within an array of conditions.

Proteomics-Compatible Fourier Transform Isotopic Ratio Mass Spectrometry of Polypeptides.

Measuring the relative abundances of heavy stable isotopes of the elements C, H, N, and O in proteins is of interest in environmental science, archeology, zoology, medicine, and other fields. The isotopic abundance measurements of the fine structure of immonium ions with ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry obtained in gas-phase fragmentation of polypeptides have previously uncovered anomalous deuterium enrichment in (hydroxy)proline of bone collagen in marine mammals. Here, we provide a detailed description and validation of this approach and demonstrate per mil-range precision of isotopic ratio measurements in aliphatic residues from proteins and cell lysates. The analysis consists of proteomics-type experiment demanding sub-microgram amounts of a protein sample and providing concomitantly protein sequence data allowing one to verify sample purity and establish its identity. A novel software tool protein amino acid-resolved isotopic ratio mass spectrometry (PAIR-MS) is presented for extracting isotopic ratio data from the raw data files acquired on an Orbitrap mass spectrometer.

Airborne LiDAR data in landscape archaeology. An introduction for non-archaeologists

Abstract The use of airborne LiDAR data has become an essential component of landscape archaeology. This review article provides an understandable introduction to airborne LiDAR data processing specific to archaeology with a holistic view from a technical perspective. It is aimed primarily at researchers, students, and experts whose primary field of study is not archaeology. The article first outlines what the archaeological interest in airborne LiDAR data is and how the data processing workflow is archaeology-specific. The article emphasises that the processing workflow is riddled with archaeology-specific details and presents the key processing steps. These are, in order of their impact on the final result, enhanced visualisation, manual reclassification, filtering of ground points, and interpolation. If a single most important characteristic of airborne LiDAR data processing for archaeology is to be emphasised, it is that archaeologists need an archaeology-specific DEM for their work.

A study of Afghan architecture heritage and conservation efforts in Afghanistan

ABSTRACT Built heritage and heritage cities can provide us a strong visual image of national identity; it responds to the architecture's social, cultural, and economic context. Through the architectural heritage, we seek to understand the relation between architecture conservation and the history of architecture. And how does the relationship occur between these two? The history of Afghanistan's architectural heritage reflects the country's primordial legacy and has had played a remarkable role in Afghan civilization. It is needed to visualize, protect and preserve them. The Afghanistan’s architectural heritage sites are notable for various features, one of the most significant features being the architectural significance of ornamentation and elements. These architectural features depict the age in which the building was built, utilizing the technology, craftsmanship, building morphology and styles known at the time. Afghan culture has played a critical part in human civilization throughout its lengthy history and has made significant contributions. Scholarly interest in Afghan culture, including history, archaeology, art, and architecture, has spurred research into Afghan cultural heritage during the past two decades. This study investigates explicitly to reveal the identity of Afghan architecture heritage through history definitions, style, typology, conservation and its contribution to future sustainability.

6 The Ecological Life of Industrial Waste

ABSTRACTThe post‐depositional afterlife of an archaeological site is often viewed as the least important aspect of its history and outside of traditional archaeological interest. In the case of industrial sites, this elision ignores one of the most important aspects of industrial history, namely the long‐term effects of toxic waste. In an era where industrial pollution and anthropogenic climate change are rapidly changing the future of life on this planet, the stakes of understanding the effects of industrial waste are vital. This article outlines a reflexive, ecologically focused archaeology that interrogates the afterlives of industrial waste, not as a method to get back to the history of production, but as a means for taking seriously these afterlives as a defining characteristic of life in the Anthropocene. Using the concept of the ecological lives of industrial waste to explore the (post)industrial history of Mill Creek Ravine—a historically important industrial area in Edmonton, Alberta— this article argues that the decomposition of industrial waste serves as both a medium for long‐term harms, as well as the locus for emergent relations and critical investigation.

LITERARY CONFLICT BETWEEN M.H. PANHWAR AND DR. N.A. BALOCH: AN ARCHIVAL RESEARCH

The purpose of this study was to offer a brief biography of Mr. M.H. Panhwar and Dr. Nabi Bux Khan Baloch, as well as their work in Sindhological studies along with a brief description of their literary differences on the origin of Sindhi language and history. A systematic literature review methodology was used to explore the contribution and contradiction of both the scholars. The study found that both the scholars were renowned researchers who worked in the fields of history, archaeology, sociology, literature, and language. Both were up-to-dated academicians, but their scholarly interests in history, archaeology, language, and literature were diametrically opposed. The study revealed that M.H. Panhwar was a rigorous researcher who conducted studies using scientific techniques and with the assistance of archaeological and geographical evidence. The study further explored that Dr. N. A. Baloch was a folklorist, educationist and extensive writer whose ideological hypotheses were primarily based on mythology and preserved folk literature.

