Trying to break new ground in aerial archaeology

Aerial reconnaissance continues to be a vital tool for landscape-oriented archaeological research. Although a variety of remote sensing platforms operate within the earth’s atmosphere, the majority of aerial archaeological information is still derived from oblique photographs collected during observer-directed reconnaissance flights, a prospection approach which has dominated archaeological aerial survey for the past century. The resulting highly biased imagery is generally catalogued in sub-optimal (spatial) databases, if at all, after which a small selection of images is orthorectified and interpreted. For decades, this has been the standard approach. Although many innovations, including digital cameras, inertial units, photogrammetry and computer vision algorithms, geographic(al) information systems and computing power have emerged, their potential has not yet been fully exploited in order to re-invent and highly optimise this crucial branch of landscape archaeology. The authors argue that a fundamental change is needed to transform the way aerial archaeologists approach data acquisition and image processing. By addressing the very core concepts of geographically biased aerial archaeological photographs and proposing new imaging technologies, data handling methods and processing procedures, this paper gives a personal opinion on how the methodological components of aerial archaeology, and specifically aerial archaeological photography, should evolve during the next decade if developing a more reliable record of our past is to be our central aim. In this paper, a possible practical solution is illustrated by outlining a turnkey aerial prospection system for total coverage survey together with a semi-automated back-end pipeline that takes care of photograph correction and image enhancement as well as the management and interpretative mapping of the resulting data products. In this way, the proposed system addresses one of many bias issues in archaeological research: the bias we impart to the visual record as a result of selective coverage. While the total coverage approach outlined here may not altogether eliminate survey bias, it can vastly increase the amount of useful information captured during a single reconnaissance flight while mitigating the discriminating effects of observer-based, on-the-fly target selection. Furthermore, the information contained in this paper should make it clear that with current technology it is feasible to do so. This can radically alter the basis for aerial prospection and move landscape archaeology forward, beyond the inherently biased patterns that are currently created by airborne archaeological prospection

Use value vs technical requirements: Methodology for assessing potential uses in heritage buildings: the case of Lucena (Cordoba)

The present study aims to propose a methodology for adaptive reuse in municipal buildings in medium-sized cities. This investigation has been developed as part of the Strategic Plan for Intervention and Reuse of the municipal buildings of Lucena (Cordoba, Spain). Moving beyond the strictly utilitarian character of the historical object defended by Riegl, the use-value of Cultural Heritage has been established as a criterion of analysis. The advantage of this method was to evaluate the potential uses not yet activated, following the theory of cultural change or adaptation. Also, the additional conservation effort and functional value of these properties have been assessed, seeking to give continuity to the original and traditional functions of the building to reinforce its cultural significance. Therefore, the current study adopts the case study approach of the intervention plan for two municipally owned buildings in Lucena. Both are listed or proposed for their inclusion: La Tercia and the old winery Los Víbora. The research establishes a list of possible uses and the necessary interventions for rehabilitating each of these buildings, representatives of the extensive industrial legacy of the city of Lucena, based on their typological, constructive, and structural characteristics, together with their state of conservation. Additionally, the study has relied upon participant observation to examine the degree of recognition of these edifications within the collective needs of the population of Lucena. In both cases, they have lost their original use, due to their poor conservation. In this sense, they could be considered to have lost their functional validity. However, in a broad understanding of the use-value, the work has aimed to establish the building potential to overcome this situation adapting to the original use complementary functionalities. Therefore, a delicate reflection to propose new uses for them was especially relevant. In this respect, the paper addresses the idea of optimising public resources and the possible repercussions of multiple actions on the value of authenticity, from a current approach to the rehabilitation of heritage buildings based on the concept of sustainabilit

Spanish Archaeological Museums during COVID-19 (2020): An Edu-Communicative Analysis of their Activity on Twitter through the Sustainable Development Goals

