Methodology of Archeological Research

Various transformations affecting the archaeological record make it difficult to grasp fifth-century material culture in the northwestern Roman provinces: the halt of coin supply, a markedly changing pottery spectrum, an increased use of organic building materials, and the formation of "Dark Earth" often prevent a clear chronological distinction of late antique/early medieval settlement structures and the finds within.
This paper focuses on one of the best‐known sites on the late Roman Rhine frontier, the colony of Augusta Raurica (CH), where around 300 AD the Castrum Rauracense was built as a major fortification. In its immediate surroundings, recent research points to a late Roman “suburbium”. Here, a unique local situation regarding the stratigraphic preservation and a detailed excavation and documentation procedure make it possible to address the stated problem with new methodological approaches.

In recent years, the introduction of drones in many different operational applications and scientific investigations has been a “revolution” in data acquisition timing, availability, processing and interpretation. In the present paper, both potentials and limitations of drone-based tools and methodologies are discussed for archaeological investigations, considering that the final results are dependent on many variables, as: (i) the drone technical characteristics, the illumination conditions during the acquisitions, the ability of the “drone operator”, data processing tools and methodologies, and the interpretation. Drone based tools have great potential, provided by versatility and the ability to take photos and record videos at very high resolution at low costs. At the same time, the rapid development of modern photogrammetric methodologies (based on Structure from Motion techniques and algorithms) combined with drone survey, allowed us to detect in three dimensions sites or entire landscapes. The use of special filters such as the Sky View Factor applied on DEM, or the simple use of drones at particular times of the year favourable to the identification of crop marks, it is possible to increase the level of knowledge and archaeological interpretation. The 3d models enable us to perform analysis aimed at facilitating archaeological interpretation and producing, detailed maps, as for example, planimetries, sections, orthophotos, and DEM (Digital Elevation Model). In addition, drones also offer effective tools in the survey phase of the already excavated sites. Moreover, they present enormous potentiality in the stratigraphically investigations through the analysis of the microrelief of the 3D models.

Streszczenie rozprawy doktorskiej
Głównym celem niniejszej pracy było rozpoznanie budowy technologicznej
poszczególnych elementów ręcznej broni palnej. Przeprowadzone analizy źródeł oraz badania materiałoznawcze umożliwiły poszerzenie naszej wiedzy o procesach ich produkcji w określonych odcinkach chronologicznych.

Military landscapes are very often stratiphied. The contributions collected in the session illustrate the interaction over time between military activities and the territory and the ways to recognize, interpret and protect the related material witness. A significant methodological contribution comes in this sense from the disciplines of archeology. In fact, the study of the 'signs' that military history has left 'above' and 'below' the ground is the very reason for conservation as well as the essential premise for any valorisation strategy

A PTE BTK TTI Régészetmódszertani Kutatócsoport rövid bemutatása.
(A brief presentation of the Archaeological Methodology Research Group, University of Pécs, Faculty of Humanities, Pécs, Hungary)

In: PONTES. A PTE BTK Történettudományi Intézetének Évkönyve 1. (2018) Vallás – Szekularizáció – Transzformáció. Pécs, 2018., 181-182.

https://journals.lib.pte.hu/index.php/pontes

В статье кратко представлены данные о мировом опыте применения метода сырьевых единиц, также называемого методом сырьевых групп, в контексте исследований палеолитических комплексов. Данный подход предполагает вычленение из широкого технологического контекста индустрии продуктов расщепления отдельных блоков сырья посредством группирования артефактов с идентичными комбинациями макроскопически определяемых петрографических признаков – цвета, текстуры, характеристик сколовой поверхности и др. Название метода происходит от английских словосочетаний raw material unit и raw material group, которые обозначают совокупность продуктов расщепления одной отдельности сырья. В научных работах имеют место несколько направлений исследований археологических комплексов, в рамках которых метод сырьевых единиц находит свое применение. В первую очередь, это исследование структуры культурных отложений и их тафономии; метод сырьевых единиц в данном случае применяется с 70–80 гг. XX в. В рамках второго направления на основе исследования сырьевых единиц производится реконструкция chaîne opératoire в узком и широком смысле – транспортировка сырья с места добычи на стоянку, схемы трансформации отдельностей сырья на площади стоянки, эвакуация заготовок со стоянки. Принято считать, что основателем второго направления, именуемого сейчас, согласно европейской историографической традиции, трансформационным анализом, является немецкий ученый В. Вайсмюллер, применивший данный подход в середине 90-х гг. XX в. к материалам памятника Сесселфелсгрот в Южной Германии.

This article briefl y summarized the experience in application of method of raw material units or also referred to as method of raw material group as a part of Paleolithic complex study. This approach is aimed to divide the lithics, knapped from the separate raw material blocks, using the clustering of artifacts with identic patterns of macroscopically determined pethrographic attributes – the color, texture, specifi cs of flake surface and etc. – among the broad technological context of entire industry. The name of method comes from the English word combinations – «raw material unit» and «raw material group», which mean the lithic assemblage knapped from the one raw material joint. In scientific papers, there are the few directions in study of archaeological complexes, in the terms of which the method of raw material units finds the use. Primarily, it includes the study of the cultural deposit structure and their taphonomy; for that matter method of raw material units applies since 70–80th of XX century. In the terms of second direction, the chaine operatoire narrowly and generally reconstructs basing on the raw material unit study – raw material transportation from the outcrops to the site, schemes how raw material joints were transformed in the site area, blank evacuation from the site. It is commonly supposed that W. Weissmüller, the German researcher was the founder of the second direction – so-called transformational analysis in European historiographic tradition. He applied this approach to materials from Sesselfelsgrotte site of the Southern Germany in the middle of 1990th.
Keywords: pethrographic attributes of artifacts, method of raw material units, analysis of cultural deposit structure, chaîne opératoire, transformational analysis.