3D reconstructions of gneiss quarries through long-range laser scanning for a quantitative volume estimation of dimension stones

Nowadays, the economic activities of dimension stone quarries are menaced by the increase of production costs due to (i) continuously changing demand because of the evolving dimension stone fashion and (ii) increasing administrative limits and rules acting to protect the environment. These costs add to the exploitation costs related to the geological phenomena such as fractures, faults and heterogeneous rocks that hinder the processing of the stone product. In Canton Ticino (Southern Switzerland), the exploitation of dimension stone, mostly gneisses, is an important activity of valley’s economies that is facing the aforementioned problems. Therefore, the sustainable development for the next decades of the dimension stone sector needs new and effective strategies to regulate and plan the quarries. A fundamental step in this process is the building of a 3D geological model of the quarries to constrain the volume of commercial dimension stone and the volume of waste. In this context, we conducted Terrestrial Laser Scanning surveys of the quarries in the Maggia Valley to obtain a detailed 3D topography onto which the geological units were mapped. The topographic 3D model was obtained with a long-range laser scanning Riegl VZ4000 that can measure from up to 4 km of distance with a speed of 147,000 points per second. It operates with the new V-line technology, which defines the surface relief by sensing differentiated signals (echoes), even in the presence of obstacles such as vegetation. Depending on the aesthetics of the gneisses, we defined seven types of dimension stones that, together with faults and joints, were mapped onto the 3D models of the exploitation sites. According to the orientation of the geological limits and structures, we projected the different rock units and fractures into the excavation front. This way, we obtained a 3D geological model from which we can quantitatively estimate the volume of the seven different dimension stones (with different commercial value) and waste (with low commercial value). To verify the 3D geological models and to quantify exploited rock and waste volumes the same procedure will be repeated after ca. 6 months. Finally, these 3D geological models can be useful to (i) decrease the exploitation costs because they yield the extraction potential of quarry, (ii) become more efficient in the exploitation and more dynamic in the market because they permit better planning and (iii) decrease the waste by limiting the excavation in regions with low-quality rocks

The geomorphological landscapes in the Geneva Basin

The landscape of the Geneva Basin, located in the south-westernmost part of the Swiss Plateau between the northern end of the Prealps and the Jura, results from the long-term, continuous tectonic deformation of the Alpine foreland and surface processes reflecting alternation of glacial and interglacial periods. The main geomorphological elements of the Geneva Basin can be thus divided in: (i) tectonically controlled features, associated with the north-westernmost compressive Alpine tectonics represented by SW-NE oriented ridges interrupted by NW-SE lineaments; (ii) glacially related erosional and depositional features; and (iii) postglacial establishment of the present day hydrographic network. Responsible land-use planning over the last centuries resulted in a region internationally known for a balance between urban and industry expansion, agricultural activities and nature preservation areas, which is ensuring both economic and landscape attractiveness of the Geneva Basin

An Iron Age ceramic sequence from the Bayt Bin Ati, al‐Ain, UAE

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Rescue excavations associated with the adaptive reuse of a historic building in the Qattara Oasis revealed a 5 m stratigraphic sequence spanning the past 3000 years. The main period of occupation—roughly half the sequence—belongs to the Iron Age II and III periods (c.1100–300 BC). Evidence of agriculture and industry was found which complements our understanding of the well-known Iron Age settlements of al-Ain. The present paper sets out the stratigraphic sequence and presents the phased ceramic assemblage, before considering the broader implications for the archaeology of Iron Age south-east Arabia

Plant economy and territory exploitation in the Alps during the Neolithic (5000–4200 cal bc): first results of archaeobotanical studies in the Valais (Switzerland)

This paper presents the archaeobotanical study of several Neolithic settlements located in the Valais, the upper part of the Rhone Valley, in Switzerland. The archaeological sites are dated between 5000 and 4200 cal bc, which corresponds to the Early and the Middle Neolithic. Most of the sites are situated around 500–600 m, overhanging the alluvial plain of the Rhone. First results of the macroremains analysis show that cereals, comprising mainly naked wheat (Triticum aestivum s.l./durum/turgidum) and barley (Hordeum distichum/vulgare), are predominant. In addition, pea (Pisum sativum) and opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) are recorded. Gathered plants are sparse, and this from the first establishment of farmers around 5000 cal bc. If we compare the obtained results with data from the Northern French Alps, not far from the Valais, we get a completely different picture of the Neolithic plant economy. In the northern French Alps the communities exploited all vegetation levels from the collinean to the subalpine belt, gathered plants playing an important role alongside the cultivated species. Our first results are giving a new insight into the first agro-pastoral communities in the Swiss Alps; they are allowing us to understand how plant resources were exploited in a mountainous context and to outline the catchment area of the settlements

Worked and decorated shell discs from southern Arabia and the wider Near East

This article presents and discusses a corpus of worked and decorated shell discs from recently excavated archaeological sites in southern Arabia, including Dibba (northern Oman), Saruq al-Hadid (UAE) and Sumhuram/Khor Rori (southern Oman). The artefacts are compared to a wide range of shell discs from controlled excavations in Arabia and the broader Near East in order to better understand their date, manufacture and use. The comparative study highlights the wide distribution of decorated shell discs across the ancient Near East, particularly during the early Iron Age, and the complex economic and cultural connections that underpinned the collection, crafting, exchange and significance of such items