On 18 March 2020, Spanish museums saw their in-person activities come to a halt. This paradigm shift has raised questions concerning how these institutions reinvented themselves and modified their edu-communicative strategies to promote heritage through active citizen participation. The present study centers on analyzing how the main Spanish archaeological museums and sites (N = 254) have used Twitter as an edu-communicative tool and analyzes the content of their hashtags through a mixed methodology. The objective is to identify the educational strategies for both transmitting information as well as interacting with users. We did it by observing and analyzing if Spanish archaeological institutions are promoting a type of quality, accessible, and egalitarian education and promoting the creation of cyber communities that ensure the sustainability of heritage through citizen participation. This paper proposes an innovative assessment of communication on Twitter based on the purpose of messages from the viewpoint of heritage education, their r-elational factor, and predominant type of learning. The main findings reveal a significant increase in Twitter activity, both in quantitative and qualitative terms: educational content is gaining primacy over the simple sharing of basic information and promotional content. The networks forge new ways to teach–learn and interact with media and represent a strong channel to promote the sustainability of heritage, its preservation, and appreciation

Digital 3D Technologies for Humanities Research and Education: An Overview

Digital 3D modelling and visualization technologies have been widely applied to support research in the humanities since the 1980s. Since technological backgrounds, project opportunities, and methodological considerations for application are widely discussed in the literature, one of the next tasks is to validate these techniques within a wider scientific community and establish them in the culture of academic disciplines. This article resulted from a postdoctoral thesis and is intended to provide a comprehensive overview on the use of digital 3D technologies in the humanities with regards to (1) scenarios, user communities, and epistemic challenges; (2) technologies, UX design, and workflows; and (3) framework conditions as legislation, infrastructures, and teaching programs. Although the results are of relevance for 3D modelling in all humanities disciplines, the focus of our studies is on modelling of past architectural and cultural landscape objects via interpretative 3D reconstruction methods

Determinants of tourism destination competitiveness in the countries most visited by international tourists: Proposal of a synthetic index

Tourism destination competitiveness is a multidimensional concept that is widely studied in the academic literature, but multiple factors make its measurement a difficult task. In this article, we design a synthetic index to rank the 80 countries that attract the majority of international tourists by level of tourism competitiveness. In order to do this, we use all of the simple variables included in the 2017 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index, proposing a new methodology for the construction of this synthetic index, which it solves the problems of aggregation of variables expressed in different measures, arbitrary weighting and duplicity of information; issues that remain unresolved by the TTCI. Likewise, we analyse the most influential dimensions in tourism competitiveness. Air transport infrastructures, cultural resources and ICT readiness are the key dimensions that explain the main disparities.Funding Agency Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness State Research Agency (SRA) European Union (EU) ECO2017-86822-Rinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exploring Three Colombian-Andean Folk Style (Danza, Pasillo, and Bambuco): An Analysis and Arrangement of Three Colombian Pieces for Flute and Piano

This dissertation contains an analysis, comparison, and transcription of three Colombian pieces for flute and piano, written by composers of three different styles of folk music: pasillo, bambuco, and danza. An understanding of the historical context of these Colombian musical genres, and comparison of these instrumental pieces for flute and piano to those of other Colombian composers, informed my subsequent transcription and edition. The selected musical material comprises Bandolita, a pasillo composed by Luis Uribe Bueno, Bambuquísimo, a bambuco by Leon Cardona, and Adiós a Bogotá, a danza by Luis Antonio Calvo

On \u3cem\u3eConvivencia\u3c/em\u3e, Bridges and Boundaries: Belonging and exclusion in the narratives of Spain’s Arab-Islamic past

