The study of the human past needs the effort of different disciplines including history, archaeol... more The study of the human past needs the effort of different disciplines including history, archaeology and non invasive imaging techniques such geophysics whose application for cultural heritage has been dramatically increasing in the last two decades. The capability of geophysical techniques in identifying subsurface features of cultural interest depends on: 1) the nature of the physical interaction between the archaeological residues and its surrounding; 2) the performance of geophysical sensors, including Ground Penetrating radar (GPR), magnetometry, electrical resistivity along with other earth observation imaging systems (SAR, LiDAR, multispectral remote sensing); 3) the knowledge of the expected features of cultural interest to be detected. A correct approach must necessarily take into account these three factors on which depends the success of any preventive archaeological investigation based on geophysical prospecting techniques and remote sensing [1]. Such approach characteri...
The abandonment of inhabited places is a phenomenon that concerns many countries worldwide and It... more The abandonment of inhabited places is a phenomenon that concerns many countries worldwide and Italy particularly where a large number of deserted settlements are hosted. Many are the factors driving and conditioning the abandonment of a site, such as natural extreme events (e.g. earthquakes, landslides, and floods) and/or human (not) actions. Once the site is abandoned, the built-up area experiences a progressive physical decay so posing problems about the policies to be adopted to manage and maintain the buildings (or their ruins). That being stated, the article proposes an integrated methodological approach to analyse both the natural/human factors causing the abandonment of settlements and conservation state of deserted places over time. To test the methodology, we considered the old town of Craco (Basilicata, Southern Italy) as a case study. That "ghost town", whose fascinating urban and natural landscapes have been the set of numerous international films, was gradually transferred to other two places since the 1960s due to the landslides that have affected the site over the centuries. Three were the explicit key aims of the research. The first was to scrutinise the activations/ reactivations of the landslides jointly with their effects on the built environment so to critical go over the actions put into the field by the institutions to mitigate the hydrogeological risk. The second was to examine whether and how the landslide occurrences conditioned the urban growth of the Craco over time. The third was to investigate in relation to the vegetation growth in the Craco downtown over the last 15 years or so, to infer clues on future decay trends and conservation strategies of the built environment. The purposes were reached considering a geological-geomorphological, historical, and remote-sensing approach. In detail, the first goal was met (re)considering a cross-correlated analysis, in diachronic key, of edited/unedited archive sources with geological/geomorphological perspectives. The second was followed up performing the analysis of the Craco urban growth over the centuries and correlating it with the history of landslide occurrences. The third target was pursued by means of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) time series obtained from Landsat TM and Sentinel 2 data along with HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) colour system techniques applied to multi-date Google Earth photos. From the perspective angle, the results of this research can contribute to setup proper resilience strategies for sites subject to hydrogeological hazard similar to that affects Craco, thus helping to identify conservation plans as well as enhancement policies of "ghost towns".
The PRO_CULT project promotes the development and the use of innovative low cost methodology for ... more The PRO_CULT project promotes the development and the use of innovative low cost methodology for both monitoring and protecting cultural heritage and the growth of a cultural identity of local communities. It aims to develop sensing technologies and operating procedures in the field of security and the preservation of artistic, archaeological, architectural and landscape heritage with particular reference to emergency situations and to involve new different end users types. This approach has led to the release of products, technologies and operational methods, low cost and user-friendly paying attention to accessibility, sustainability, and citizen participation.
Journal of Cultural Heritage Volume 23, Supplement
Archaeological prospection of earthen buried structures, namely non-fired sun-dried mud bricks mi... more Archaeological prospection of earthen buried structures, namely non-fired sun-dried mud bricks mixed with organic material, is a critical challenge to address. In fact, this building material exhibits a very low geophysical contrast compared to its surroundings and, therefore, earthen structures are very complex to be identified using remote sensing. In order to cope with this issue, in this paper, we focus on the evaluation of satellite X-band radar data (COSMO-SkyMed) capability for detecting earthen buried structures in a desert area. The results obtained from satellite radar data have been validated for a test site in Pachacamac (Peru) by using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and geomagnetic techniques. The test site is outside the fenced protected zone of Pachacamac, today in the tentative UNESCO list. This paper is the first attempt made until now in evaluating the detectability of earthen archaeological remains using satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. Outcomes from our investigations clearly point out that the approach we adopted can be useful applied for preventive archaeology and for the planning of future excavation campaigns.
