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Page 11 of 977 Results 101 - 110 of 9762

Simone Pio Barbagallo, Maura Fugazzotto, Lucrezia Longhitano, Roberta Occhipinti, Dario Allegra, Germana Barone, Paolo Mazzoleni, Filippo Stanco
Hidden Monuments Revealed: 3D Digitization of the Benedictine Monastery of Catania and its Stratified Spaces

This work presents the digitization of the Levante Cloister and other hidden spaces within the Benedictine Monastery of Catania (Italy) using the Matterport Pro3 scanner. The project supports interdisciplinary research into stratigraphy in architectural contexts by creating accurate 3D digitizations of complex architectural environments. The methodology involves systematic Light Detection and Ranging(LiDAR)-based scanning, data processing, and integration with stratigraphic information, enabling detailed spatial and historical analysis and virtual exploration. The resulting models facilitate heritage documentation, conservation, and studies into the historical layering of the site. This approach demonstrates the potential of advanced 3D scanning technologies in bridging computational methods and cultural heritage studies.

Elide Nastri, Paolo Todisco
Sensorial identity of ruins: Vibroacoustic features of the roofless medieval Chapel of Madonna del Fieno (Fisciano, Italy)

This study explores the vibroacoustic characteristics of the roofless Chapel of Madonna del Fieno (Fisciano municipality, Campania Region, Italy), a church dating back to the 14th century. This partially ruined architecture, despite its poor preservation, still contributes to the perceived identity of the place. However, such a genius loci, as an immaterial component of cultural heritage, is not only determined by the vision of the structure, but also by the acoustic perceptions inside its spaces, which could be further valorized in the future. This research investigates the vibroacoustic characteristics of the space through a series of in situ measurements, in integration with a structural-acoustic finite element model to simulate the sound-structure interaction within this open-air environment. The integrated metrological experimental and modelling procedure, whose results are detailed here, offers a new perspective for characterizing and preserving the immaterial heritage of sound in partially destroyed historical sites.

Jacopo Crezzini, Adriano Farina, Enrico Armelloni, Riccardo Salvini, Annamaria Ronchitelli, Stefano Ricci, Francesco Boschin
A new protocol for the reconstruction of the auditory ambiance in Palaeolithic sites: first results from Grotta Paglicci (Apulia - Southern Italy)

We present the first results of the archaeoacustic investigations at Grotta Paglicci (Apulia - Southern Italy), a Palaeolithic site remarkable for the finding of some portable art objects and for the presence of wall paintings. Significant differences in the acoustic properties among the three main internal rooms, which might have been relevant for Paleolithic hunter-gatherer’s use of the cave were recorded. Building on this interesting data, we propose a new protocol that combines the collection of the acoustic measures in situ and their application to an editable 3D cave model. This interdisciplinary approach will allow the analysis of reliable acoustic data sets on which the application of computational techniques could open new scenarios in the exploring of intangible aspects of human behavior in the Palaeolithic.

Marco Casazza, Rosa Fiorillo, Fabrizio Barone
Non-invasive dating of historical church bells through vibroacoustic matching of musical temperaments

This study presents a non-invasive methodology for the chronological assessment of historical church bells based on vibroacoustic analysis and musical temperament matching. The method involves recording each bell’s acoustic emission, extracting the main spectral components, and comparing them to theoretical frequency sets derived from historical temperaments. Applied to eight bronze bells from Salerno Cathedral, dating from the 13th to the 19th century, the approach successfully identified a correspondence between each bell’s tonal profile and the temperament systems historically in use during its presumed period of origin. The results show a stratified pattern, with quarter-comma meantone tuning in the medieval bell and just temperament in most early modern specimens. Equal temperament appears in 19th-century examples. This confirms that tonal structures may serve as chronometric markers and opens a new direction in archaeometric research by recovering intangible heritage embedded in sound, without requiring any material intervention.

Fabrizio Barone, Rosa Fiorillo, Armando di Maio, Marco Casazza
Geometry of a Medieval Town in the Context of Political Religious Governance of the Territory

Recent studies proved that, at least since the Medieval epoch, the sound of bells played a broader role than the liturgic one. In the Norman period, for example, it played an immaterial social role as a tool for territorial management and coordination, as verified in Southern Italy, reflecting also the evolution of the relationship between old and new rulers and the Church. The positioning of bell towers and towers was part of the integration between the defensive and liturgical buildings network, manifesting itself with the propagation of the sound of the bells. In this context, adopting a geometric physics metrological approach, we show how this procedure of territorial positioning was integrated into the urban texture in the case of the city of Salerno (Campania Region, Italy), adopting spatial and acoustical solutions, that we prove to be coherent with our hypothesis. Consequently, this work confirms the potentiality of adopting this type of geometrical physics metrological approach to implement and verify new research hypothesis. Moreover, we confirm that, through a quantitative metrological modelling, it is possible to discover some immaterial aspects of heritage assets, that often remain undocumented, being characteristic of ancient practices totally based on repeated experiences and experiential knowledge of natural phenomena. This is also the case of this study, where we observed the immaterial acoustic links, connecting the relevant points of religious and political control of the city of Salerno in the Norman period.

