scholarly journals THE SOIL SCIENCE & ARCHAEO-GEOPHYSICS ALLIANCE (SAGA): going beyond prospection

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Cuenca-Garcia ◽  
Kayt Armstrong ◽  
Elina Aidona ◽  
Philippe De Smedt ◽  
Anne Rosveare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Geophysical Methods ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Data Interpretation ◽  
Effective Field ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Research Collaborations ◽  
Expected Benefits ◽  
The Relationship

Archaeological sites can be discovered and recorded in a high-resolution and non-invasive manner using geophysical methods. These measure the spatial variation of a range of physical properties of the soil which may be representative proxies of the subsurface archaeology. Less-invasive and cost-effective field procedures have become top-priority to mitigate the destructive effects on our cultural heritage from intensified land use, climate change and the current conflict panorama. At a time when many organisations are investing in advanced geophysical equipment, a major problem is that our ability to fully interpret the information available from geophysical datasets is still very limited. This deficiency prevents geophysical survey moving beyond basic prospection and becoming a significant tool for answering nuanced questions about archaeology and their host landscapes. This limitation arises from an incomplete understanding of the relationship between soil properties and geophysical measurements. Bridging this gap requires multi-disciplinary teams, testing novel methods, plus scholarly discussion to collate the outcomes of projects on this topic. Overcoming these challenges is a prerequisite for maximising the costeffectiveness of geophysical methods, realising the expected benefits of technological investment and allowing broader utility of geophysical methods in the cultural heritage sector. SAGA will build an international network of geophysicists, archaeologists, soil scientists and other experts to develop our capability to interpret geophysical data and promote research collaborations. Our vision is that after four years, SAGA will have created an environment within which emerging field procedures, enhanced data interpretation and a broader understanding of integrated geophysical methods can flourish.

scholarly journals The soil science and archaeo-geophysics alliance (SAGA): Going beyond prospection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Cuenca-Garcia ◽  
Kayt Armstrong ◽  
Elina Aidona ◽  
Philippe De Smedt ◽  
Anne Roseveare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Geophysical Methods ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Data Interpretation ◽  
Effective Field ◽  
Soil Science ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Research Collaborations ◽  
Expected Benefits ◽  
The Relationship

Archaeological sites can be discovered and recorded in a high-resolution and non-invasivemanner using geophysical methods. These measure the spatial variation of a range ofphysical properties of the soil which may be representative proxies of the subsurfacearchaeology. Less-invasive and cost-effective field procedures have become top-priority tomitigate the destructive effects on our cultural heritage from intensified land use, climatechange and the current conflict panorama. At a time when many organisations are investing in advanced geophysical equipment, amajor problem is that our ability to fully interpret the information available from geophysical datasets is still very limited. This deficiency prevents geophysical survey moving beyond basic prospection and becoming a significant tool for answering nuanced questions about archaeology and their host landscapes. This limitation arises from an incomplete understanding of the relationship between soil properties and geophysical measurements. Bridging this gap requires multi-disciplinary teams, testing novel methods, plus scholarly discussion to collate the outcomes of projects on this topic. Overcoming these challenges is a prerequisite for maximising the costeffectiveness of geophysical methods, realising the expected benefits of technological investment and allowing broader utility of geophysical methods in the cultural heritage sector. SAGA will build an international network of geophysicists, archaeologists, soil scientists and other experts to develop our capability to interpret geophysical data and promote research collaborations. Our vision is that after four years, SAGA will have created an environment within which emerging field procedures, enhanced data interpretation and a broader understanding of integrated geophysical methods can flourish.

scholarly journals Geology and geophysics at the archeological park of Vulci (central Italy)

2014 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Marchetti ◽  
Vincenzo Sapia ◽  
Adriano Garello ◽  
Donatella De Rita ◽  
Alessandra Venuti
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Resistivity ◽  
Magnetic Susceptibility ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Geophysical Methods ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Resistivity Tomography ◽  
Geological Information ◽  
Geological Map

<p>The Vulci archeological site was object of interest by the Soprintendenza ai beni culturali dell’Etruria meridionale (Italian government department responsible for southern Etruria’s cultural heritage) since the beginning of the 20th century. In 2001, the Ministero dei Beni Culturali (Italian ministry of cultural heritage) along with the local authorities, opened a natural-archeological park. In this area, it lies most of the ancient Etruscan city of Velch (today known by its Latin name, Vulci) including the Osteria Necropolis that is the object of this study. Recently, new archaeological excavations were made and the local authorities needed major geological information about the volcanic lithotypes where the Etruscans used to build their necropolis. The aim of this study is to define the geological and geophysical characteristics of the rock lithotypes present in the Vulci park. For this purpose, a geological map of the area (1:10000) has been realized. Moreover, two different geophysical methods were applied: measurements of magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity tomography. Magnetic susceptibility analyses clearly identify magnetic contrasts between different lithotypes; the characteristics of the pyroclastic flow that originated the Sorano unit 2 and its vertical facies variations are well recorded by this parameter that along with lithostratigraphic observations provides information about the depositional conditions. Two electrical resistivity tomographies were performed, which show the Sorano unit 2 thickness to be of c. 7 m with resistivity values ranging from 200 to 400 Ω·m. This kind of multidisciplinary approach resulted to be suitable to study this type of archaeological sites, revealing that areas characterized by a relevant thickness and wide areal extension of volcanic lithotypes can be a potential site where Etruscans might have excavated their necropolis.</p>

