Cultural Heritage Recording, Documentation and Information Systems

The Middle Eastern Geodatabase for Antiquities (MEGA): An Open Source GIS-Based Heritage Site Inventor y and Management System

by David Myers

Co-authored with Alison Dalgity. Published in Change Over Time,  Volume 2, Number 1, Spring 2012, pp. 32-57

The emergence of new digital technologies and rapidly spreading Internet access together present possibilities for... more The emergence of new digital technologies and rapidly spreading Internet access together present possibilities for widely accessible, Web-based national information systems for the inventory and management of heritage sites. The increasing development of open source software tools further provides that such systems may be purpose-built, adaptable, and extensible to the needs of specific situations, and that once developed they can be available to heritage authorities, which are often poorly funded, without associated licensing or upgrade fees.

Working collaboratively with the Jordanian Department of Antiquities (DoA), the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and World Monuments Fund (WMF) have developed MEGA-Jordan as a tool to inventory, monitor, and help conserve and manage the thousands of archaeological sites in Jordan. MEGA-Jordan allows DoA officials to address needs such as infrastructure and development control and the development of national and regional research strategies. MEGA-Jordan is Web based, bilingual (Arabic-English), and was developed using state-of-the-art and open source information technologies. It was designed to be modular and easily extensible, allowing it to evolve with the DoA's changing institutional requirements and to be adapted by other countries. The MEGA-Jordan system is available online at www.megajordan.org. Work on an Iraq version of MEGA is slated to begin after the Jordanian system is fully deployed, and will include the system's expansion to contain data for the protection of historic buildings. The GCI and WMF plan to subsequently make the system available for adaptation by other countries.

Barbara Davidde (ISCR), Roberto Petriaggi (ISCR), Gabriele Gomez de Ayala (Naumacos),The "GIS of Underwater Baiae" with 3D documentation: a useful tool to record the state of conservation of a Roman submerged town, International Scientific Colloquium on Factors impacting Underwater Cultural Heritage,13 December and 14 December 2011, Brussels (Belgium).

by Roberto Petriaggi

Poster presented at the International Colloquium held in Brussels in December 2011

In 2001 the Superior Institute for Conservation and Restoration (ISCR) launched Restoring Underwater.
Restoring... more In 2001 the Superior Institute for Conservation and Restoration (ISCR) launched Restoring Underwater.
Restoring Underwater is a project aimed to the study and experimentation of instruments, materials, methodologies and techniques for the restoration and conservation in situ of ancient submerged artefacts.
The tridimensional laser scanning survey plays a prominent role in the planning and finished stage of the restoration in order to show the restored piece in a museum.
This method of 3D documentation shows better the state of conservation of the monuments, and increase the value of scientific dissemination.

'As we may digitize' - institutions and documents reconfigured

by Joacim Hansson

Co-authored with
Mats Dahlström, University of Borås
Ulrika Kjellman, Uppsala University

Published in Liber Quarterly, 2012.

This article frames digitization as a knowledge organization practice in libraries and museums. The primarily... more This article frames digitization as a knowledge organization practice in libraries and museums. The primarily discriminatory practices of museums are compared with the non-discriminatory practices of libraries when managing their respective cultural heritage collections. Digitization of cultural heritage brings new practices, tools and arenas that reconfigure and reinterpret not only the collections, but the memory institutions themselves as well as the roles they respectively play on a societal level. The development of digitization promises to bridge some gaps between libraries and museums, either by redefining their respective identity, or by forming new ground where the interests of the respective institutions naturally meet or even converge, or by neglecting particular tasks and roles that do not seem to find a natural home in the new territory. Two poles along a digitization strategy scale, mass digitization and critical digitization, are distinguished in the article. As memory institutions are redefined in their development of digitized document collections, e.g., by increasingly emphasizing a common trans-national rather than national cultural heritage, mass digitization and critical digitization represent alternative avenues. Museums, libraries and archives (MLA) endeavour aiming for joint tools and practices in digitizing cultural heritage collections need a thorough understanding of such mechanisms. The article re-contextualizes current digitization discourse: a) historically, by suggesting that digitization brings ancient practices back to life rather than invents entirely new ones from scratch; b) conceptually, by presenting a new label (critical digitization) for a digitization strategy that has hitherto been downplayed in digitization discourse; and c) theoretically, by exploring the relations between the values of different digitization strategies, the reconfiguration of collections as they are digitized, and the redefinition of MLA institutions through those processes. The arguments in the article are drawn from examples of digitization in different library contexts on both a national (Swedish) level and a European level.