Environmental monitoring is one of the main diagnostic tools considered for appropriate strategie... more Environmental monitoring is one of the main diagnostic tools considered for appropriate strategies aimed at preserving cultural heritage. However, monitoring systems are only apparently tools easy to use and manage; actually, they hide several drawbacks including, for example, high purchase costs as well as significant financial commitment related to the management and the data processing. This implies that the use of technologies to monitor cultural heritage is usually limited to high relevance monuments or sites having marked historical-cultural value. In order to enhance the use and the spreading of technologies for the microclimate monitoring, a research activity within PRO CULT (Advanced Methodological approaches and technologies for Protection and Security of Cultural Heritage) and Smart Basilicata projects was performed. The projects' aim was to test low cost technologies to monitor and manage cultural heritage trying to significantly reduce the acquisition and maintenance costs so as to facilitate wider use of the monitoring systems to safeguard " minor " heritage. Starting from this point of view, an equipment prototype to monitor the indoor microclimate environment of confined environment was planned, taking into account the low cost (LC) approach as the basic assumption. In order to evaluate the LC performance, the system was tested in relationship with the decay problems affecting the frescoes of the crypt of St. Francesco d'Assisi in Irsina (Basilicata, Southern Italy) and the survey data were compared with those recorded by a standard commercial system (CS). All this in mind, the article discusses the comparative analysis of the two microclimate monitoring systems in relationship with the decay problems of frescoes hosted in the crypt of St. Francesco d'Assisi. The system comparison shows a quite complete matching of the thermo-hygrometric values. Furthermore, the survey puts into evidence as the microclimate conditions in the crypt are not suitable for the conservation of the frescoes. The studies based on the microclimate analyses together with other in situ surveys allowed to propose possible technical solutions to mitigate the decay risk related to the artistic heritage.
This study presents the potential of multi-frequency electromagnetic induction (EMI) in archaeolo... more This study presents the potential of multi-frequency electromagnetic induction (EMI) in archaeology. EMI is currently less employed for archaeological prospection respect to other geophysical techniques. It is capable of identifying shallow subsurface relics by simultaneously measuring the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) and apparent magnetic susceptibility (MSa). Moreover, frequency sounding is able to quantify the depths and vertical shapes of buried structures. In this study, EMI surveys with five frequencies were performed in two heritage sites with different geological conditions: Han Hangu Pass characterized cinnamon soil, and Xishan Yang by sandy loams. In the first site high ECa values were observed with variations in depth correlated to archaeological remains. Moreover, electromagnetic anomalies related to an ancient road and five kiln caves were identified. In the second site an ancient tomb, indicating extremely low ECa and high MSa, was discovered. Its electromagnetic properties is attributed to the cavity and ferroferric oxides.
Even if, in recent decades, the use of remote sensing technologies (from satellite, aerial and gr... more Even if, in recent decades, the use of remote sensing technologies (from satellite, aerial and ground) for archaeology is stepping into its golden age, in Southern America geophysics for preventive archaeology is more recent and less used than in Europe, Central America and Middle East. In this paper, we provide a brief overview and show the preliminary results obtained from the investigations conducted in Chachabamba (Peru). The archaeological area is located on a strategic terrace overlooking three Inca roads, which served the most important ceremonial centres (including Machu Picchu) of the Urubamba Valley also known as the Sacred Valley. In particular, Chachabamba investigations were conducted with two principal aims: (1) to give new impetus to archaeological research with targeted investigations aimed at improving and completing the site’s knowledge framework; (2) to experiment and validate an archaeogeophysical approach to be reapplied in other sites of the Urubamba valley, including Machu Picchu, having similar characteristics as those found in Chachabamba.