Assessing Terrestrial Laser Scanning in Complex Environments

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Weber ◽  
Terry G. Powis
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Visual Analysis ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Data Interpretation ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Maya Site

AbstractThe majority of terrestrial scanning projects in archaeology have focused on heritage documentation, preservation, and the three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of prominent sites and objects. While these are very important archaeological foci, not many have used terrestrial scanning methods for prospection and feature analysis, similar to the way many have employed airborne LiDAR. While airborne LiDAR scanning is able to situate and analyze archaeological sites on an expansive scale, the ground-based method also captures and defines any landscape anomalies or depressions from cultural features that have remained invisible to the naked eye due to environmental restrictions. In an attempt to test this recording method, we set out to paint a non-invasive, 3D digitized picture of the ancient Maya site of Pacbitun, Belize, using terrestrial scanning to distinctly detail Pacbitun’s structures, plazas, causeways, and karst features. This paper details the process through which 3D terrestrial scanning was executed at Pacbitun and three associated peripheral caves during the 2012 and 2013 field seasons. We discuss the potential laser scanning has for visual analysis in archaeology and evaluate application difficulties encountered in the field, as well as current data interpretation issues.

Non-invasive investigations for enhancing the knowledge and the valorisation of the cultural heritage: first results of the Malta-Italy bilateral project

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaele Persico ◽  
Giovanni Leucci ◽  
Lara De Giorgi ◽  
Maurizio Lazzari ◽  
Sebastiano D'Amico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Geophysical Investigation ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
First Results ◽  
Passive Seismic ◽  
Near Surface Geophysics ◽  
The Times

&lt;p&gt;&amp;#8220;Non-invasive investigations for enhancing the knowledge and the valorisation of the cultural heritage&amp;#8221; is a biennial project financed by the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and by the University of Malta, started in 2018 until to April 2020. It has been&amp;#160; aimed to perform geophysical investigation both in Italy and in Malta in order to enhance the knowledge, and therefore also the preservation and the valorisation of some relevant monuments and archaeological sites in both countries. In particular, we have performed ground penetrating radar [1-2], resistive [3] and passive seismic investigations [4] within or close to archaeological sites, churches, roman monuments and watchtowers and have identified [5], depending on the case, anomalies due to buried rooms, tombs, roads or just geological differences in the subsoil.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Geophysical investigations were also integrated by regional and local geomorphological survey applied to the natural heritage of Gozo Island, such as in the case of the natural arch of Wied il-Mielah and the&amp;#160; terraced high paleosurfaces, on which ancient watchtowers are often present..&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In some cases, excavations were possible too, in other cases we hope they will be done in a future. Not all the times the excavations enlightened the hypothesized anomalies, but all the times the anomalies corresponded to some physical target or some physical buried discontinuity of the soil. At the conference, we will provide some insight on the achieved results, with special emphasis on the results achieved during the second year of the project.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;References&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1] R. Pierri, G. Leone, F. Soldovieri, R. Persico, &quot;Electromagnetic inversion for subsurface applications under the distorted Born approximation&quot; Nuovo Cimento, vol. 24C, N. 2, pp 245-261, March-April 2001.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[2] R. Persico, M. Ciminale, L. Matera, A new reconfigurable stepped frequency GPR system, possibilities and issues; applications to two different Cultural Heritage Resources, Near Surface Geophysics, vol. 12, n. 6, pp. 793-801 (doi: 10.3997/1873-0604.2014035), December 2014.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[3] G. Leucci, Nondestructive Testing for Archaeological and Cultural Heritage. A Practical Guide and New Perspectives, Springer, 2019.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[4] Villani F., D'Amico S., Panzera F., Vassallo M., Bozionelos G., Farrugia D., Galea P., 2018. Shallow high-resolution geophysical investigation along the western segment of the Victoria Lines Fault (island of Malta). Tectonophysics, 724&amp;#8211;725, 220-233 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2018.01.010&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[5] Persico R., Leucci G., D&amp;#8217;Amico S., De Giorgi L., Colica E., Lazzari M., The watch towers in Malta: a patrimony to preserve for the future. Proceedings of 2019 IMEKO TC-4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Florence, Italy, December 4-6, 2019,pp. 100-102.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Mediation in construction disputes in England