What's the difference between archaeology and history?

by Bethany Dean

The use of modern technological applications for restoring the circuit Walls of the Acropolis

by Dimitris Egglezos

published in Acropolis Restoration News 10, 2010

The project “Development of Geographical Information Systems on the Acropolis of Athens”. Managing scientific questions of documentation

by Dorina Moullou

Published in Acropolis Restoration News, 10, July 2010

RECORDING, MODELING, VISUALISATION AND GIS APPLICATIONS DEVELOPMENT FOR THE ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS

by Dorina Moullou

Co-authored: D. Moullou, D. Mavromati, V. Tsingas, C. Liapakis, L. Grammatikopoulos, S. Raikos, A. Sarris, E. Baltsavias, F. Remondino, J.-A. Beraldin, S. El-Hakim, L. Cournoyer, M. Picard. Published in The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. Vol. XXXVII. Part B5. Beijing 2008

This paper presents the project “Development of Geographic Information Systems at the Acropolis of Athens“, financed... more This paper presents the project “Development of Geographic Information Systems at the Acropolis of Athens“, financed by the European Union and the Government of Greece. The Acropolis of Athens is one of the major archaeological sites world-wide included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The project started in June 2007 and will finish at the end of 2008. The paper presents the motivation for the project and its aims, giving a description of the deliverables and the specifications, as well as the project difficulties. Furthermore, we present the techniques used, both photogrammetric and geodetic, for data acquisition and processing. The project is divided into three basic tasks: the geodetic one, involving field measurements for the generation of a polygonometric network and terrestrial laser scanning of the walls and Acropolis rock and also the Erechtheion monument, the photogrammetric one involving image acquisition, orientation, DSM generation and orthorectification, and finally the development of a GIS database and applications. This contribution underlines particularly the potential of combining different technologies (especially digital imaging and laser scanning) for an accurate 3D modeling of cultural heritage sites. Preliminary results are reported.

TOPOGRAPHIC AND PHOTOGRAMMETRIC RECORDING OF THE ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS

by Dorina Moullou

Co-authored with D. Mavromati, published in Proceedings of XXI International CIPA Symposium, 01-06 October, Athens, Greece

In the Acropolis Restoration Works photogrammetric recording was used from their very beginning. This paper will focus... more In the Acropolis Restoration Works photogrammetric recording was used from their very beginning. This paper will focus on the
discussion of the topographic and photogrammetric recording of the Acropolis from the beginning of the current restoration works
(1975) until today. It will be articulated in two parts. The first part will be an attempt 1. to present the most significant
photogrammetric studies already conducted, 2. to evaluate their technical efficiency and to investigate whether they have achieved
their primary aim. The second part will deal with the studies which are now in progress and will outline the problems and difficulties
posed, during their elaboration

η παραγωγή της έρευνας στην Αρχαιολογική Υπηρεσία

by Demetris Athanasoulis

Introduction: Archaeology and the Media

by Tim Clack

co-authored with Dr Marcus Brittain (CAU, University of Cambridge, UK)

Introduction to T. Clack and M. Brittain (eds) 2007. 'Archaeology and the Media'. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.... more Introduction to T. Clack and M. Brittain (eds) 2007. 'Archaeology and the Media'. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.

Archaeology is more prevalent in the media today than ever before. Likewise, the media is more prevalent in archaeology than has previously been experienced. Media is both the means to mass communication and the material agency by which that communication is transmitted, transferred, or conveyed. Different media have impacted upon archaeology in different ways, and a future relationship with the media lies in an uncertain balance with the emergence of the digital era of technology. What has archaeology’s relationship with the media looked like in the past, what are the issues at stake in this relationship today, and is archaeology suitably equipped for this partnership in a future of increasingly rapid information transfers?

3D Laser Scanning as a Tool for Conservation: The Experiences of the Herculaneum Conservation Project

by Massimo Brizzi

Co-authored with prof. Anselmo Lastra (UNC), Ascanio D'Andrea (Akhet s.r.l.), Daniele Sepio (Akhet s.r.l.) e Sarah Court (HCP). Proceedings of the 37th CIPA International Workshop (Nicosia, 30 October - 4 November 2006).

