scholarly journals The Leiden-Turin Archaeological Expedition to Saqqara: Preliminary Results of the 2019 Fieldwork Season.

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Del Vesco ◽  
Christian Greco ◽  
Daniel Soliman ◽  
Nico Staring ◽  
Lara Weiss ◽  
...  

In the 2019 season, the joint Leiden-Turin Expedition to Saqqara continued work in the area north of the tomb of Maya with the aim of lowering the terrain above the new tomb discovered during the 2018 season (V82.1) and to prepare the area for further exploration in 2020. Many layers of deposit situated immediately to the north of the new tomb were removed and – although they mostly originated from previous excavations in the 1980s and 1990s –  systematically investigated. Several dumps of organic material such as linen and wood as well as numerous small finds and relief fragments were identified and recorded. In addition, existing storage facilities on site were renovated and upgraded. In this process, part of the underground structures of the tombs of Horemheb and Meryneith were surveyed by the 3D Survey Group (Politecnico di Milano). Thanks to the cooperation with the same Milanese team, a new documentation method was tested during the ongoing excavation work. Within a 3D-model the different stages of excavation were recorded, allowing the digital reconstruction of the stratigraphy of the whole area and the documentation of all finds in their original contexts. A Digital Surface Model of the entire concession area was also produced, and 3D-models of some of the previously excavated monumental tombs were created. Lastly, since heavy rainfalls had damaged many of the earlier excavated monumental tombs open to the public, they were consolidated and where necessary rebuilt. ملخص في موسم 2019، واصلت البعثة ليدن-تورينو المشتركة عملها في سقارة في المنطقة شمال قبر مايا، بهدف إزالة الأتربة التي تراكمت فوق القبر الجديد الذي اكتُشِف خلال موسم 2018 (V82.1) وإعداد المنطقة لموسم التنقيب لعام 2020. تمت إزالة العديد من طبقات الأتربة التي تغطي المنطقة الشمالية من القبر الجديد، بالرغم من أن هذه الرواسب تراكمت في الغالب بموجب الحفريات السابقة في الثمانينيات والتسعينيات، فقد تمت دراستها بشكل منهجي. قامت البعثة بالتنقيب وبتسجيل العديد من المواد العضوية مثل الكتان والخشب و غيرها من الشظايا واكتشافات أخرى صغيرة. كما أنه تم الكشف وتسجيل مرافق التخزين الموجودة في الموقع. من خلال هذه العملية، قام فريق الباحثين من الفرع التقني لجامعة ميلانو بمسح جزء من الهياكل تحت الأرض لمقابر حورمحب و مرينيث باستخدام الماسح ثلاثي الأبعاد. بفضل تعاون هذا الفريق، تم أثناء أعمال التنقيب اختبار طريقة جديدة في التوثيق. استناداً على النموذج ثلاثي الأبعاد، تم تسجيل مراحل التنقيب المختلفة مما سمح بإعادة البناء الرقمي للمنطقة بأكملها وتوثيق جميع الاكتشافات في أماكنها الأصلية. تم تنفيذ نموذج رقمي لكامل سطح المنطقة بالإضافة إلى إنشاء نماذج ثلاثية الأبعاد لبعض المقابر الأثرية التي نُقّب عنها سابقاً. وأخيراً، بما أن الأمطار الغزيرة ألحقت الضرر بالعديد من المقابر الأثرية المكتشفة سابقاً والمفتوحة لزيارة الجمهور، فقد تم تدعيمها وإعادة بناء الأقسام الضرورية.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Tibaldi ◽  
Elena Russo ◽  
Luca Fallati

<p>We analysed at very high detail the surface deformation along a volcanotectonic structure in the Krafla Fissure Swarm, located in the North Iceland Rift. The structure affects the Pleistocene Hituholar volcano and 12 ka old lava flows. The work has been carried out through the Structure from Motion technique (SfM) applied to UAV surveys, integrated with a lithostratigraphic and structural field survey. The resulting Orthomosaic and Digital Surface Model (DSM) have a resolution of 2.6 and 10 cm, respectively. The zone of deformation is characterised by topographic bulging, parallel extension fractures, and narrow grabens with locally floor uplift, which can be explained as the effect of shallow propagation of a dyke northward from the Krafla magma chamber. In fact, the study area has been interested by northward dyke propagation from the central Krafla volcano during several rifting events, among which the recentmost occurred in 1975-1984 (Krafla fire). The analysis of the very wide area covered by our UAV surveys indicates that changes in the pattern of surface deformation occur in correspondence of contacts between deposits with different rheological properties: the transition from very stiff lavas to soft hyaloclastites produces a change from extension fracturing to normal faulting. Moreover, we detected a series of extension fractures with NE-SW strike and left-lateral slip component, and NNW-SSE strike and right-lateral component, which are rotated clockwise and anticlockwise respect to the main NNE-SSW graben trend, and extend outward to the sides of the main deformation zone up to 17 m. We interpret these structures as originated in front of the dyke tip during its propagation and being successively bypassed by the dyke advancement. In case of an active volcanic zone, the comprehension of the surface deformation and of the significance of strike-slip faulting occurrence can help to determine how and where magma is propagating. Thus, these evidences may help to decipher geophysical data and surface structural data during volcano monitoring.</p>