Despite the recognized effectiveness of LiDAR in penetrating forest canopies, its capability for ... more Despite the recognized effectiveness of LiDAR in penetrating forest canopies, its capability for archaeological prospection can be strongly limited in areas covered by dense vegetation for the detection of subtle remains scattered over morphologically complex areas. In these cases, an important contribution to improve the identification of topographic variations of archaeological interest is provided by LiDAR-derived models (LDMs) based on relief visualization techniques. In this paper, diverse LDMs were applied to the medieval site of Torre Cisterna to the north of Melfi (Southern Italy), selected for this study because it is located on a hilly area with complex topography and thick vegetation cover. These conditions are common in several places of the Apennines in Southern Italy and prevented investigations during the 20th century. Diverse LDMs were used to obtain maximum information and to compare the performance of both subjective (through visual inspections) and objective (through their automatic classification) methods. To improve the discrimination/extraction capability of archaeological micro-relief, noise filtering was applied to Digital Terrain Model (DTM) before obtaining the LDMs. The automatic procedure allowed us to extract the most significant and typical features of a fortified settlement, such as the city walls and a tower castle. Other small, subtle features attributable to possible buried buildings of a habitation area have been identified by visual inspection of LDMs. Field surveys and in-situ inspections were carried out to verify the archaeological points of interest, microtopographical features, and landforms observed from the DTM-derived models, most of them automatically extracted. As a whole, the investigations allowed (i) the rediscovery of a fortified settlement from the 11th century and (ii) the detection of an unknown urban area abandoned in the Middle Ages.
The Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the National Research Council, in coo... more The Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the National Research Council, in cooperation with the Italian Institute of Castles - section of Basilicata, has designed and developed the digital Atlas of Castles of Basilicata. This Atlas, named BasiliCastle, aims at being a concrete contribution to the knowledge, fruition and promotion of the fortified architectural heritage of Basilicata. It includes a WebGIS and an App. The WebGIS is based on free geographical data and it is shared and supported by OpenStreetMap platform. The App provides users with a detailed geographical data, the historical and architectural description, pictures and 3D models of the castles. BasiliCastle has been developed using an Open Source environment and allows to share all the data which are fully available to users.
The penetration test for historical masonry mortar presented in this study is based on the princi... more The penetration test for historical masonry mortar presented in this study is based on the principle of ‘‘static” penetration. A pin is driven at constant velocity by a stepper motor controlled by a computer. The test result is the penetration load as a function of the penetration depth. The penetrometer has been tested on masonry walls consisting of decayed mortar. The objective of the test is to provide information about the mechanical characteristics of mortar (friction coefficient, cohesion). To this end, the results are compared with those from direct shear tests on mortar samples and with those from a previous ercussion penetration test
The current study aims to analyse the conservation state of the Sassi of Matera site (Southern It... more The current study aims to analyse the conservation state of the Sassi of Matera site (Southern Italy), aplace inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1993 (the Sassi and the Park of the RupestrianChurches of Matera) and recently awarded 2019 European Capital of Culture. Furthermore, the articleconsiders the influence of some of the causative factors controlling the Matera building conservationstate, paying particular attention to the site microclimatic conditions such as the insolation and winds.We studied this subject through a new methodology that makes a combined use both of stone decaydata gained from the extensive field assessments of the visible weathering forms catalogued in an adhoc questionnaire and GIS advanced spatial analysis techniques such as Map Algebra and Kernel DensityEstimation. The research puts into evidence that the Sassi of Matera shows a fair state of conservation thatis conditioned by the wind/rain actions and sun exposure. Besides, just the already well known facts thatthe surfaces facing north seem to be most influenced by the wind/rain actions; and that, on the contrary,the decay of the walls facing south seems to be guided mainly from the sun exposure, put into evidencethe importance of locating the intensities of the decays in any urban tissue or any site in order to planconservation interventions and prioritize actions and the usefulness of the spatial analysis techniquesand data processing.
2012 14th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), 2012
ABSTRACT The crypt of St. Nicholas in Bari, Southern Italy, is a building of cultural worldwide i... more ABSTRACT The crypt of St. Nicholas in Bari, Southern Italy, is a building of cultural worldwide importance. Inside the crypt a mosaic develops on the apsidal floor and along a parietal seat placed along the apsidal masonry, in the form of cladding. A surviving portion of the mosaic pavement is also preserved in the right lateral chapel. Integrated non-destructive survey and laboratory analyses were undertaken for the diagnostic study of the mosaic. GPR prospection was successfully applied to the study of its conservation state, that is strictly related to the condition of the subsoil, in particular to the presence and distribution of water. The presence of water, whose rise interests also some portions of the masonry and water content distribution were identified by the results of electromagnetic wave velocity analysis in GPR data. The decay visible on the tesserae evidenced widespread spalling and crumbling as typical forms that selectively affect the different materials of the tesserae of the mosaic. Samples taken from them were investigated by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, ion chromatography, infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses, in order to identify the constituent materials and the products of their decay. The application of the integrated methodologies showed its effectiveness in order to acquire a quite complete knowledge for diagnostic purpose. Decay appeared to be due to the combined presence of water and soluble salts and it has different effects depending on the materials characteristics.