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie Gregory-Stevens ◽  
Ian Frame ◽  
Christian Henjewele
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Disputes ◽  
Expected Benefits ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Dispute Mediation ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose Adjudication was introduced to the English construction industry in 1996 in response to its litigious nature. At the time, adjudication aimed to provide a time-efficient, cost-effective solution to construction disputes. The industry is concerned that adjudication is not always providing the expected benefits due to increasing cost, the length of time it takes to resolve disputes and the difficulty in maintaining good relationships between the parties in dispute. Mediation is recommended here as a most desirable approach to resolving disputes without affecting the relationship between the parties. However, the benefits of mediation have not been fully appreciated by all due to slow uptake. This paper aims to identify barriers to the greater use of meditation the English construction industry. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents results from a study that investigated issues preventing greater use of mediation. The study involved 20 case studies of previous dispute resolutions, ten in-depth interviews and 357 usable responses to a structured questionnaire survey involving the English construction industry. Findings The research found a limited detailed awareness of mediation within the English construction industry due to a lack of detailed knowledge among industry stakeholders and a lack of emphasis from construction contracts. The study revealed that there is strong support for adjudication; however, the majority of those with experience of adjudication would prefer to use mediation as the first step in resolving disputes. Originality/value This research identifies the support required for mediation and its preference among those with and without prior knowledge of both adjudication and mediation for the English construction industry. The paper provides an insight into barriers that need to be addressed to increase use of mediation.

scholarly journals Mapping unmarked graves with ground penetrating radar at the Walkerville Wesleyan cemetery, Adelaide

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Moffat ◽  
John Linsell ◽  
Anthea Vella ◽  
Belinda Duke ◽  
Jarrad Kowlessar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Ground Penetrating Radar ◽  
Geophysical Methods ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Australian Archaeology ◽  
Ground Penetrating

A Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey was undertaken to map unmarked graves within the historic Walkerville Wesleyan Cemetery in Adelaide. The survey revealed 168 probable graves, 20 possible graves and 68 additional graves containing more than one interment. Our results demonstrate the utility of geophysical methods, specifically GPR, as a non invasive tool for managing the cultural heritage of cemetery sites and suggest that this method could play a more significant role in Australian archaeology.

A Spatial Pattern(S) of the Eneolithic Multi-Phase Settlement of Brînzeni IV (North-Western Moldova) from the Perspective of Non-Invasive Geophysical Surveys

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-153
Author(s):  
Ghenadie Sîrbu ◽  
Dariusz Król ◽  
Marcin M. Przybyła ◽  
Małgorzata Rybicka
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Pattern ◽  
Geophysical Methods ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Current State ◽  
Geophysical Surveys ◽  
Multi Phase ◽  
North Western

Abstract Non-invasive geophysical methods are often very useful and efficient in the investigation of various archaeological sites. Using one of the most popular of them, i.e. magnetometry, we carried out a survey of the area of the multi-phase Eneolithic site of Brînzeni IV (north-western Moldova) in 2019. As a result, the spatial arrangement of the site and its current state of preservation were preliminarily identified.

scholarly journals Community Composition and Ex Situ Cultivation of Fungi Associated with UNESCO Heritage Monuments in the Bay of Naples

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 4327
Author(s):  
Mariagioia Petraretti ◽  
Karl J. Duffy ◽  
Angelo del Mondo ◽  
Antonino Pollio ◽  
Antonino De Natale
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
External Surface ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Archaeological Heritage ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Reference Collection

The Bay of Naples, Italy, is renowned for its archaeological heritage. However, this heritage is threatened by the combination of weathering and the biological activity of microorganisms. Fungi are among the major agents of microbial deterioration of cultural heritage since they can cause cracks and lesions in monuments due to the penetrating force of their hyphae. Such biodeterioration may weaken the stone structures and threaten the longevity of these culturally important monuments. To address this, we collected, identified, and maintained in culture filamentous fungi that colonize the external surface of monuments at five important archaeological sites near Naples, namely Cuma, Ercolano, Nola, Oplonti, and Pompei. We isolated a total of 27 fungal taxa, all of which can be cultivated in the laboratory, and form a part of our reference collection. Many of the described fungal taxa we found belong to groups that are involved in stone biodeterioration and can thus be considered as model organisms for in vitro studies. These results emphasize the importance of identifying and cultivating fungal stock cultures for non-invasive studies on biodeterioration. Our newly developed reference collection represents a useful resource that is available to other researchers to rapidly identify potentially hazardous fungi on other monuments.

A novel use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in uterine artery embolization

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Jemianne Bautista Jia ◽  
Eric Mastrolonardo ◽  
Mateen Soleman ◽  
Ilya Lekht
Keyword(s):  
Uterine Artery Embolization ◽  
Uterine Artery ◽  
Imaging Modality ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound ◽  
Artery Embolization ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Contrast Enhanced

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a cost-effective, quick, and non-invasive imaging modality that has yet to be incorporated in uterine artery embolization (UAE). We present two cases that demonstrate the utility of CEUS in UAE for the identification of uterine-ovarian collaterals which otherwise can result in ineffective fibroid treatment and non-target embolization.

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