New technologies in the enhancement of an archaeological site: Virtual Archaeology experiences at the Punic site of Sarcapos

Virtual Archaeology is defined as ‘the scientific discipline that seeks to research and develop ways of using computer-based visualizations for the comprehensive management of archaeological heritage’. In essence, it involves the creation of virtual models of various types whose purpose is to represent elements of the past based on historical data obtained from research. It is a discipline that has experienced a boom in recent years, thanks to the democratization of both technology and training, and has become one of the most fruitful branches of what is known as Digital Humanities. However, despite its name, it has applications beyond the field of archaeology, notably in Art History. In this sense, it allows recovering the original likeness of lost or altered works, the formulation of research hypotheses, or the generation of resources with great didactic and dissemination potential. This study aims to offer an overview of the fundamentals of the discipline and explore the possibilities it offers to Medieval Art History. Furthermore, this study serves as a starting point for new projects.

Novel VSLAM positioning through synthetic data and deep learning: Applications in virtual archaeology, ArQVIA

몰입형 가상 고고학의 디지털 문화유산 응용 연구 – 중국 삼성퇴 박물관(三星堆博物馆)을 중심으로

Abstract. The Baalshamin temple in Palmyra was completely destroyed by ISIL in 2015. To address this issue, the “Collart-Palmyre Project” at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) digitally published the scientific archive of Paul Collart who was in charge of the excavation of the temple in the 1950’. Since 2017, the Project makes the archives accessible on an online open access database (tiresias.unil.ch). A 3D reconstruction of the temple has been realized by the UNIL team in collaboration with ICONEM. The 3D models (including handily drawn elements) are now being integrated onto a PoTree platform ( https://github.com/potree/potree) that allows archival items to be geolocated, associating them with the architectural or archaeological objects they document.The challenge here was to access metadata on the 3D model and to ease access to the archives through online tools.We also published a diachronic 3D model showing the different periods of occupation of the site (from the second century BC to the ninth century AD). Partnership with NGO’s also permit the presentation of 3D models to displaced Syrian refugees in the Spirit of the Faro Convention. Last but not least, the Project follows the guidelines of the London Charter and the Sevilla principles for Virtual Archaeology and questions the broader facets of neo-colonialist, economic and nationalist agendas that emerges from the 'migration of digital heritage' as assets to be exploited. This project wants to explore how these digital assets provide a scaffold for the memories of migrants.

The main objective of this research is to reflect on the effectiveness of virtual archaeology applications in school audiences for the understanding and learning of archaeological heritage. This is intended to appreciate how technologies such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality can add value to the educational proposals made by museums and archaeological sites that do not have this inclusion. The exploratory analysis of the case is carried out at the Santa Pola Sea Museum (Spain), which has developed this type of applications in the Roman archaeological site it manages, the Portus Ilicitanus.

Highlights: The combination of biomechanical analysis and open-access Kinovea software enables the study of musculoskeletal and articular wear of experimentally reproduced tasks. The repeated use of the right arm during indirect percussion and abrasion in lithic production could increase the changes in bone robusticity of specific muscle attachments observed in the osteoarchaeological record. Motion ranges and postural angles analysis can generate more accurate representations of "virtual humans" in their archaeological context. Abstract: Understanding the physical impact of ancient labours has become an important experimental bioarchaeology area. Complex motion capture systems and digital tools have been used in biomechanical analysis during the reproduction of manual tasks. However, these systems are costly, so the researchers have explored alternative digital solutions. Therefore, the open-access Kinovea software was checked to confirm its reliability in characterizing the physical loads associated with particular works of ancient times. In this case study, the authors have analyzed the central postural angles and muscle chains involved in the indigenous manufacturing process of rotary stone mills, in the high mountains of Tenerife. The study included a virtual motion capture analysis carried out during the different phases of the experimental reproduction of this process; it was defined from the archaeological record of the quarries-workshops of Las Cañadas del Teide National Park (Canary Islands, Spain) volcanic millstones. The results of this study have demonstrated the software's effectiveness to virtually analyze the significant differences in posture between work techniques, observing a predominance of the use of m. biceps brachii, the m. brachioradialis, and the elbow joint during the manufacture of stone mills. On the other hand, Kinovea also has excellent potential in virtual archaeology, giving users tools to generate the average postural angles. As a result, building "virtual skeletons" in more precise work postures has been possible. This may serve as the base element to create complete body representations in virtual environments.