ABSTRACT The knowledge and the analysis of the conservation state of historical centers is an ess... more ABSTRACT The knowledge and the analysis of the conservation state of historical centers is an essential and useful tool to be put into field in order to plan suitable interventions and establish ad hoc preventive measures. Starting from these preliminary remarks, this study deals with a quick methodology to analyze and update data regarding the conservation state of historical centers paying particular attention to the relationship between the settlement setting and the territorial- environmental context where it is located. The methodology makes use of both on-site survey and spatial analysis techniques. To make the approach clear, we will show a case study on the Sassi of Matera site (Sothern Italy) included in the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2014
ABSTRACT Conservation of the built heritage requires knowledge of the characteristics and use of ... more ABSTRACT Conservation of the built heritage requires knowledge of the characteristics and use of the constituent materials and their state of conservation. Knowledge of the material’s source is important for laboratory studies and stone replacement, but it also has historic-cultural significance with respect to the exploitation of stone resources in the past. In this sense, we present a study of ‘Pietra Gentile’, a traditional building material of southern Italy, through which we aimed to acquire knowledge concerning the quarries, characteristics of extracted materials, use and decay features within buildings. Ancient and active quarries were identified and the petrographical, chemical-mineralogical and physical features of the quarry materials were studied. The use of the stone was documented in many historic towns in the area, including monuments and minor buildings, and the main decay morphologies were detected by field activities and laboratory analyses. The high susceptibility of the stone to the actions of water and salts was highlighted. Field and laboratory data of quarries and artefacts were organized into a database as a source of knowledge useful for the evaluation, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage.
The study of the human past needs the effort of different disciplines including history, archaeol... more The study of the human past needs the effort of different disciplines including history, archaeology and non invasive imaging techniques such geophysics whose application for cultural heritage has been dramatically increasing in the last two decades. The capability of geophysical techniques in identifying subsurface features of cultural interest depends on: 1) the nature of the physical interaction between the archaeological residues and its surrounding; 2) the performance of geophysical sensors, including Ground Penetrating radar (GPR), magnetometry, electrical resistivity along with other earth observation imaging systems (SAR, LiDAR, multispectral remote sensing); 3) the knowledge of the expected features of cultural interest to be detected. A correct approach must necessarily take into account these three factors on which depends the success of any preventive archaeological investigation based on geophysical prospecting techniques and remote sensing [1]. Such approach characteri...
The abandonment of inhabited places is a phenomenon that concerns many countries worldwide and It... more The abandonment of inhabited places is a phenomenon that concerns many countries worldwide and Italy particularly where a large number of deserted settlements are hosted. Many are the factors driving and conditioning the abandonment of a site, such as natural extreme events (e.g. earthquakes, landslides, and floods) and/or human (not) actions. Once the site is abandoned, the built-up area experiences a progressive physical decay so posing problems about the policies to be adopted to manage and maintain the buildings (or their ruins). That being stated, the article proposes an integrated methodological approach to analyse both the natural/human factors causing the abandonment of settlements and conservation state of deserted places over time. To test the methodology, we considered the old town of Craco (Basilicata, Southern Italy) as a case study. That "ghost town", whose fascinating urban and natural landscapes have been the set of numerous international films, was gradually transferred to other two places since the 1960s due to the landslides that have affected the site over the centuries. Three were the explicit key aims of the research. The first was to scrutinise the activations/ reactivations of the landslides jointly with their effects on the built environment so to critical go over the actions put into the field by the institutions to mitigate the hydrogeological risk. The second was to examine whether and how the landslide occurrences conditioned the urban growth of the Craco over time. The third was to investigate in relation to the vegetation growth in the Craco downtown over the last 15 years or so, to infer clues on future decay trends and conservation strategies of the built environment. The purposes were reached considering a geological-geomorphological, historical, and remote-sensing approach. In detail, the first goal was met (re)considering a cross-correlated analysis, in diachronic key, of edited/unedited archive sources with geological/geomorphological perspectives. The second was followed up performing the analysis of the Craco urban growth over the centuries and correlating it with the history of landslide occurrences. The third target was pursued by means of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) time series obtained from Landsat TM and Sentinel 2 data along with HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) colour system techniques applied to multi-date Google Earth photos. From the perspective angle, the results of this research can contribute to setup proper resilience strategies for sites subject to hydrogeological hazard similar to that affects Craco, thus helping to identify conservation plans as well as enhancement policies of "ghost towns".