Significance South Korea’s unification minister (MOU) warned on April 10 that any US strike on North Korea would put “the safety of the public” at risk. A day later, Seoul’s defence (MND) and foreign (MFA) ministries dismissed rumours on local social media of an imminent war crisis as “overblown” and “groundless”, respectively. Moon Jae-in, the liberal opposition candidate whom most polls predict will win the May 9 snap presidential election, said he does not expect a US pre-emptive strike on the North. However, Moon also warned Washington that South Korea is “the concerned party” which “owns” peninsula-related matters, including the nuclear issue. Impacts Experienced military professionals in Trump’s cabinet and National Security Council are a restraining influence. South Korea and Japan, being in the front line, will counsel their US protector against any action that might imperil their security. If Moon Jae-in is elected, his desire to re-engage the North will clash with Trump’s hard-line attitude and narrow nuclear focus. After his smooth -- if insubstantial -- summit with Xi, Trump’s threatened unilateralism on North Korea is likely to stop at sanctions.


Subject Prospects for peace in Mali Significance French Prime Minister Manuel Valls visited Bamako on February 18-19, just days after German President Joachim Gauck, to reiterate international support for Mali. Western governments are concerned about the threat from jihadist groups operating in the country's Saharan north and their potential for developing links with Islamic State group (ISG) in Libya. Despite the expanded terrorism threat, there have been some positive developments: the peace process in the north has taken major strides forward and decentralisation aimed to underpin peace has advanced. Impacts International partners will reinforce security efforts. To combat the risk of terrorism in Bamako, the authorities will encourage the public to report suspicious activity at community level. Regional elections will offer non-jihadist former rebel leaders a chance to assume a share of power locally.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 162
Author(s):  
Lingjie Zhu ◽  
Shuhan Shen ◽  
Xiang Gao ◽  
Zhanyi Hu

Modeling urban scenes automatically is an important problem for both GIS and nonGIS specialists with applications like urban planning, autonomous driving, and virtual reality. In this paper, we present a novel contour deformation approach to generate regularized and vectorized 3D building models from the orthophoto and digital surface model (DSM).The proposed method has four major stages: dominant directions extraction, find target align direction, contour deformation, and model generation. To begin with, we extract dominant directions for each building contour in the orthophoto. Then every edge of the contour is assigned with one of the dominant directions via a Markov random field (MRF). Taking the assigned direction as target, we define a deformation energy with the Advanced Most-Isometric ParameterizationS (AMIPS) to align the contour to the dominant directions. Finally, the aligned contour is simplified and extruded to 3D models. Through the alignment deformation, we are able to straighten the contour while keeping the sharp turning corners. Our contour deformation based urban modeling approach is accurate and robust comparing with the state-of-the-arts as shown in experiments on the public dataset.


2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pam Seanor ◽  
Michael Bull ◽  
Susan Baines ◽  
Martin Purcell

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer new reflection upon the contested interaction of social enterprises with the public sector. It does this by fore fronting the notions of boundaries, boundary work and boundary objects. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports qualitative research with social enterprise practitioners (from social enterprises and support agencies) in the north of England. Accounts elicited through interviews are combined with visual data in the form of pencil drawings made by practitioners when the authors invited them to respond to and rework diagrammatic models from the literature about the social and economic dimensions of social enterprise. Findings – Participants explained in words and images how normative images of social enterprise depicting linear and static boundaries inadequately represent the complexity of ideas and interactions in their world. Rather, they perceived an iterative process of crossing and re-crossing boundaries, with identities and practices which appeared to shift over time in relation to different priorities. Research limitations/implications – Through participant generated visual data in which social enterprise practitioners literally redrew models from the literature, the paper open space to show movement, transgression and change. Originality/value – This paper is timely as social enterprises are becoming increasingly prominent in the welfare mix. The authors make novel use of conversations and drawings in order to better understand the dynamic and everyday practices of social enterprise within public services. In doing this, the authors also potentially contribute to richer methodological resources for researching the movement of services between sectors.


Author(s):  
Eugene Ch’ng ◽  
Shengdan Cai ◽  
Tong Evelyn Zhang ◽  
Fui-Theng Leow

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the rationale for democratising the digital reproduction of cultural heritage via “mass photogrammetry”, by providing approaches to digitise objects from cultural heritage collections housed in museums or private spaces using devices and photogrammetry techniques accessible to the public. The paper is intended as a democratised approach rather than as a “scientific approach” for the purpose that mass photogrammetry can be achieved at scale.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology aims to convert the art of photogrammetry into a more mechanical approach by overcoming common difficulties faced within exhibition spaces. This approach is replicable and allows anyone possessing inexpensive equipment with basic knowledge of photogrammetry to achieve acceptable results.FindingsThe authors present the experience of acquiring over 300 3D models through photogrammetry from over 25 priority sites and museums in East Asia. The approach covers the entire process from capturing to editing, and importing 3D models into integrated development environments for displays such as interactive 3D, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.Practical implicationsThe simplistic approach for democratised, mass photogrammetry has implications for stirring public interests in the digital preservation of heritage objects in countries where museums and cultural institutions have little access to digital teams, provided that Intellectual Property issues are cared for. The approach to mass photogrammetry also means that personal cultural heritage objects hidden within the homes of various societies and relics in circulation in the antiques market can be made accessible globally at scale.Originality/valueThis paper focuses on the complete practical nature of photogrammetry conducted within cultural institutions. The authors provide a means for the public to conduct good photogrammetry so that all cultural heritage objects can be digitally recorded and shared globally so as to promote the cross-cultural appreciation of material cultures from the past.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-20
Author(s):  
Hamid Reza Samadi ◽  
Mohammad Reza Samadi