Davide Tanasi, Alex Fawbush, Stephan Hassam, Dario Calderone
Digital Strategies for the Protection and Valorization of Prehistoric Landscapes: 3D Metrology at Cozzo del Pantano (Sicily)

This paper presents an integrated digital documentation strategy for the Middle Bronze Age necropolis of Cozzo del Pantano (Sicily), employing terrestrial laser scanning and digital photogrammetry to capture and analyze fragile archaeological features embedded in a complex natural landscape. The project identified and modeled twenty-four tombs, revealing evidence of diachronic reuse and transformation. The resulting 3D data, publicly disseminated via Sketchfab, supports both scholarly analysis and heritage valorization. This work highlights the potential of noninvasive digital metrology to protect endangered prehistoric landscapes while fostering public engagement and interdisciplinary research in Mediterranean archaeology.

Francesco Colace, Angelo Lorusso, Michele Pellegrino, Domenico Santaniello
RTI and virtualRTI: tools and methodologies for documenting prehistoric engraved artifacts

This study aims to contribute to developing a multidisciplinary methodological framework and a functional workflow tailored to the specific requirements of archaeological documentation and the investigation of prehistoric art. Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) was tested on engraved pebbles recovered during the archaeological excavations at Grotta di Santa Maria di Agnano (Ostuni, BR – Italy). The results indicate that the interactive processing of false-3D imagery significantly enhances the recording of fine details, thereby enabling the preliminary stages of a palaeographic analysis concerning the execution and stratigraphy of sign palimpsests. The RTI-Highlights method emerges as a competitive and high-performing analytical approach, which can be implemented using low-cost equipment and a relatively straightforward operational workflow. Moreover, the continued development and widespread availability of open-source tools facilitate large-scale documentation of archaeological artefacts, promote future research, and ensure the long-term digital preservation of cultural records.

Sakura Sanada
Raman analysis of the white pigment used for decorating Caliciform beakers

This study tries to identify the component of the white pigment used in the so-called ‘caliciform beakers’, referring to the preliminary pottery analyses conducted by the author using a Raman spectrometer and a microscope. The results of the archaeometric analyses are considered ethnographically to see what pottery vessels were for the people and how a particular pottery decoration technique was conveyed in northeastern Africa during the Neolithic period. This study sheds light on the meaning of pottery vessels for the people and the information flow in northeast Africa during the late Neolithic period.

Paolino Trapani, Marianna Figuera, Simona V. Todaro, Anna M. Gueli, Filippo Stanco
Preliminary Results of the Integrated 3D Digitization of the Prehistoric Artifacts Exhibited at the Museum of Archaeology of the University of Catania

This paper presents the preliminary results of an in-situ three-dimensional digitization campaign carried out on 41 artifacts from the Museum of Archaeology of the University of Catania, with a particular focus on prehistoric materials representative of early Sicilian cultures. Conducted within active exhibition spaces illuminated by 5500 K LED fixtures and indirect natural daylight, the protocol employed a sequential workflow integrating structured–light scanning and calibrated photogrammetry. A single reference capture of an X-Rite ColorChecker Classic per artifact enabled the derivation of bespoke color profiles, harmonizing texture generation across varying ambient conditions. Metric scaling was achieved via coded targets in Agisoft Metashape, facilitating 1:1 dimensional reproduction and quantitative error analysis. Post–processing in Artec Studio and other specialist software refined mesh quality and chromatic consistency. These findings confirm that scientifically rigorous, reproducible digitization protocols can be effectively implemented in conventional museum environments, producing high–fidelity digital surrogates to support typological research, preventive conservation, and immersive public engagement.

Davide Tanasi, Alex Fawbush, Kaitlyn Kingsland, Dario Calderone, Eleanor Scerri, Nicholas C. Vella, Huw Groucutt
High-Resolution 3D Digitization and Analysis of the Mesolithic Site of Latnija (Malta)

This paper presents the high-resolution 3D digitization of the Mesolithic archaeological site of Latnija (Għar Tuta), located in a doline in northern Malta. The study employed terrestrial laser scanning using the Faro Focus s150 scanner to generate a precise digital representation of the site's complex geological and archaeological context. The resulting point cloud data, meticulously processed in Faro Scene, was optimized, filtered, and transformed into a detailed 3D mesh model. Despite challenges such as geological instability and limited scan overlap, the digitized model achieved high accuracy and visual continuity. Furthermore, the model serves as a crucial tool for preserving this fragile archaeological context against ongoing environmental threats, enabling detailed spatial analyses, and facilitating public engagement. This research highlights the effectiveness and critical importance of integrating advanced digital methodologies into archaeological practice, ensuring long-term preservation and enhanced accessibility of significant prehistoric sites.

Page 11 of 977 Results 101 - 110 of 9762