The Herculaneum Conservation Project (HCP) is a project of the Packard Humanities Institute in collaboration with the... more The Herculaneum Conservation Project (HCP) is a project of the Packard Humanities Institute in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei and the British School at Rome. The project arose from a recognition of the risks to the survival of the unique and irreplaceable heritage to be found in Herculaneum. Its aim is both to support the Italian heritage agency in the protection and preservation of the site, and to extend scientific understanding and public interest and wareness. The most immediate task is to halt the widespread decay afflicting the entire site. The longer-term aim is to develop a conservation strategy which will ensure its survival, understanding and enhancement. The project aspires to learn lessons that will not only feed into the management of the site of Herculaneum, but that can enrich conservation working ractices in Pompeii and elsewhere.
In 2006 trials were launched to see how three-dimensional laser scanning could help the project, not only in terms of documentation, but also as a tool for monitoring decay and informing conservation decisions, and as a source of rich but accurate visual material to illustrate areas of the site currently closed for conservation works and thereby enhance the visitor experience. In collaboration with the University of North Carolina, the Suburban Baths were chosen for trial survey work with a 3rdTech Inc. DeltaSphere-3000 laser scanner.
This Roman bathing complex is remarkably well-preserved with intact wood, metal and decorative features, but the delicate nature of these architectural features together with a variety of grave conservation problems throughout the structure mean the
area is currently closed to visitors. The 3D survey work was carried out as an analytical basis for the technical/scientific studies that are underway in this building in order to conserve it and reopen it to the public. This paper describes the experience of the HCP team using the 3D laser scanner, and discusses the success and challenges of the work and the potential applications the results have both for the mix of heritage professionals working within the HCP team and for the wider public.

Integración de sensores aéreos y terrestres para la producción de cartografía multiescala 3D en la Alhambra y su territorio

by Antonio Manuel Montufo Martin

Co-authored with José Manuel López Sanchez, Stefano Ferrario, Isidoro Gómez Cápitas, Isabel García Garzón.
Paper presented at Arqueológica 2.0. Sevilla, Junio 2011

The production of new digital cartography and ortophotos for the monuments of the Alhambra and Generalife is part of... more The production of new digital cartography and ortophotos for the monuments of the Alhambra and Generalife is part of the SIALH project, which aims for the development of the Information System of the Alhambra. Map production in the area of the Alhambra is a challenge due to various factors such as the heritage value of the elements to be represented, the complex topography of the territory under study and the requirements of precision and detail exceeding the usual standards in cartography. The need for a multiscale cartography which must support both local-scale projects (up to 1:5000) and detailed planimetric surveys also constitutes a challenge. The methodology employed combines aerial (LiDAR, digital photogrammetry) and ground sensors (laser scanning) to ensure maximum precision while emphasizing the role of data model as a key element for ensuring the multi-scale information and its usability in projects of very different scales.

Nuevas tecnologías y restitución bidimensional de los paneles levantinos: primeros resultados y valoración crítica del método

by Esther López-Montalvo

López-Montalvo y Domingo. 2005. En Arias et al.: Actas del III Congreso del Neolítico en la Península Ibérica: 135-189.

Imágenes en la roca: del calco directo a la era digital en el registro gráfico del arte rupestre Levantino

by Esther López-Montalvo

Clío Arqueológica, 25 (2010)

Nuevas técnicas aplicadas a la documentación gráfica del Arte Levantino: valoración crítica del método tras una década de experimentación

by Esther López-Montalvo

Metodología: el proceso de obtención de calcos o reproducciones

by Esther López-Montalvo

En Martínez y Villaverde (coords). 2002. La Cova dels Cavalls en el Barranc de la Valltorta: 75-81

Tecnologie Digitali e Ricerca Etnoantropologica

by Fabio Malfatti

Imagens do moderno: a preservação do acervo do Laboratório de Fotodocumentação Sylvio de Vasconcellos

by Leonardo Castriota

CASTRIOTA, L. B. ; BARBOSA, Ana Aparecida ; SANTOS, Vilma Moreira dos ; SANTOS, Carla Viviane dos . Imagens do moderno: a preservação do acervo do Laboratório de Fotodocumentação Sylvio de Vasconcellos. In: 6. Seminário do do.co.mo.mo_brasil: Arquiterua e urbanismo: Moderno e Nacional, 2005, Niterói. Anais do 6. Seminário DOCOMOMO Brasil. Niterói : ArqUrb/UFF, 2005.