Due to the development of cities as well as rapid population growth, urban traffic is increasing nowadays. Hence, to improve traffic flow, underground structures such as metro, especially in metropolises, are inevitable. This paper is a research on the twin tunnels Of Isfahan's metro between Shariaty station and Azadi station from the North towards the South. In this study, simultaneous drilling of subway's twin tunnels is simulated by means of Finite Difference Method (FDM) and FLAC 3D software. Moreover, the lowest distance between two tunnels is determined in a way that the Law of Super Position could be utilized to manually calculate the amount of surface subsidence, resulted by drilling two tunnels, by employing the results of the analysis of single tunnels without using simultaneous examination and simulation. In this paper, this distance is called "effective distance". For this purpose, first, the optimum dimensions of the model is chosen and then, five models with optimum dimensions will be analyzed separately, each of which in three steps. The results of analyses shows that the proportions (L/D) greater than or equal 2.80, the Law of Super Position can be applied for prediction of surface subsidence, caused by twin tunnels' construction


Author(s):  
Feiko Kalsbeek ◽  
Lilian Skjernaa

NOTE: This article was published in a former series of GEUS Bulletin. Please use the original series name when citing this article, for example: Kalsbeek, F., & Skjernaa, L. (1999). The Archaean Atâ intrusive complex (Atâ tonalite), north-east Disko Bugt, West Greenland. Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin, 181, 103-112. https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v181.5118 _______________ The 2800 Ma Atâ intrusive complex (elsewhere referred to as ‘Atâ granite’ or ‘Atâ tonalite’), which occupies an area of c. 400 km2 in the area north-east of Disko Bugt, was emplaced into grey migmatitic gneisses and supracrustal rocks. At its southern border the Atâ complex is cut by younger granites. The complex is divided by a belt of supracrustal rocks into a western, mainly tonalitic part, and an eastern part consisting mainly of granodiorite and trondhjemite. The ‘eastern complex’ is a classical pluton. It is little deformed in its central part, displaying well-preserved igneous layering and local orbicular textures. Near its intrusive contact with the overlying supracrustal rocks the rocks become foliated, with foliation parallel to the contact. The Atâ intrusive complex has escaped much of the later Archaean and early Proterozoic deformation and metamorphism that characterises the gneisses to the north and to the south; it belongs to the best-preserved Archaean tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite intrusions in Greenland.


1991 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 269-276
Author(s):  
J. R. Lawrence ◽  
N. C. D. Craig

The public has ever-rising expectations for the environmental quality of the North Sea and hence of everreducing anthropogenic inputs; by implication society must be willing to accept the cost of reduced contamination. The chemical industry accepts that it has an important part to play in meeting these expectations, but it is essential that proper scientific consideration is given to the potential transfer of contamination from one medium to another before changes are made. A strategy for North Sea protection is put forward as a set of seven principles that must govern the management decisions that are made. Some areas of uncertainty are identified as important research targets. It is concluded that although there have been many improvements over the last two decades, there is more to be done. A systematic and less emotive approach is required to continue the improvement process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-102
Author(s):  
Sajeev Abraham George ◽  
Anurag C. Tumma

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to benchmark the operational and financial performances of the major Indian seaports to help derive useful insights to improve their performance. Design/methodology/approach A two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology has been used with the help of data collected on the 13 major seaports of India. The first stage of the DEA captured the operational efficiencies, while the second stage the financial performance. Findings A window analysis over a period of three years revealed that no port was able to score an overall average efficiency of 100 per cent. The study identified the better performing units among their peers in both the stages. The contrasting results of the study with the traditional operational and financial performance measures used by the ports helped to derive useful insights. Research limitations/implications The data used in the study were majorly limited to the available sources in the public domain. Also, the study was limited to the major seaports which are under the Government of India and no comparisons were carried out with other local or international ports. Practical implications There is a need to prioritize investments and improvement efforts where they are most needed, instead of following a generalized approach. Once the benchmark ports are identified, the port authorities and other relevant stakeholders should work in detail on the factors causing inefficiencies, for possible improvements in performance. Originality/value This paper carried out a two-stage DEA that helped to derive useful insights on operational efficiency and financial performance of the India seaports. A combination of the financial and operational parameters, along with a comparison of the DEA results with the traditional measures, provided a different perspective on the Indian seaport performance. Considering the scarcity of research papers reported in the literature on DEA-based benchmarking studies of seaports in the Indian context, it has the potential to attract future research in this field.


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