The Trinitat Fort, built in the mid-16th century, is an extraordinary example of European military architecture from the mid-16th century, conceived as an artillery machine, whose mission was to protect the natural port of Roses (Girona, Spain). The fortification had a long history of warfare that ended with the Peninsular War (1808–1814), which turned it into ruins. In 2002, the Roses city council planned an ambitious architectural intervention to recover the fortification. The works restored the overall exterior volumetry, with current construction materials. The large interior spaces resulting from the intervention had little in common with the original structures. Starting in 2016, the museum projected to open the fort to the public. The strategy focused on 3D works, which were used to plan museographic proposals and to make an interior space understandable, with an aspect very distant from that of the original construction. It entailed extensive fieldwork analyzing the sources and structural remains that were preserved and surmising the possible architectural solutions the fortress originally contained. Based on evidence and hypotheses, the group carried out a reconstruction from virtual archeology, and it developed a didactic iconography to explain the artifact to a broad spectrum of visitors and students. This iconography was applied on the panels, in the scenography and audiovisuals of the museum, and in the dissemination materials. The museography was implemented between 2019 and 2021. Considering the variables and comprehensive needs for a wide range of users and visitors, we completed the virtual archeology proposal based on realistic criteria, giving importance in 3D to textures and colors. It incorporated the anthropic and movable factors through matte painting techniques and images obtained with the support of re-enactment groups.Highlights: - The Fort of the Trinitat, built in the middle of the 16th century, is an extraordinary poliorcetic piece, conceived as an artillery machine, whose mission was to protect the natural port of Roses (Girona, Spain). - Between 2019 and 2021, an ambitious reconstruction of virtual archaeology has been carried out, developing a didactic iconography aimed at broad-spectrum visitors and formal education students. - The didactic iconography proposal developed in the Fort of the Trinitat does not try to compete with the large market productions, but it does try to explore sustainable intervention models to make the past and its heritage known.

Abstract. In the last decades, thanks to the development of eXtended Reality (XR) development platforms, research studies have envisaged new possibilities for disseminating tangible and intangible values of the past through historical virtual reconstructions. More recently, experimentation in the field of virtual archaeology has led to the development of interactive experiences based on advanced virtual and augmented reality (VR-AR) technologies. In this context, the authors intend to support the transmissibility of the historical and cultural background through validated and sustainable workflow-oriented to create virtual historical reconstruction using different sources such as 3D survey (laser scanning and digital photogrammetry), Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) models and historical reports. The XR project’s development included reconstructing the main historical sections and water basins of the Cerchia dei Navigli in Milan: the Conca dell’Incoronata, the Conca di Viarenna and Via Senato. The main objective is to achieve realistic and suggestive Virtual Visual Storytelling (VVS), recreating the atmospheres and scenes of everyday life when the waterways were still present. The result is engaging content on an emotional level, which leaves the visitor with dynamic memory and the feeling of reliving lost moments.