The PRO_CULT project promotes the development and the use of innovative low cost methodology for ... more The PRO_CULT project promotes the development and the use of innovative low cost methodology for both monitoring and protecting cultural heritage and the growth of a cultural identity of local communities. It aims to develop sensing technologies and operating procedures in the field of security and the preservation of artistic, archaeological, architectural and landscape heritage with particular reference to emergency situations and to involve new different end users types. This approach has led to the release of products, technologies and operational methods, low cost and user-friendly paying attention to accessibility, sustainability, and citizen participation.
Journal of Cultural Heritage Volume 23, Supplement
Archaeological prospection of earthen buried structures, namely non-fired sun-dried mud bricks mi... more Archaeological prospection of earthen buried structures, namely non-fired sun-dried mud bricks mixed with organic material, is a critical challenge to address. In fact, this building material exhibits a very low geophysical contrast compared to its surroundings and, therefore, earthen structures are very complex to be identified using remote sensing. In order to cope with this issue, in this paper, we focus on the evaluation of satellite X-band radar data (COSMO-SkyMed) capability for detecting earthen buried structures in a desert area. The results obtained from satellite radar data have been validated for a test site in Pachacamac (Peru) by using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and geomagnetic techniques. The test site is outside the fenced protected zone of Pachacamac, today in the tentative UNESCO list. This paper is the first attempt made until now in evaluating the detectability of earthen archaeological remains using satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. Outcomes from our investigations clearly point out that the approach we adopted can be useful applied for preventive archaeology and for the planning of future excavation campaigns.
Environmental monitoring is one of the main diagnostic tools considered for appropriate strategie... more Environmental monitoring is one of the main diagnostic tools considered for appropriate strategies aimed at preserving cultural heritage. However, monitoring systems are only apparently tools easy to use and manage; actually, they hide several drawbacks including, for example, high purchase costs as well as significant financial commitment related to the management and the data processing. This implies that the use of technologies to monitor cultural heritage is usually limited to high relevance monuments or sites having marked historical-cultural value. In order to enhance the use and the spreading of technologies for the microclimate monitoring, a research activity within PRO CULT (Advanced Methodological approaches and technologies for Protection and Security of Cultural Heritage) and Smart Basilicata projects was performed. The projects' aim was to test low cost technologies to monitor and manage cultural heritage trying to significantly reduce the acquisition and maintenance costs so as to facilitate wider use of the monitoring systems to safeguard " minor " heritage. Starting from this point of view, an equipment prototype to monitor the indoor microclimate environment of confined environment was planned, taking into account the low cost (LC) approach as the basic assumption. In order to evaluate the LC performance, the system was tested in relationship with the decay problems affecting the frescoes of the crypt of St. Francesco d'Assisi in Irsina (Basilicata, Southern Italy) and the survey data were compared with those recorded by a standard commercial system (CS). All this in mind, the article discusses the comparative analysis of the two microclimate monitoring systems in relationship with the decay problems of frescoes hosted in the crypt of St. Francesco d'Assisi. The system comparison shows a quite complete matching of the thermo-hygrometric values. Furthermore, the survey puts into evidence as the microclimate conditions in the crypt are not suitable for the conservation of the frescoes. The studies based on the microclimate analyses together with other in situ surveys allowed to propose possible technical solutions to mitigate the decay risk related to the artistic heritage.
