Site, artefacts and landscape: Prehistoric Borg in-Nadur, Malta

In the past decade, Computer Graphics have become strategic for the development of projects aimed at the interpretation of archaeological evidence and the dissemination of scientific results to the public. Among all the solutions available, the use of 3D models is particularly relevant for the reconstruction of poorly preserved sites and monuments destroyed by natural causes or human action. These digital replicas are, at the same time, a virtual environment that can be used as a tool for the interpretative hypotheses of archaeologists and an effective medium for a visual description of the cultural heritage as it is crosses linguistic barriers. In this paper, the methodology, aims and outcomes of a virtual reconstruction of the Borġ in-Nadur megalithic temple, carried out by Archeomatica Project of the University of Catania, are offered as a case study for a Virtual Archaeology of prehistoric Malta.peer-reviewe

Il modello architettonico preistorico di Ta Hagrat a Malta. Analisi formale, costruttiva e strutturale

I modelli di edifici esistenti o progettati, comuni nello sviluppo dell’architettura sia come mezzo di studio sia come medium di rappresentazione, sono piuttosto rari nella pre- e protostoria. In ogni caso essi raramente sono definiti tanto da poter dedurre le effettive caratteristiche dell’edificio rappresentato. Il modello reperito tra il 1923 e il 1926 nello scavo archeologico del complesso templare preistorico megalitico di Ta Hagrat (IV m.) nell’Isola di Malta, scolpito in Calcare a Globigerine e ora conservato nel Museo archeologico di Malta, consente invece, nonostante le piccolissime dimensioni (4,5 x 3,7 x 2,5 cm c.), una lettura puntuale delle caratteristiche architettoniche, cioè materiche, formali, tecnico-costruttive e strutturali. Notissimo e molto citato, il reperto non è mai stato oggetto di studi sistematici. Escusse le tesi di altri Autori che lo hanno menzionato, l’autore espone i risultati conseguiti con le proprie analisi per le quali ha usato i metodi della storia dell’architettura e dell’ingegneria strutturale (rilievo laser scanner 3D, FEM ecc.). Esso rappresenta un edificio di forma ellittica di c. 6,5 x 4,5 x 2,70 m realizzato con grandi blocchi lapidei, quindi megalitico, posti in verticale, con alternanza di elementi ortostatici ed elementi diatonici collegati a secco; è coperto con 5 “travi” accostate(le più antiche rappresentate), cioè elementi lapidei posti di taglio della lunghezza presumibile di 5 m (il più lungo), resi stabili da lastre poste di piatto alle due estremità del sistema di travi. Il modello, che ha valori architettonici autonomi ma con alcune soluzioni originali avanzate, conferma i modi costruttivi dell’architettura dei templi megalitici maltesi ad esso contemporanei soprattutto per quanto concerne, per tali edifici, la presenza di copertura litica, che ancora è oggetto di discussione nell’ambiente accademico. Si tratta probabilmente di un modello di studio progettuale realizzato di propria mano da un costruttore di architetture megaliti. The models of existing or designed buildings, to be usually found in the development of the architecture, both as study means and as representation medium, are rather rare in pre- and proto-history. In any case they rarely are so defined to allow of a full deduction of the characteristics of the building they represent. The model, found between 1923 and 1926 in the archaeological excavation of the prehistoric megalithic templar complex of Ta Hagrat (IV m.) in the Malta Island, carved in Globigerina Limestone, now conserved in the Maltese Archaeological Museum,on the contrary allows, in spite of its very small (4,5 x 3,7 x 2,5 cm c.), of an accurate interpretation of its architectural characteristics, say material, formal, technical-constructive,structural. Well-known and frequently mentioned, the find has never been the object of systematic studies. Examined the theses of other Scholars who cited it, the author proposes the results of his analysis made with the instruments of the history of architecture and structural engineering (Laser scanner 3D survey, FEM etc.). It represents a building of elliptic shape of about 6,5 x 4,5 x 2,70 made with large stone blocks, thus a megalithic one, vertically placed, with alternation of orthostatic and diatonic elements, connected without mortar; it is covered by 5 adjacent “beams”(the most ancient ever represented), i.e. lithic elements rectangular in section, placed on edge, of the supposed length of 5 m c. (the longest one); the beam system is stabilized by a couple of slabs at each end of it, placed flat on the walls. The model, that belongs autonomous architectural values with a few original and advanced solutions, is the confirmation of the building techniques of the coeval architecture of the prehistoric megalithic Maltese temples mainly as regards, in the temples, the presence of a lithic covering that still is a matter of discussion in the academic setting. It is probably the embodiment of the development of architectural intuition by a builder of megalithic architectures, made by his own hands