Technological advancements have a great impact on the dissemination and understanding of the cultural heritage reality due to innovative techniques. These innovations are based on high-precision and high-resolution technologies that allow for the geometric documentation of any object within the fields of history and the arts. Through these techniques, new proposals may be studied and objects can be placed in any historical context. Three-dimensional (3D) digitization allows one to obtain a digital 3D model, which can be handled virtually and recreated at any historical period, enabling the conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage. Society currently demands new visualization techniques that allow interacting with architectural and artistic heritage, which have been applied in numerous virtual reconstructions of historical sites or singular archaeological pieces. This project allowed us to geometrically document a reused piece with two surfaces (shield and columns) and a plaque of the city of Merida using a structured light scanner from a theoretical-practical perspective. The 3D virtual reconstruction of the pieces was accomplished within this study. The generation of QR codes enabled the interactive display of the heritage pieces. Likewise, a proposal was made to reuse the aforementioned pieces through virtual archaeology. The initial hypothesis is based on the possible existence of a Visigothic niche as an original form. This research reports significant advances in the conservation and exploitation of cultural heritage.

Abstract The reconstruction of past mortuary rituals and practices increasingly incorporates analysis of the taphonomic history of the grave and buried body, using the framework provided by archaeothanatology. Archaeothanatological analysis relies on interpretation of the three-dimensional (3D) relationship of bones within the grave and traditionally depends on elaborate written descriptions and two-dimensional (2D) images of the remains during excavation to capture this spatial information. With the rapid development of inexpensive 3D tools, digital replicas (3D models) are now commonly available to preserve 3D information on human burials during excavation. A procedure developed using a test case to enhance archaeothanatological analysis and improve post-excavation analysis of human burials is described. Beyond preservation of static spatial information, 3D visualization techniques can be used in archaeothanatology to reconstruct the spatial displacement of bones over time, from deposition of the body to excavation of the skeletonized remains. The purpose of the procedure is to produce 3D simulations to visualize and test archaeothanatological hypotheses, thereby augmenting traditional archaeothanatological analysis. We illustrate our approach with the reconstruction of mortuary practices and burial taphonomy of a Bell Beaker burial from the site of Oostwoud-Tuithoorn, West-Frisia, the Netherlands. This case study was selected as the test case because of its relatively complete context information. The test case shows the potential for application of the procedure to older 2D field documentation, even when the amount and detail of documentation is less than ideal.

This article is framed into the theoretical and methodological background of virtual archaeology. The advantages of virtual archaeology and its weak points have long been discussed in academia, formulating theoretical foundations and principles to be followed in order to guarantee scientific results, where data are traceable, transparent and verifiable. Gathering the inheritance of the last 30 years of debates and research, this work proposes implementing these principles through the formulation of a methodological approach, to virtual reconstruction of archaeological contexts, consisting of an application protocol articulated in five steps. In particular, the proposed methodology is grounded in the Extended Matrix (EM), a formal language and tools entirely developed and tested by the Virtual Heritage lab of the CNR ISPC. The EM takes its cue from the Matrix of Harris and adapts its system to the specific needs arising in the fields of virtual reconstruction and scientific visualisation. This protocol, which ranges from fieldwork to the publication of scientific data, has been tested and systematised in over ten years of activity on various complex and significant archaeological contexts. In the article, each methodological step is supported by case studies described in detail and accompanied by a graphic apparatus that clearly illustrates the results obtained. These case studies led to the definition of version 1.2 of the EM as described in the methods section.

The importance of building information modeling (BIM) technology is due to the fact that it is a technology that combines information and digital technology, which are two of the most important requirements in the field of archeology in the current era. Which is known as the information age and the beginning of the fourth industrial revolution in the form of a 3D model with all the information. There is also a common link between BIM and the sustainability, achieving economic efficiency, environmental performance and social responsibility. This paper discusses the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology in preserving archaeological buildings by recording and documenting archaeological buildings in 3D models, and using them in sustainable development by applying virtual archeology and reconfiguring buildings or artifacts on the computer in specific periods. , and using them to virtual museums and cultural tourism for this heritage.