This study presents the potential of multi-frequency electromagnetic induction (EMI) in archaeolo... more This study presents the potential of multi-frequency electromagnetic induction (EMI) in archaeology. EMI is currently less employed for archaeological prospection respect to other geophysical techniques. It is capable of identifying shallow subsurface relics by simultaneously measuring the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) and apparent magnetic susceptibility (MSa). Moreover, frequency sounding is able to quantify the depths and vertical shapes of buried structures. In this study, EMI surveys with five frequencies were performed in two heritage sites with different geological conditions: Han Hangu Pass characterized cinnamon soil, and Xishan Yang by sandy loams. In the first site high ECa values were observed with variations in depth correlated to archaeological remains. Moreover, electromagnetic anomalies related to an ancient road and five kiln caves were identified. In the second site an ancient tomb, indicating extremely low ECa and high MSa, was discovered. Its electromagnetic properties is attributed to the cavity and ferroferric oxides.
Even if, in recent decades, the use of remote sensing technologies (from satellite, aerial and gr... more Even if, in recent decades, the use of remote sensing technologies (from satellite, aerial and ground) for archaeology is stepping into its golden age, in Southern America geophysics for preventive archaeology is more recent and less used than in Europe, Central America and Middle East. In this paper, we provide a brief overview and show the preliminary results obtained from the investigations conducted in Chachabamba (Peru). The archaeological area is located on a strategic terrace overlooking three Inca roads, which served the most important ceremonial centres (including Machu Picchu) of the Urubamba Valley also known as the Sacred Valley. In particular, Chachabamba investigations were conducted with two principal aims: (1) to give new impetus to archaeological research with targeted investigations aimed at improving and completing the site’s knowledge framework; (2) to experiment and validate an archaeogeophysical approach to be reapplied in other sites of the Urubamba valley, including Machu Picchu, having similar characteristics as those found in Chachabamba.
Despite the recognized effectiveness of LiDAR in penetrating forest canopies, its capability for ... more Despite the recognized effectiveness of LiDAR in penetrating forest canopies, its capability for archaeological prospection can be strongly limited in areas covered by dense vegetation for the detection of subtle remains scattered over morphologically complex areas. In these cases, an important contribution to improve the identification of topographic variations of archaeological interest is provided by LiDAR-derived models (LDMs) based on relief visualization techniques. In this paper, diverse LDMs were applied to the medieval site of Torre Cisterna to the north of Melfi (Southern Italy), selected for this study because it is located on a hilly area with complex topography and thick vegetation cover. These conditions are common in several places of the Apennines in Southern Italy and prevented investigations during the 20th century. Diverse LDMs were used to obtain maximum information and to compare the performance of both subjective (through visual inspections) and objective (through their automatic classification) methods. To improve the discrimination/extraction capability of archaeological micro-relief, noise filtering was applied to Digital Terrain Model (DTM) before obtaining the LDMs. The automatic procedure allowed us to extract the most significant and typical features of a fortified settlement, such as the city walls and a tower castle. Other small, subtle features attributable to possible buried buildings of a habitation area have been identified by visual inspection of LDMs. Field surveys and in-situ inspections were carried out to verify the archaeological points of interest, microtopographical features, and landforms observed from the DTM-derived models, most of them automatically extracted. As a whole, the investigations allowed (i) the rediscovery of a fortified settlement from the 11th century and (ii) the detection of an unknown urban area abandoned in the Middle Ages.
The Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the National Research Council, in coo... more The Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the National Research Council, in cooperation with the Italian Institute of Castles - section of Basilicata, has designed and developed the digital Atlas of Castles of Basilicata. This Atlas, named BasiliCastle, aims at being a concrete contribution to the knowledge, fruition and promotion of the fortified architectural heritage of Basilicata. It includes a WebGIS and an App. The WebGIS is based on free geographical data and it is shared and supported by OpenStreetMap platform. The App provides users with a detailed geographical data, the historical and architectural description, pictures and 3D models of the castles. BasiliCastle has been developed using an Open Source environment and allows to share all the data which are fully available to users.