Weeds in Non-Agricultural Areas: How to Evaluate the Impact? A Preliminary Case Study in Archaeological Sites

The term “weeds” refers to “plants suitable for habitats modified by man and that interfere with human activities”. It implies an anthropocentric rather than an ecological vision since the existence and the characteristic of the interference depends on men’s purposes. In the archaeological sites, the most important damage is the functional one and it ranges from hazards for the structures to the interference that weed flora can exert on the technical management and fruition of the site. In this particular type of environment, the diverse methods available to quantify the magnitude of the infestation are not sufficient to describe the potential or actual hazard to which a given infested site is subjected. Therefore, it is necessary to consider a greater degree of detail (including morphological, ecological, and physiological properties of the weeds) and to keep them all in consideration. The aim of the present work was to try to identify and propose a method for the assessment of the hazards and thus the damages that a weed community can lead in sites of historical and archaeological interest. The procedure quantifies the degree of the infestation, in terms of occurring species, quantifies the related hazard based on some traits of the weed species, and calculates indexes capable of providing synthetic and comparable information on the hazard to which the site is exposed. The proposed method was applied and tested in some sites of archaeological interest in the Apulia Region, in southern Italy. Applied to the surveyed archaeological sites, the proposed Indexes revealed the presence of weed infestations variously assorted in terms of potential damage, generating different hazard scores. This confirms the importance of understanding the type of infestation and not only its extent. In this study, a procedure was provided that can support decision-makers. Although studied for archaeological sites, the same principles adopted in this procedure could be proposed for other non-agricultural areas.

Geophysical surveys in archaeological sites in Baucina (Palermo)

Abstract The archaeological site of Monte Carrozza and Monte Falcone dominates in the south and east of the modern town of Baucina. These are two reliefs of modest size, separated by a small hill elongated in an East-West direction where the cliffs stand the necropolis. On these hills, probably in the sixth century. B.C., settled people, sicane that at the end of the century came into contact with the Greek colonies of Himera and the Punic Soluntum, as the research conducted in the last decade have demonstrated. Located in the hinterland, on the watershed between the river San Leonardo and Milicia, the sites are located in a critical point, in an area open to the connections between Palermo, Solunto and Himera. Archaeological excavations are conducted by the Chair of Ancient Topography of the University of Palermo, in agreement and cooperation with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of Palermo and with the logistical and financial support of the City of Baucina. Investigations affecting a sector of the cemetery located along the southern slope of Monte Falcone to combat the phenomenon of illegal excavations. For this purpose were undertaken, a series of geophysical surveys were. The survey results showed the presence of various structures, likely archaeological interest. Subsequent excavations made in areas investigated by geophysics have unearthed different funerary structures: burials in graves or nasturtium, cremation within pithoi or amphorae. The dead were accompanied by grave goods of the Greek tradition: skyphoi, achromatic cups, etc. Particular interest is a large tomb in an artificial cave entrance that consists of pillars and lintel plaster. The grave diggers violated by poachers is unique for their monumental architecture. It was reached by a corridor carved in the rock, in whose landfilling and numerous ceramic fragments were recovered a bronze coin.

Integrated use of multi-temporal multi-sensor and multiscale Remote Sensing data for the understanding of archaeological contexts: the case study of Metaponto, Basilicata.

Abstract This paper is focused on the archaeological area of Metaponto (Mexomov-nov) and its territory, located in southern Italy. The area played an important role for the agricultural economy and the traffic of goods and people, from the south of Italy towards the central regions, starting from the Neolithic period, and reaching the zenith with the Greek polis of Metaponto and its hinterland. The site is herein analyzed through an integrated use of several Earth observation and remote sensing technologies and ancillary data produced over the years by archaeologists and scholars. The aim was to identify new buried elements of archaeological interest, for the reconstruction of the historical-archaeological landscape. Through the combined use of optical and radar satellite images, high-resolution images obtained by Unmanned Aerial System (visible, multispectral, and thermal infrared), geophysical data, and archival data, it was possible to deepen the knowledge of the area, in particular the “Castrum” area, identifying new buried evidence (structures, roads, and elements of the ancient landscape).