O trabalho relata a trajetória e o esforço de preservação de um dos mais importantes acervos documentais sobre a... more O trabalho relata a trajetória e o esforço de preservação de um dos mais importantes acervos documentais sobre a arquitetura brasileira, construído na Escola de Arquitetura da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, entre os anos de 1954 e 1964. Num quadro marcado pela pouca importância institucional que se dá ao patrimônio documental em nosso país, ocupa uma posição especial o acervo do Laboratório de Foto-documentação Sylvio de Vasconcellos, sob a tutela da Escola de Arquitetura, que possui um dos raros arquivos de arquitetura intencionalmente construído, como parte de um projeto mais amplo de pesquisa
na área da Arquitetura e do Urbanismo. Criado em 1954 com o objetivo de documentar fotograficamente o acervo arquitetônico e artístico de Minas Gerais, e funcionando de forma intensiva durante dez anos, o Laboratório de Foto-documentação produziu um impressionante acervo, que retrata de forma exemplar o interesse historiográfico dos arquitetos modernistas, que compunham então o corpo docente da Escola de Arquitetura.
Constituído de mais de 50.000 negativos, este rico acervo permaneceu esquecido por décadas e somente nos anos 1990 começa um trabalho sistemático de catalogação e revalorização desse fundo documental, importante para a pesquisa da história da arquitetura brasileira.

La documentazione degli interventi di restauro nei Mercati di Traiano tra tradizione ed innovazione

by Paolo Vigliarolo

Authors: Massimo Vitti, Paolo Vigliarolo

Il presente contributo illustra le metodologie applicate nella documentazione dei lavori di restauro, consolidamento... more Il presente contributo illustra le metodologie applicate nella documentazione dei lavori di restauro, consolidamento sismico ed adeguamento impiantistico della Grande Aula e del Corpo Centrale. Le attività sopra menzionate hanno documentato, non solo in maniera dettagliata le operazioni compiute sul monumento, ma hanno permesso di acquisire nuovi dati archeologici[i] e di  creare un archivio grafico e fotografico che è stato ampiamente utilizzato per la realizzazione dei diversi prodotti di  comunicazione del Museo dei Fori Imperiali nei Mercati di Traiano.

The Future of Palestinian Cultural Heritage

by Lynn Dodd

Published in Present Pasts in 2010, a peer reviewed online journal published by University College, London's Institute of Archaeology.

The future of cultural heritage in the Middle East ought to concern all who are interested in human cultural heritage,... more The future of cultural heritage in the Middle East ought to concern all who are interested in human cultural heritage, whether that interest lies in archaeology, architecture and the built environment, and/or traditional cultural practices. The WAC Inter-Congress in Ramallah in August, 2009 provided a much-needed platform for the discussion of the present and future treatment of Palestinian cultural heritage. The location of the conference enabled participation by a much broader range of Palestinian experts and students than is usual in scholarly meetings. Concerns about travel, security, the political implications of attendance and perceptions about “overcoming structural violence,” which was the theme of this very successful meeting, caused some foreign scholars to stay away. The authors of this paper, who are the co-organizers of the joint Israeli Palestinian Archaeology Working Group (IPAWG), introduce the following papers by Taha, Fahel, al-Houdalieh, el-Jubeh, Sayej and Yahya. They also provide perspective on the context of the meeting, the future of cultural heritage in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, the database and draft agreement created by members of IPAWG, which includes the possibility of future artifact repatriation; and the conundrum of structural violence that imperils past, present and future alike.


مستقبل التراث الثقافي في منطقة الشرق الأوسط يجب ان يهم جميع من يهتمون بالتراث الثقافي الانساني,سواء كان هذا الاهتمام يكمن في علم الاثار أو العمارة أو البيئة المبنية , و/أو الممارسات الثقافية التقليدية. مؤتمر الأثريين العالمي في رام الله في أب/أغسطس عام 2009 ,قدم المنصة الرئيسية التي تشتد الحاجة اليها من اجل علاج حاضر ومستقبل التراث الثقافي الفلسطيني. وقد سمح  مكان انعقاد المؤتمر بحضور مشاركة أوسع نطاقا بكثير من الخبراء والطلاب الفلسطينيين مما هو معتاد في اجتماعات العلماء والخبراء. . تسببت المخاوف بشأن السفر ، والأمن ، والآثار السياسية المترتبة على الحضور والتصورات حول "التغلب على العنف الهيكلي" ، والذي كان موضوع هذا الاجتماع الناجح للغاية ، جعل بعض العلماء والخبراء الأجانب  يبقون بعيداً. واضعوا هذه الدراسة ,  وهم منظموا فريق العمل الاثري الفلسطيني الاسرائيلي , عرضوا الدراسات الخمس التالية. كما انهم قدموا منظورا في سياق الجلسة,مستقبل التراث الثقافي في الاراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة , قاعدة البيانات, ومسودة مشروع الاتفاق والتي تم انشاؤها من قبل اعضاء فريق العمل الاثري الفلسطيني الاسرائيلي والذي يتضمن امكانية اعادة القطع الأثرية في المستقبل وحل سواءلغز العنف الهيكلي الذي يعرض الماضي والحاضر والمستقبل للخطر ,على حدٍ سوا