The penetration test for historical masonry mortar presented in this study is based on the princi... more The penetration test for historical masonry mortar presented in this study is based on the principle of ‘‘static” penetration. A pin is driven at constant velocity by a stepper motor controlled by a computer. The test result is the penetration load as a function of the penetration depth. The penetrometer has been tested on masonry walls consisting of decayed mortar. The objective of the test is to provide information about the mechanical characteristics of mortar (friction coefficient, cohesion). To this end, the results are compared with those from direct shear tests on mortar samples and with those from a previous ercussion penetration test
The current study aims to analyse the conservation state of the Sassi of Matera site (Southern It... more The current study aims to analyse the conservation state of the Sassi of Matera site (Southern Italy), aplace inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1993 (the Sassi and the Park of the RupestrianChurches of Matera) and recently awarded 2019 European Capital of Culture. Furthermore, the articleconsiders the influence of some of the causative factors controlling the Matera building conservationstate, paying particular attention to the site microclimatic conditions such as the insolation and winds.We studied this subject through a new methodology that makes a combined use both of stone decaydata gained from the extensive field assessments of the visible weathering forms catalogued in an adhoc questionnaire and GIS advanced spatial analysis techniques such as Map Algebra and Kernel DensityEstimation. The research puts into evidence that the Sassi of Matera shows a fair state of conservation thatis conditioned by the wind/rain actions and sun exposure. Besides, just the already well known facts thatthe surfaces facing north seem to be most influenced by the wind/rain actions; and that, on the contrary,the decay of the walls facing south seems to be guided mainly from the sun exposure, put into evidencethe importance of locating the intensities of the decays in any urban tissue or any site in order to planconservation interventions and prioritize actions and the usefulness of the spatial analysis techniquesand data processing.
2012 14th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), 2012
ABSTRACT The crypt of St. Nicholas in Bari, Southern Italy, is a building of cultural worldwide i... more ABSTRACT The crypt of St. Nicholas in Bari, Southern Italy, is a building of cultural worldwide importance. Inside the crypt a mosaic develops on the apsidal floor and along a parietal seat placed along the apsidal masonry, in the form of cladding. A surviving portion of the mosaic pavement is also preserved in the right lateral chapel. Integrated non-destructive survey and laboratory analyses were undertaken for the diagnostic study of the mosaic. GPR prospection was successfully applied to the study of its conservation state, that is strictly related to the condition of the subsoil, in particular to the presence and distribution of water. The presence of water, whose rise interests also some portions of the masonry and water content distribution were identified by the results of electromagnetic wave velocity analysis in GPR data. The decay visible on the tesserae evidenced widespread spalling and crumbling as typical forms that selectively affect the different materials of the tesserae of the mosaic. Samples taken from them were investigated by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, ion chromatography, infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses, in order to identify the constituent materials and the products of their decay. The application of the integrated methodologies showed its effectiveness in order to acquire a quite complete knowledge for diagnostic purpose. Decay appeared to be due to the combined presence of water and soluble salts and it has different effects depending on the materials characteristics.
ABSTRACT The knowledge and the analysis of the conservation state of historical centers is an ess... more ABSTRACT The knowledge and the analysis of the conservation state of historical centers is an essential and useful tool to be put into field in order to plan suitable interventions and establish ad hoc preventive measures. Starting from these preliminary remarks, this study deals with a quick methodology to analyze and update data regarding the conservation state of historical centers paying particular attention to the relationship between the settlement setting and the territorial- environmental context where it is located. The methodology makes use of both on-site survey and spatial analysis techniques. To make the approach clear, we will show a case study on the Sassi of Matera site (Sothern Italy) included in the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2014
ABSTRACT Conservation of the built heritage requires knowledge of the characteristics and use of ... more ABSTRACT Conservation of the built heritage requires knowledge of the characteristics and use of the constituent materials and their state of conservation. Knowledge of the material’s source is important for laboratory studies and stone replacement, but it also has historic-cultural significance with respect to the exploitation of stone resources in the past. In this sense, we present a study of ‘Pietra Gentile’, a traditional building material of southern Italy, through which we aimed to acquire knowledge concerning the quarries, characteristics of extracted materials, use and decay features within buildings. Ancient and active quarries were identified and the petrographical, chemical-mineralogical and physical features of the quarry materials were studied. The use of the stone was documented in many historic towns in the area, including monuments and minor buildings, and the main decay morphologies were detected by field activities and laboratory analyses. The high susceptibility of the stone to the actions of water and salts was highlighted. Field and laboratory data of quarries and artefacts were organized into a database as a source of knowledge useful for the evaluation, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage.