GCI Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites Bibliography

Provides practitioners, as well as those new to the subject, with an overview of the literature related to the management and conservation of archaeological sites. Jointly prepared by GCI and the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus

Body size, skeletal biomechanics and habitual behaviour: a bioarchaeological approach to social and economic change in the Neolithic and Copper Age central Mediterranean

The central Mediterranean during the 4th-3rd millennia BC is traditionally considered a period of economic and social transformation between the Neolithic and Bronze Age, characterised by agricultural intensification, technological innovation, and the emergence of gendered society. This project directly investigates these social and economic processes through a bioarchaeological approach which investigates body size, as reflective of physiological and nutritional stress, and long bone skeletal biomechanics, as reflective of habitual behaviour. This research uses metric data derived from 3D models of humeri, femora and tibiae in 17 human skeletal assemblages from across the central Mediterranean and features comparative analysis with a large sample of individuals spanning the Upper Palaeolithic to Modern periods. The application of 3D scanning also enabled the use of novel methods in the analysis of fragmented skeletal remains. The analysis of body size documents a pronounced reduction in body mass and stature during the Neolithic, followed by a gradual recovery in the Copper and Bronze Ages. The results suggest that the transition to agriculture was initially challenging for early farming groups in the central Mediterranean, resulting in increased physiological and nutritional stress. The biomechanical analysis of the humerus found that the intensification of agriculture in the Copper Age was characterised by a wider range of manual behaviours, reflecting the introduction of diverse economic tasks and craft specialisation. The analysis of the humerus also found no evidence for sexual division of labour in the Copper Age, contrasting with the widely accepted models of social change that have been proposed for the period. The analysis of the lower limb observed a decline in robusticity following the Neolithic, indicating that Copper Age groups were less terrestrially mobile than Neolithic groups. The results of this thesis demonstrate the effectiveness of a bioarchaeological approach in exploring social and economic change in prehistory and provide a framework for future research on the Copper Age of the central Mediterranean.Arts & Humanities Research Council Studentship, University of Cambridge Doctoral Training Partnership Robert Gardiner Memorial Scholarship (Honorary Award

Between the desert and the deep: the lived experience of the funerary landscape of the ancient Maghreb (4th – 1st millennium BCE)

This thesis focusses on the underlying traditions, inspirations, and influences that led to the creation of the so-called Numidian elite funerary architecture of the 4th to 1st centuries BCE in the ancient Maghreb. Using the nine most-studied structures as a point of departure, the argument will focus on how these tombs and related monuments fit into their African and Mediterranean contexts and the impact this had on self- and social identity in North Africa. This will offer an insight into the indigenous communities and their society before and during this period as reflected in, and projected through, their funerary traditions. This includes analysing the pre-existing northern African burial traditions from the 4th millennium BCE onwards and their impact on the development of megalithic funerary practices over the millennia. By focusing on the built environment, landscape, and the human experience of death and burial, this study explores not only the physical reality of mortuary practices in the prehistoric Maghreb but also the lasting ritual traditions that influenced the later development of monumental construction during the Hellenistic period and beyond. This analysis is conducted through the theoretical frameworks of landscape and sense archaeology, globalization theory, and creolization theory to create a more balanced comprehension of the complex dynamics of the increasingly inter-regional and diverse context of the ancient Maghreb

Virtual Heritage

Virtual heritage has been explained as virtual reality applied to cultural heritage, but this definition only scratches the surface of the fascinating applications, tools and challenges of this fast-changing interdisciplinary field. This book provides an accessible but concise edited coverage of the main topics, tools and issues in virtual heritage. Leading international scholars have provided chapters to explain current issues in accuracy and precision; challenges in adopting advanced animation techniques; shows how archaeological learning can be developed in Minecraft; they propose mixed reality is conceptual rather than just technical; they explore how useful Linked Open Data can be for art history; explain how accessible photogrammetry can be but also ethical and practical issues for applying at scale; provide insight into how to provide interaction in museums involving the wider public; and describe issues in evaluating virtual heritage projects not often addressed even in scholarly papers. The book will be of particular interest to students and scholars in museum studies, digital archaeology, heritage studies, architectural history and modelling, virtual environments

Multimetal smithing : An urban craft in rural settings?

