scholarly journals DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFICIENT APPROACH OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE IN THE INTERTIDAL ZONE OF THE BELGIAN NORTH SEA

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiel Decock ◽  
Cornelis Stal ◽  
Samuel Van Ackere ◽  
Annelies Vandenbulcke ◽  
Philippe De Maeyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Spatial Database ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Archaeological Heritage ◽  
Intertidal Zones ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Submerged Cultural Heritage ◽  
Belgian North Sea

The knowledge of the submerged cultural heritage in the North Sea is rather limited. The Belgian North Sea is being used for a lot of different purposes, such as fishing, aggregate extraction, wind farms, dredging, etc. Due to these increasing economic activities, the underwater archive is in danger. In the context of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage of 2001, gathering more information about the submerged cultural heritage in the intertidal zones of the North Sea is one of the main objectives of the Belgian scientific project ‘SeArch’. It will give a clearer picture of the broader cultural and archaeological heritage in the region and it can be used as a basis for a sustainable management by government agencies. The Department of Geography (Ghent University, Belgium) contributes to the SeArch project in two ways. First, an innovative survey methodology has been developed which allows an accurate and cost-efficient evaluation of the archaeological potential in the intertidal zones of the Belgian beaches. Secondly, the Department of Geography is developing an interactive webGIS platform, which makes it possible to share, integrate and visualize the gathered archaeological and environmental data and information in a user-friendly way. Hereby, the total potential of this project is fully exploited in a time-efficient manner. To create an interactive webGIS platform, a good structured spatial database is needed. It enables manipulation of a wide variety of georeferenced information in both raster and vector formats. This paper provides more information about the configuration and application of the spatial database. Moreover, it focusses on the development of a fully functional Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) using the most reliable, powerful and state-of-the-art technological components. Besides, a new  way of collecting geomatic data in a fast and accurate manner will be discussed. Some processing results will show the possibilities for detecting and visualizing underground structures and archaeological objects.

scholarly journals Fortifications at Piacenza. Historical background, restoration, open-air museum and urban planning

X ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Broglia
Keyword(s):  
Urban Planning ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Green Belt ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Complete Story

The “modern” fortifications at Piacenza are situated at a significant physical and cultural crossroads linking the Mediterranean and roads leading to Central Europe and the North Sea. This paper aims to include their historical bastion features and city walls within an open-air educational museum that is well integrated within the modern town. Starting from the original basis of a defensive nature conceived to mark boundaries and divide kingdoms, the plan is to build a park which, by means of a fully-equipped green belt, is able to narrate the story of the Siegecraft and Renaissance apse techniques. At the same time, the aim is to explain how such a system may serve as a valuable means of allowing sustainable urban transport along with that of respecting and highlighting cultural heritage. In order to tell the complete story, an attempt is made to describe how direct relief may relate to the “compact town.”

Search for the Bonhomme Richard Using Computer Modeling and Submarine Technologies

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 57-63
Author(s):  
Melissa S. Ryan ◽  
John P. McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Computer Modeling ◽  
American Revolution ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Nuclear Research ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Historical Research ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Technology Foundation

The Ocean Technology Foundation and Naval Historical Center have been searching for the remains of the Bonhomme Richard, which sank in the western North Sea as a casualty of the American Revolution. Historical information about the ship's final resting place is lacking, but its activities up until the sinking are well documented. The results of many years of historical research have been incorporated into computer modeling programs, and a Geographic Information System (GIS) map was created to document all known information on shipwreck locations, seabed geology, and other pertinent information to enable the most effective survey. A recent survey expedition utilized the U.S. Navy's nuclear research submarine NR-1 to search nearly 400 square nautical miles of the North Sea. This paper focuses on the technological tools used in the search for the Bonhomme Richard: computer modeling, GIS, and submarine technologies. It also discusses the benefits and drawbacks of using a submarine to conduct marine archaeological surveys. The expedition yielded insights into the strengths and limitations of computerized drift modeling, especially when used to reconcile empiric environmental data with conflicting eyewitness accounts.

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