This chapters presents and discusses the results of investigations performed by ITACA Mission of ... more This chapters presents and discusses the results of investigations performed by ITACA Mission of CNR in the Nasca drainage basin, including the ceremonial center of Cahuachi, from 2007 to 2014. The employed approach was based on the multiscale and multisensor integration of remote-sensing methods, including geophysics . Most of the applications have been intended for preventive archaeology, in particular, for providing information on the presence of buried sites and structures by identifying different surface characteristics such as arid bare ground in the Pampas and vegetated areas in the river oases. The operational use of earth-observation technologies has been the occasion to develop ad hoc approaches to data acquisition, processing, and interpretation for the detection of earthen buried structures that is a crucial and challenging issue due to the subtle physical contrast between earthen remains and the surrounding subsoil. This made necessary amassing experience in, and the testing of, various techniques to investigate the subsoil by geophysical and remote methods, working side by side with archaeologists, involved in the interpretation of the results. The obtained results have been the discovery of previously unknown sites in the Nasca drainage basin, the identification of buried ritual offering, the characterization of the stepped structure of Templo Sur, and the mapping of areas of archaeological interest. Masini N., Rizzo E., Capozzoli L., Leucci G., Pecci A., Romano G., Sileo M., Lasaponara R.
Sensing the Past From artifact to historical site (ed. N. Masini, F. Soldovieri)
This chapter presents the study case of the integration of noninvasive in situ investigation meth... more This chapter presents the study case of the integration of noninvasive in situ investigation methods able to provide information useful to survey and characterize the state of decay of some masonry walls and frescoes in two blocks (insulae) of the Regio VIII in Pompeii. The integrated investigations demonstrated the complementarity of ground-penetrating radar (GPR), seismic tomography, and infrared thermography (IRT) for the diagnosis of the state of conservation and the restoration of structures and surfaces of archaeological monuments. The investigation was very useful in planning the restoration work.
2016 - Biscione M., Danese M., D'Antonio A., Scavone M., Sileo M., Pecci A. , Masini N.,
Convegn... more 2016 - Biscione M., Danese M., D'Antonio A., Scavone M., Sileo M., Pecci A. , Masini N., Convegno: "International Conference on Modern Age fortifications of the Mediterranean coast", Florence 10-12, November 2016.
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Papers by Maria Sileo
results obtained from the investigations conducted in Chachabamba (Peru). The archaeological area is located on a strategic terrace overlooking three Inca roads, which served the
most important ceremonial centres (including Machu Picchu) of the Urubamba Valley also known as the Sacred Valley. In particular, Chachabamba investigations were conducted
with two principal aims: (1) to give new impetus to archaeological research with targeted
investigations aimed at improving and completing the site’s knowledge framework; (2)
to experiment and validate an archaeogeophysical approach to be reapplied in other sites
of the Urubamba valley, including Machu Picchu, having similar characteristics as those
found in Chachabamba.
‘‘static” penetration. A pin is driven at constant velocity by a stepper motor controlled by a computer.
The test result is the penetration load as a function of the penetration depth. The penetrometer has been
tested on masonry walls consisting of decayed mortar. The objective of the test is to provide information
about the mechanical characteristics of mortar (friction coefficient, cohesion). To this end, the results are compared with those from direct shear tests on mortar samples and with those from a previous ercussion
penetration test
results obtained from the investigations conducted in Chachabamba (Peru). The archaeological area is located on a strategic terrace overlooking three Inca roads, which served the
most important ceremonial centres (including Machu Picchu) of the Urubamba Valley also known as the Sacred Valley. In particular, Chachabamba investigations were conducted
with two principal aims: (1) to give new impetus to archaeological research with targeted
investigations aimed at improving and completing the site’s knowledge framework; (2)
to experiment and validate an archaeogeophysical approach to be reapplied in other sites
of the Urubamba valley, including Machu Picchu, having similar characteristics as those
found in Chachabamba.
‘‘static” penetration. A pin is driven at constant velocity by a stepper motor controlled by a computer.
The test result is the penetration load as a function of the penetration depth. The penetrometer has been
tested on masonry walls consisting of decayed mortar. The objective of the test is to provide information
about the mechanical characteristics of mortar (friction coefficient, cohesion). To this end, the results are compared with those from direct shear tests on mortar samples and with those from a previous ercussion
penetration test
Masini N., Rizzo E., Capozzoli L., Leucci G., Pecci A., Romano G., Sileo M., Lasaponara R.
Convegno: "International Conference on Modern Age fortifications of the Mediterranean coast",
Florence 10-12, November 2016.