EMPTYSCAPES. Towards Filling Gaps in Mediterranean Landscape Archaeology

The aim of the project is to use the ‘traditional’ methods of landscape survey in partnership with large-scale geophysical prospection, in due course airborne laser scanning, geo-archaeological and bio-archaeological. The research area is a stretch of a rural valley near the ancient city of Rusellae in southern Tuscany exploring completely new ground of a rural emptyscape. The Etruscan and Roman city of Rusellae has been relatively well explored in the past, with a history running in fairly well-defined phases of foundation, elaboration and decline from the 8th or 9th centuries BC to the early 12th century AD, when primacy and the local bishopric were ceded to the growing town of Grosseto a few km to the south-west. At least some of the developments within the ancient city are known or suspected to have been matched by developments or transformations within the open landscape of the valley, including the foundation and decline of rural villas and (possibly) of centuriation during the Roman period. Villages of one kind or another may also have been present during the Iron Age and Early Medieval periods, though their location and form remain unclear. Today, the slopes either side of the valley are largely wooded. The relatively flat and topographically undistinctive landscape between present-day Grosseto and the site of Rusellae is now displays a rotating mixture of arable cultivation and pasture, dotted with small areas of woodland, vineyards and olive cultivation. A trapeze-shaped sample transect covering 2500 ha of the valley and hillslopes to the south-east of Rusellae was chosen as offering opportunities to explore a range of environmental and archaeological contexts, with lowland fields appropriate for magnetic survey flanked by wooded hillslopes which in due course will act as a test-bed for high-resolution laser scanning

Vers l'implentation de la cartographie du continuum archéologique. Nouvelles perspectives et limites actuelles de l'archéologie préventive en Italie.

The paper discusses both theory and practice in the application of the Italian domestic law, which has applied since 2006 to any kind of public new construction or to the modification of existing structures. The author argues, based on two of his own projects, BREBEMI and EMPTYSCAPES, that there are both shortcomings and new opportunities within Planning Led Archaeology. Projects from the last decade, in Italy and elsewhere, have demonstrated the potential effectiveness of new approaches to pre-development evaluation in the operation of the current legal and scientific framework that may make it possible to overcome some severe limitations in current practice

GRB Redshift determination in the X-ray band

If gamma-ray bursts originate in dense stellar forming regions, the interstellar material can imprint detectable absorption features on the observed X-ray spectrum. Such features can be detected by existing and planned X-ray satellites, as long as the X-ray afterglow is observed after a few minutes from the burst. Detection of these X-ray features will make possible the determination of the redshift of gamma-ray bursts even when their optical afterglows are severely dimmed by extinction.Comment: 2 pages, A&AS in press, proceedings of the Workshop "Gamma Ray Bursts in the Afterglow Era" held in Rome, November 199

Historical and archaeological analysis of the Church of the Nativity

The team has considered the special status of the Basilica of Bethlehem, which is not just a monument of outstanding historic and artistic importance, but also and fundamentally a holy place, that has long been and is still perceived as a memorial site, marking the place of Christ’s birth and transcribing into a sacred topography the main events of the Gospel narratives. Because of such a peculiarity, the team considered that it was indispensable to analyze the Basilica of Bethlehem from different viewpoints, namely those of archaeological and historical research. The historical approach aims at understanding the centuries-old development of the holy site as a ritual space and the materialized expression of holiness, the ways in which it has been perceived and used, and the messages that it was meant to convey to its beholders. It combines the findings of previous archaeological research with the data provided by the analysis of written evidence, including old textual sources about the Basilica (especially chronicles and pilgrims’accounts). For the archaeological study of the Basilica of the Nativity, we used the methodology of its investigation of the Archeology of Architecture. Stratigraphical analysis was carried out in relation to various portions of the church walls, as well as in relation to the buildings that make up the whole complex, in order to understand the dynamics of major changes in the structure in its entirety. Direct analysis of evidence from the walls was supported by the reading of existing literature and historical maps with particular reference to the plans of the church. These tools of investigation have been applied to the analysis of the church in its entirety, including its underground cavities

Analysis and design of an innovative solution for tunnels using elastic-plastic stress fields

For the conception of cut-and-cover tunnel, two solutions are usually considered to define the cross-section : an arch/vault or a frame. The vault enables an optimal static behavior in case of a large soil cover and symmetric loads. However, this solution faces some constructive issues. The construction process of a frame is simpler and more cost efficient, but its static behavior turns out to be less suitable for large soil covers. A research performed at EPFL allowed defining an innovative solution for the transverse section. This solution is a mix of a frame and a vault. It combines the static and constructive advantages of both solutions. This shape was chosen for several projects that are currently under way in Switzerland. The performance of this transverse section depends on the strength and ductility of its nodes. This paper presents an overview of the first results following both theoretical and experimental investigations that are currently under way about the behavior of nodes subjected to various load configurations. The theoretical part is used for the conceptual design and the optimization of bars details aiming at satisfying both ductility and strength requirements. The specimens were modeled and analyzed with the elastic-plastic stress fields method. This method enables to predict the failure modes and strengths of the specimens. The experimental part consists of a series of tests on four full scale specimens. These tests pointed out that the loading type and the bar disposition significantly influence the nodes areas. 1

Proposta di adesione alla Associazione “CYBER 4.0”

Studio di fattibilità per l'adesione del CNR al “Centro di Competenza ad alta specializzazione Cyber 4.0”, in linea con quanto definito nel D.D. 29.01.2018 della Direzione Generale per la Politica Industriale, la Competitività e le Piccole e Medie Imprese (DGPICPMI), attuativo del Decreto del Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico di concerto con il Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze n.214 del 12.09.2017. Approvato con delibera del CdA del CNR n° 79/2019 del 11/04/201

Flights into the Past. Aerial photography, photo interpretation and mapping for archaeology

Aerial archaeology is one of the major sources of information for landscapes archaeologists, seeking for new sites and for the understanding of past and present landscapes as a result of human-environment interaction. The volume gives a broad overview about the history, the basic concepts and techniques of aerial photography for archaeological purposes. It describes the way valuable information is derived from aerial images and how this is used for mapping and interpretation. Numerous examples from fieldwork richly illustrate these aspects. But many of the photos shown in this book do not simply illustrate the text, many of them also are eye-catching artworks which show fascinating landscapes in a way that only the view from above can provide! This book, originally published 2005 in Italian ("In Volo nel Passato: aerofotografia e cartografia archeologica") was inspired by the work of some of the leading European aerial archaeologists who met in Siena 2001 to share their knowledge with students and young researchers in an aerial archaeology training school. Published by the Aerial Archaeology Research Group (Occasional Publication No 4) in partnership with the ArchaeoLandscapes Europe (ArcLand) Project of the Culture 2007-2013 Programme of the European Union