3D digital technologies for architectural analysis. The case of the "Pagan Shrine" in the Catacombs of Santa Lucia (Siracusa, Sicily)

The Catacombs of Santa Lucia are one of the oldest and most important monuments in the Christian communities of Siracusa and Sicily in the late Roman period. The name of the complex derives from a tradition, according to which Saint Lucy was buried here, after her martyrdom in the early 4th century AD, under the reign of Diocletian. A large underground cemetery extends beneath the homonymous square. The cemetery gradually expanded from the 3rd to the 5th century AD, as it incorporated pre-existing constructions once used for funerary, religious and industrial purposes, by transforming them into monumental burial chambers. One of the most significant structures is the so-called ‘Pagan Shrine’: a chamber that is dated between the 3rd century BC and 1st century AD, prior to the foundation of the cemetery and frescoed with worldly themes and pagan deities. The Shrine is located in the South-western corner of Regio C, an area that is hard and rather dangerous to reach, never opened to the public and visited only by few scholars over the past decades. The excavation project undertaken in the years 2011-2015 by the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology, in association with the Arcadia University and the University of Catania, led to the development of the first virtual replica of the Shrine, using Digital Photogrammetry. This new approach facilitated an accurate examination of both its structure and its decoration, allowing us to propose a new theory about the original purpose of the room, traditionally regarded by scholars as a place for worshipping Zeus Peloros

3D digital technologies for architectural analysis. The case of the ‘Pagan Shrine’ in the Catacombs of Santa Lucia (Siracusa, Sicily)

The Catacombs of Santa Lucia are one of the oldest and most important monuments in the Christian communities of Siracusa and Sicily in the late Roman period. The name of the complex derives from a tradition, according to which Saint Lucy was buried here, after her martyrdom in the early 4th century AD, under the reign of Diocletian. A large underground cemetery extends beneath the homonymous square. The cemetery gradually expanded from the 3rd to the 5th century AD, as it incorporated pre-existing constructions once used for funerary, religious and industrial purposes, by transforming them into monumental burial chambers. One of the most significant structures is the so-called ‘Pagan Shrine’: a chamber that is dated between the 3rd century BC and 1st century AD, prior to the foundation of the cemetery and frescoed with worldly themes and pagan deities. The Shrine is located in the South-western corner of Regio C, an area that is hard and rather dangerous to reach, never opened to the public and visited only by few scholars over the past decades. The excavation project undertaken in the years 2011-2015 by the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology, in association with the Arcadia University and the University of Catania, led to the development of the first virtual replica of the Shrine, using Digital Photogrammetry. This new approach facilitated an accurate examination of both its structure and its decoration, allowing us to propose a new theory about the original purpose of the room, traditionally regarded by scholars as a place for worshipping Zeus Peloros

3D Digital Technologies to Record Excavation Data: The Case of the Catacombs of St. Lucy (Siracusa, Sicily) = Tecnología digital 3-D para registrar datos de excavación: el caso de las catacumbas de Santa Lucía (Siracusa, Italia)