ABSTRACTUniversities struggle to provide meaningful education and mentorship to Native American students, especially in STEM fields such as archaeology and geography. The Native American Summer Mentorship Program (NASMP) at Utah State University is designed to address Native student retention and representation, and it fosters collaboration between mentors and mentees. In spring 2020, as university instruction went online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NASMP mentors were faced with adapting hands-on activities and face-to-face interaction to an online format. Using our Water Heritage Anthropological Project as a case study, we show how virtual archaeological, archival, spatial, and anthropological labs can be adapted for online delivery. This approach may be especially useful for reaching students in rural settings but also for engaging students in virtual or remote research in the field sciences.

Many cultures worldwide have left traces of sacred architecture and monuments which often show correlation to astronomical events like solstitial sunrises. Virtual archaeology can be used to explore such orientation patterns using digital reconstructions and positions of celestial objects computed from modern astronomical models. Most 3D editing systems used to build virtual reconstructions of such monuments however fail to provide astronomically accurate solar illumination models which can recreate the slightly different solar positions of antiquity or even prehistory, and even worse, any usable representation of the night sky. In recent years, two systems created independently by the authors of this study have been utilized for investigations into the orientation of architecture with respect to celestial processes. Both had their advantages and shortcomings compared to each other. One extended a dedicated open-source desktop astronomy program with a 3D rendering engine where such monuments can be investigated in the first-person perspective by interactive walkthrough. The other system uses a game engine and external online resources which provides only solar or planetary positions, but no star data. This study presents ways of connecting both systems in an attempt to take advantage of the best of both approaches.

The virtual archaeology and interpretative process: Case study of the virtual reconstitution of a Hercules marble statue from the nameless temple of Tipasa

The Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science (VIAS) was founded within the University of Vienna in 1992 as a forward-looking transdisciplinary institution. VIAS aims to develop and integrate methods from the natural sciences in a dynamic relationship with the culture-oriented investigative frameworks of archaeology, and to provide support, knowledge and partnership in multidisciplinary research programmes and projects. VIAS functions as a core facility and is conducting research in the fields of archaeobotany, archaeozoology, bioarchaeology, archaeometry and archaeometallurgy, analysis of precious metals, ceramology, geophysical archaeological prospection on land and underwater, geoarchaeology, digital archaeological documentation methods, and experimental archaeology. VIAS reaches out beyond the university by developing and collaborating in projects together with the Austrian Academy of Sciences and regional museums and cultural heritage administrations as well as many international partners. VIAS has substantially contributed to the development of efficient high-resolution prospection methods as a founding partner in the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology.

Over the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in the fusion of the humanities and the hard sciences. The continuous experimentation and contamination between these two disciplines has led to the emergence of new horizons of research and open to perspectives and issues previously unthinkable. Finally, it has started the development of specific technologies for the cultural domain. Among these technologies, virtual archaeology, which we could define as the set of processes of acquisition, analysis and interpretation aimed at visualizing and simulating the past using 3D digital technologies and a theoretical and multidisciplinary scientific approach, has now reached its maturity. In this contribution the potentials in using 3D modelling as a tool of investigation and visualization for a deeper understanding of archaeological sites is presented. The discussion is supported by the case study of the roman villa of Aiano, built at the beginning of the 4th century A.D. and characterized by monumental architecture and decorations.

3D reconstruction and validation of historical background for immersive VR applications and games: The case study of the Forum of Augustus in Rome

ABSTRACTThe digital approach to the study of archaeology currently appears to be the most important research trend in this field. However, it is still unclear what exactly Digital Archaeology is, and it is perceived and practiced differently in the European and American academic communities. Essentially the application of certain computer science methods to address archaeological research questions, Digital Archaeology is at times considered a discipline, a field, a branch of a discipline; adding to the confusion, it is often defined with other terms, such as Virtual Archaeology, CyberArchaeology, Archaeological Computing. The aim of this article is to analyze such phenomenon since its emergence, compare the standpoints of the most influential scholars who have contributed to it, define the role of Digital Archaeology with respect to Digital Humanities and Archaeological Science, and to offer a case study of best practices in Digital Archaeology through the experience of the University of South Florida’s Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx).