A Computational Model of the Spread of Ancient Human Populations Based on Mitochondrial DNA Samples

The extraction of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from ancient human population samples provides important data for the reconstruction of population influences, spread and evolution from the Neolithic to the present. This paper presents a mtDNA-based similarity measure between pairs of human populations and a computational model for the evolution of human populations. In a computational experiment, the paper studies the mtDNA information from five Neolithic and Bronze Age populations, namely the Andronovo, the Bell Beaker, the Minoan, the Rössen and the Únětice populations. In the past these populations were identified as separate cultural groups based on geographic location, age and the use of, decoration or shape of cultural artifacts

A virtual world of paleontology

Computer-aided visualization and analysis of fossils has revolutionized the study of extinct organisms. Novel techniques allow fossils to be characterized in three dimensions and in unprecedented detail. This has enabled paleontologists to gain important insights into their anatomy, development, and preservation. New protocols allow more objective reconstructions of fossil organisms, including soft tissues, from incomplete remains. The resulting digital reconstructions can be used in functional analyses, rigorously testing long-standing hypotheses regarding the paleobiology of extinct organisms. These approaches are transforming our understanding of long-studied fossil groups, and of the narratives of organismal and ecological evolution that have been built upon them

From survey to fem analysis for documentation of built heritage: The case study of villa revedin-bolasco

In the last decade advances in the fields of close-range photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and Computer Vision (CV) have enabled to collect different kind of information about a Cultural Heritage objects and to carry out highly accurate 3D models. Additionally, the integration between laser scanning technology and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is gaining particular interest in recent years for structural analysis of built heritage, since the increasing computational capabilities allow to manipulate large datasets. In this note we illustrate the approach adopted for surveying, 3D modeling and structural analysis of Villa Revedin-Bolasco, a magnificent historical building located in the small walled town of Castelfranco Veneto, in northern Italy. In 2012 CIRGEO was charged by the University of Padova to carry out a survey of the Villa and Park, as preliminary step for subsequent restoration works. The inner geometry of the Villa was captured with two Leica Disto D3a BT hand-held laser meters, while the outer walls of the building were surveyed with a Leica C10 and a Faro Focus 3D 120 terrestrial laser scanners. Ancillary GNSS measurements were also collected for 3D laser model georeferencing. A solid model was then generated from the laser global point cloud in Rhinoceros software, and portion of it was used for simulation in a Finite Element Analysis (FEA). In the paper we discuss in detail all the steps and challenges addressed and solutions adopted concerning the survey, solid modeling and FEA from laser scanning data of the historical complex of Villa Revedin-Bolasco

Developing an interoperable cloud-based visualization workflow for 3D archaeological heritage data. The Palenque 3D Archaeological Atlas

In archaeology, 3D data has become ubiquitous, as researchers routinely capture high resolution photogrammetry and LiDAR models and engage in laborious 3D analysis and reconstruction projects at every scale: artifacts, buildings, and entire sites. The raw data and processed 3D models are rarely shared as their computational dependencies leave them unusable by other scholars. In this paper we outline a novel approach for cloud-based collaboration, visualization, analysis, contextualization, and archiving of multi-modal giga-resolution archaeological heritage 3D data. The Palenque 3D Archaeological Atlas builds on an open source WebGL systems that efficiently interlink, merge, present, and contextualize the Big Data collected at the ancient Maya city of Palenque, Mexico, allowing researchers and stakeholders to visualize, access, share, measure, compare, annotate, and repurpose massive complex archaeological datasets from their web-browsers

Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) System for Ancient Documentary Artefacts

This tutorial summarises our uses of reflectance transformation imaging in archaeological contexts. It introduces the UK AHRC funded project reflectance Transformation Imaging for Anciant Documentary Artefacts and demonstrates imaging methodologies

Supercomputing for Digitized 3D Models of Cultural Heritage

Three-dimensional digital data capture techniques such as laser scanning hold great promise for preserving and studying cultural heritage objects. However, the immense size of many scanned datasets and the computationally demanding nature of geometric processing algorithms can overwhelm traditional desktop computing environments. To overcome this bottleneck, we will investigate the application of high performance supercomputing resources for processing and analyzing scanned 3D models of cultural heritage. We will develop new algorithms and software to utilize supercomputers for humanities scholarship, including methods for converting raw scan point cloud data to finished 3D surface models, and for automated re-assembly of fragmented archaeological artifacts. We will begin to apply these techniques to large raw scan datasets that we have previously acquired, including notable artistic statuary, important archaeological artifacts, and historical architectural sites