ENGLISH: Between 2013 and 2015, Arcadia University in Partnership with the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology and the University of Catania undertook new excavation campaigns in the Catacombs of St. Lucy at Siracusa. The research focuses on some very problematic parts of Region C of the complex, including Oratory C, the so-called Pagan Shrine and Crypt VI. These areas document most effectively the long life of this Christian hypogeum, which incorporated previous structures and artefacts related to the Greek period and continued to be used until the Middle Ages. During the excavation an array of 3D digital techniques (3D scanning, 3d Modelling, Image-based 3D modelling) was used for the daily recording of the archaeological units, but also to create high-resolution virtual replicas of certain districts of the catacombs. Furthermore, the same techniques were applied to support the study of certain classes of materials, such as frescoes and marble architectural elements that could otherwise only be studied in the dark environment of the catacombs, making the visual analysis of such complex artifacts difficult and sometimes misleading, not to mention that the frequent use of strong sources of light for study can also endanger them. The virtual archaeology research undertaken at the Catacombs of St. Lucy represents the first systematic application of 3D digital technologies to the study of such a special archaeological context in Sicily. / ESPAÑOL: Entre los años 2013 hasta 2015, La Universidad de Arcadia conjunto con la Comisión Pontifical para Arqueología Sagrada y la Universidad de Catania se comprometieron a hacer nuevas excavaciones en las catacumbas de Santa Lucia en Siracusa. La investigación se enfoca en unas de las partes mas problemáticas de la región C del complejo, como la oratoria C, los dos así llamados santuarios paganos y la cripta VI. Estas áreas documentan la larga historia del hipogeo cristiano mejor que otras lo cual incorporó previas estructuras y artefactos relacionados con el periodo griego y siguió ser usado hasta el Medioevo. Durante la excavación, un despliegue de técnicos digitales en 3D (el escaneo 3D, el modelado en 3D hecho a mano, el modelado 3D basado en la imagen) fueron usados para la registro diario de las unidades arquitectónicas, pero también para crear replicas virtuales de alta resolución de ciertas regiones de las catacumbas. Además, las mismas técnicas fueron aplicadas para apoyar el estudio de ciertas clases de materiales, como frescos y elementos arquitectónicos de mármol, los cuales sólo se puede estudiar en la oscuridad de las catacumbas que lo hace difícil y a veces engaña el análisis visual de esos objetos tan complejos, por no hablar del uso frecuente de fuentes fuertes de luz para investigar los objetos que también puede ponerlos en peligro. La investigación arqueológica virtual que aconteció en las catacumbas de Santa Lucia representa la primera aplicación sistémica de tecnologías digitales en 3D para la investigación de un contexto arqueológico tan peculiar en Sicilia

Best Practices for 3D Digital Recording and Global Sharing of Catacombs from Late Roman Sicily

During the most recent excavations at the Catacombs of St. Lucy at Siracusa, carried out between 2013 and 2015, an array of 3D technologies were employed to record excavation data and provide new interpretative models for the site. The research focused on some very problematic parts of the Region C of the complex. Thisarea most effectively documents the long life of the Christian hypogeum, which incorporated previous structures and artefacts related to the Greek and Early Roman Imperial periods and continued to beused until the Middle Ages. During the exploration 3D digital techniques were used for the daily recording of the archaeological units, but also to create high-resolution virtual replicas of certain districts of the catacombs. Furthermore, the same techniques were applied to support the study of certain classes of materials, such as frescoes and marble architectural elementsthat couldnot otherwise be studieddue to the dark environment of the catacombs. The virtual archaeology research undertaken at the Catacombs of St. Lucy represents the first systematic application of 3D digital technologies tothe study of such a specialarchaeological context in Sicily, culminating in a work-plan for digital global dissemination

3D Digital Technologies to Record Excavation Data: The Case of the Catacombs of St. Lucy (Siracusa, Sicily)

Between 2013 and 2015, Arcadia University in partnership with the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology and the University of Catania undertook new excavation campaigns in the Catacombs of St. Lucy at Siracusa. The research focuses on some very problematic parts of Region C of the complex, including Oratory C, the so-called Pagan Shrine and Crypt VI. These areas document most effectively the long life of this Christian hypogeum, which incorporated previous structures and artefacts related to the Greek period and continued to be used until the Middle Ages. During the excavation an array of 3D digital techniques (3D scanning, 3d Modelling, Image-based 3D modelling) was used for the daily recording of the archaeological units, but also to create high-resolution virtual replicas of certain districts of the catacombs. Furthermore, the same techniques were applied to support the study of certain classes of materials, such as frescoes and marble architectural elements that could otherwise only be studied in the dark environment of the catacombs, making the visual analysis of such complex artifacts difficult and sometimes misleading, not to mention that the frequent use of strong sources of light for study can also endanger them. The virtual archaeology research undertaken at the Catacombs of St. Lucy represents the first systematic application of 3D digital technologies to the study of such a special archaeological context in Sicily