Pattern Recognition Approach and LiDAR for the Analysis and Mapping of Archaeological Looting: Application to an Etruscan Site

Illegal archaeological excavations, generally denoted as looting, is one of the most important damage factors to cultural heritage, as it upsets the human occupation stratigraphy of sites of archaeological interest. Looting identification and monitoring are not an easy task. A consolidated instrument used for the detection of archaeological features in general, and more specifically for the study of looting is remote sensing. Nevertheless, passive optical remote sensing is quite ineffective in dense vegetated areas. For these type of areas, in recent decades, LiDAR data and its derivatives have become an essential tool as they provide fundamental information that can be critical not only for the identification of unknown archaeological remains, but also for monitoring issues. Actually, LiDAR can suitably reveal grave robber devastation, even if, surprisingly, up today LiDAR has been generally unused for the identification of looting phenomenon. Consequently, this paper deals with an approach devised ad hoc for LiDAR data to detect looting. With this aim, some spatial visualization techniques and the geomorphon automatic landform extraction were exploited to enhance and extract features linked to the grave robber devastation. For this paper, the Etruscan site of San Giovenale (Northern Lazio, Italy) was selected as a test area as it is densely vegetated and was deeply plundered throughout the 20th century. Exploiting the LiDAR penetration capability, the prediction ability of the devised approach is highly satisfactory with a high rate of success, varying from 85–95%.

MULTI-MODAL DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION AND VISUALIZATION OF THE UNESCO PAINTED CHURCHES IN TROODOS (CYPRUS)

Abstract. In 1985, the World Heritage Committee inscribed the site “Painted Churches in the Troodos Region” of the Republic of Cyprus on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The latter included nine Byzantine and Post Byzantine Churches to which a tenth church was added in 2001. In the framework of the IH-AT project, all the churches and the premises in their proximities were analysed using a wide array of non-destructive digital methodologies coupled with more traditional art-historical studies. Image- and Range-based techniques were used to document all the morphological features of the buildings with the final goal of understanding their humble architecture. Additionally, a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) was performed to investigate the presence of buried structures that, according to historical sources, were once surrounding the religious sites.For the exploitation and visualization of the extensive database by the scientific community and the public at large, a web portal comprised of reliable and efficient technology-ready tools have been developed.The proposed methodology was implemented to provide new insights on the churches’ architectural features; confirm the presence or absence of buried remains of archaeological interest; and help heritage professionals, with lack or minimal programming skills, to customize online visualizations of 3D interactive models.

Ground Penetrating Radar Survey of the UNESCO Painted Churches in the Troodos Region (Cyprus)

In the framework of the IH-AT (Invisible Heritage Analysis and Technology) project, a cluster of churches ranging from the 11th to the 16th centuries, located in the Troodos Mountain range of Cyprus, designated by UNESCO as World Heritage monuments, were investigated using Non-Destructive-Techniques (NDT) (geophysical and topographic survey), 3D modelling and visualisation methods, contextualised and interpreted by art-historical and archaeological research. A geophysical survey, performed using a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), specifically aimed to confirm the presence or absence of buried features of archaeological interest at each of these sites, in particular, evidence of monastic complexes and buildings that used to surround preserved churches. This paper describes the preliminary results of this survey and some initial interpretations concerning what new information can be discerned about the now lost monastery complexes, in advance of future excavation.

Beginning of Pharos – the present archaeological evidence

The site of the Greek town of Pharos, today Stari Grad on the Island of Hvar in Croatia, during the last three decades has been a point of increased archaeological interest. Small excavation was undertaken by the team of the Adriatic Islands Project during 1990’s. The most intensive excavation so far was carried out by the Conservational Department in Split and, during the recent decade, these were followed by the rescue excavations in the same area by the Museum of Stari Grad. The publication of results by the three mentioned teams has created much vagueness, especially regarding the interpretation of the early phases of life on the site that pre-date the solid block built rampart. The interpretation presented by Jeličić Radonić and Katić (2015) was, recently, profoundly challenged by Popović and Devlahović (2018). Following this, our paper aims at clearing out some of the existing doubts on the early stages of the site occupation by presenting the interpretation of depositional processes based on the available archaeological evidence.