Multimetal smithing should be defined as the use of more than one metal and/or different metalworking techniques within thesame crafts-milieu. This complex metalworking has long been linked to centrality, central places and urbanity in Scandinavia.It has been extensively argued that fine casting and smithing, as well as manufacture utilizing precious metals was exclusivelyundertaken within early urban settings or the “central places” pre-dating these. Furthermore, the presence of complex metalcraftsmanship has been used as a driving indicator of the political, social and economic superiority of certain sites, therebyenhancing their identity as “centralities”.Recent research has come to challenge the universality of this link between urbanity, centrality and complex metalworkingas sites in rural settings with evidence of multimetal smithing are being identified. This shows that the relationship between thecraft and centrality (urbanity) must be nuanced and that perhaps multimetal craftsmanship should be reconsidered as an urbanindicator.The thesis project “From Crucible and onto Anvil” started in 2015 and focuses on sites housing remains of multimetalcraftsmanship dating primarily from 500-1000 AD. Within the project a comprehensive survey of sites will be used to evaluate thepresence of multimetal craftsmanship in the landscape. Sites in selected target areas will also be subject to intra-site analysisfocusing on workshop organisation, production output, metalworking techniques and chronological variances.A key aim in the project is to elucidate the conceptual aspects of complex metalworking. The term multimetality is used toanalytically frame all the societal and economic aspects of multimetal craftsmanship. Through this inclusive perspective both thecraftsmanship and the metalworkers behind it are positioned within the overall socioeconomic framework. The metalworkers,their skills and competences as well as the products of their labour are viewed as dynamic actors in the landscape and on thearenas of political economy of the Late Iron Age.The survey has already revealed interesting aspects concerning multimetal smithing and urbanity. Although the multimetalsites do cluster against areas of early urban development there are also other patterns emerging. Multimetal craftsmanship – both as practice and concept – was well represented in both rural peripheral settings and urban crafts-milieus. This means that therole of multimetality as part of an “urban conceptual package” is crucial to investigate. Such an approach will have the dual endsof properly understanding the craft and its societal implications, but also further the knowledge of the phenomenon of urbanityas a whole. Was multimetal smithing part of an “urban package” that spread into the rural landscape? Did the multimetality differbetween urban and rural crafts-milieus? How does early urbanity relate to the chronology of multimetal craftsmanship?This paper aims to counter these questions using examples from the survey of multimetal sites conducted within the thesisproject. A comparison between selected sites will be presented. The purpose of this is to evaluate the role of multimetality withinthe “urban package” and discuss the role of complex metalworking in the establishment of urban arenas of interaction in LateIron Age Scandinavia

Virtual Heritage

Virtual heritage has been explained as virtual reality applied to cultural heritage, but this definition only scratches the surface of the fascinating applications, tools and challenges of this fast-changing interdisciplinary field. This book provides an accessible but concise edited coverage of the main topics, tools and issues in virtual heritage. Leading international scholars have provided chapters to explain current issues in accuracy and precision; challenges in adopting advanced animation techniques; shows how archaeological learning can be developed in Minecraft; they propose mixed reality is conceptual rather than just technical; they explore how useful Linked Open Data can be for art history; explain how accessible photogrammetry can be but also ethical and practical issues for applying at scale; provide insight into how to provide interaction in museums involving the wider public; and describe issues in evaluating virtual heritage projects not often addressed even in scholarly papers. The book will be of particular interest to students and scholars in museum studies, digital archaeology, heritage studies, architectural history and modelling, virtual environments

Pathways to spatial cognition : a multi-domain approach SpatialTrain I

“Opening a window into the future is not an easy task. Attempting to open one in a generation after the initial launching step might seemed either idealistic, naïve or with hindsight plain driven” (Formosa, 2017, p35). The drive to introduce Spatial Information integration across the Maltese Islands was an ideal, one that brought in technology, methodologies and results. However, as in the classic GIS evolution through the decades pointers on what constitutes a spatial information system were the subject of extensive debate Initially this was driven by the Push – Pull factor where entities using the primitive systems were being pushed by the availability of a mapping system and provision of base maps and hence creating data to fit the system. Initiated in the 1960s through military use, porting the processes to the physical and urban domains in the 1980s and 1990s, further takeup was made in the environmental domains in the 1990s to 2000s and eventually to the social domain in the 2000 to 2010s. Jumping through the decades, the global explosion of GIS and Spatial awareness as well as software, methods and integrative constructs morphed GIS into an availability that made it all possible, particularly through online and web-enabled GIS. This Pull – Push factor caused entities and private organisations to finally break through by creating their own data and then going for the mapping systems that fit their needs, systems that have evolved beyond recognition, both in the proprietary and open-source/open-access arenas. [Excerpt from the Introduction by Prof. Saviour Formosa]peer-reviewe

Historical Ecology, Archaeology and Biocultural Landscapes: Cross-Disciplinary Approaches to the Long Anthropocene

This book collects a series of interdisciplinary contributions about Historical Ecology, Archeology and Biocultural Landscapes focused on the analysis of landscape dynamics during the Long Anthropocene. Through case studies across Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia and America, the volume offers a series of examples of approaches and applications to combine and stimulate an interdisciplinary debate between Natural Science and Humanities for understanding long-term human–environment interaction and historical sustainability