References to the history of al-Andalus, the medieval Muslim territory of the Iberian Peninsula, in what is today the region of Andalusia (Spain) still have a palpable presence and relevance. This dissertation examines diverse accounts of the Arab-Islamic past, and the ways and contexts in which they are invoked. Based on a year and a half of fieldwork in Granada, Spain, I conducted interviews with ordinary Andalusians, academics and researchers (primarily historians), tour guides, historical novelists, high school history teachers, Spanish-born Muslim converts to Islam, Moroccans, and others involved in the contemporary production of this history. Moreover, I conducted participant observation at national and regional commemorations, celebrations and historical sites, areas where this ‘Moorish’ history, as it is commonly known, is a central feature. I argue that: (1) historical accounts of al-Andalus cannot be reduced to the two polarized versions (or “sides”) dominant in political discourse and in much academic debate – one that views the Reconquista as liberation and another that views it as a tragedy – rather, there is a broad and often neglected spectrum between these opposing versions; (2) Andalusia draws on the Arab-Islamic past to promote its tourist industry, and its economic, political and cultural relations with the Arab world. It is safe to suggest that Andalusia is pulled between a history that bridges Europe and the Arab world, and a contemporary European border that reminds us of contemporary geopolitical divisions and separations; (3) Andalusian history and historical sites are commodified to maintain revenue from the tourist industry. Yet, in the process, inhabitants of the Albayzin, the Moorish quarter, adopt similar tourist practices to learn about their own history and appropriate global heritage tourism discourse to contest governmental decisions that benefit tourists to the detriment of residents; (4) commemorations and celebrations in the city weave together a dominant narrative that reinforces the national narrative and its myth of origin; concurrently, these annual rituals provide spaces for alternative versions to circulate, including those that are opposed to the official versions. Importantly, the Día de la Toma (Day of the Capture) commemoration symbolizing national unity is the most publicly contested

Medieval tourism events: case study of the Algarve

This thesis paper deals with Medieval Tourism events, with the case study of the Algarve (the events of Castro Marim’s “Dias Medievais”, Salir’s “Salir do Tempo”, and Silve’s “Feira Medieval”). The main objective of this study is to analyze the medieval tourism events that happen in Portugal and Spain, with a case study on the Algarve region. The side objective is: (i) To characterize the medieval tourism events in the Iberian Peninsula; (ii) To understand the evolution of these type of events in terms of supply and demand (iii) To know the opinion of those responsible for the organization of the medieval events in the Algarve, about the impacts of the same in the last two decades. We shall analyze the field of tourism generally speaking, cultural tourism, medieval tourism, and events and tourism section by section in our literature review. We shall in our methodology collect secondary data via a database on medieval events in the Iberian Peninsula, and primary data on our case study via interviews on the three events organizers. The analysis of the contents of the three interviews will shed light on our main research question which is "To what extent did the medieval events held in the Algarve, in the municipalities of Silves, Loulé and Castro Marim, contribute, in the perspective of their organizers, to the development of the localities and communities involved and to the increase of their awareness?" Finally, to conclude our study, we shall comment on future recommendations for research and directions for inquiry on Medieval tourism events.A presente tese versa sobre os Eventos Medievais, com o estudo de caso do Algarve, onde se abordam em concreto os eventos de “Dias Medievais” de Castro Marim, “Salir do Tempo” de Salir e “Feira Medieval” de Silves. O objetivo principal deste estudo é analisar num primeiro momento os eventos medievais que ocorrem em Portugal e em Espanha, salientando-se no estudo de caso aqueles que decorrem no Algarve. O objetivo secundário é: (i) caracterizar os eventos turísticos medievais na Península Ibérica; (ii) compreender a evolução deste tipo de eventos em termos de oferta e procura (iii) Conhecer a opinião dos responsáveis pela organização dos eventos medievais no Algarve sobre os impactos que os mesmos tiveram nas últimas duas décadas. A nossa revisão de literatura para por uma análise dos conceitos de turismo, turismo cultural, turismo medieval e eventos e turismo. A metodologia deste estudo apresenta a recolha de dados secundários relativos a eventos medievais na Península Ibérica e dados primários sobre nosso estudo de caso por meio de entrevistas nos três organizadores de eventos. A análise do conteúdo das três entrevistas permitiu-nos refletir sobre a nossa principal questão de investigação "Até que ponto os eventos medievais realizados no Algarve, nos concelhos de Silves, Loulé e Castro Marim, contribuem, na perspetiva dos seus organizadores, para o desenvolvimento das localidades e comunidades envolvidas e para o aumento de sua consciência?" Finalmente, para concluir nosso estudo, comentaremos sobre recomendações futuras para pesquisa e instruções para consulta sobre eventos turísticos medievais