Funerary Monuments in the Interior of the Roman Province of Dalmatia

The present study deals with the question of the organization of the stonemasonry production of funerary monuments in the interior of the former Roman province of Dalmatia. The aim of the research was to identify a model of stonemasonry production that originated in a mountainous and difficult to traverse area, where the possibilities of water transport of stone material are minimal. The author started from the assumption that production centres formed in some geographical areas during Roman rule, using local limestone sources for their operation. The study includes funerary monuments discovered in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the western part of Serbia and Montenegro. By combining the methods of macroscopic petrographic analysis of the stone material and typological and spatial analysis, the existence of several production centres was proven. The results of the analyses indicate a very likely that they exploited the local limestone resources. Epigraphic data also made it possible to define their chronological aspect.Pričujoče delo se ukvarja z vprašanjem organizacije kamnoseške proizvodnje nagrobnih spomenikov na prostoru notranjega dela nekdanje rimske province Dalmacije. Cilj raziskave je bil prepoznati model kamnoseške proizvodnje, ki se je oblikoval na goratem in težko prehodnem območju, kjer so možnosti vodnega transporta kamnitega materiala minimalne. Avtorica izhajala iz predpostavke, da so se v času rimske oblasti na nekaterih geografskih območji oblikovala proizvodna središča, ki so za svoje delovanje uporabljala lokalne vira apnenca. Študija zajema nagrobne spomenike, odkrite na prostoru današnje Bosne in Hercegovine in zahodnega dela Srbije in Črne gore. S kombinacijo metod makroskopske petrografske analize kamnin in tipološke analize ter prostorske analize je pokazala na obstoj več proizvodnih središč. Rezultati analiz kažejo na zelo verjetno možnost, da so izkoriščali lokalne vire apnenca. Epigrafski podatki pa so omogočili njihov obstoj tudi časovno opredeliti

ChatGPT v Bard v Bing v Claude 2 v Aria v human-expert. How good are AI chatbots at scientific writing? (ver. 23Q3)

Historically, proficient writing was deemed essential for human advancement, with creative expression viewed as one of the hallmarks of human achievement. However, recent advances in generative AI have marked an inflection point in this narrative, including for scientific writing. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the capabilities and limitations of six AI chatbots in scholarly writing in the humanities and archaeology. The methodology was based on tagging AI generated content for quantitative accuracy and qualitative precision by human experts. Quantitative accuracy assessed the factual correctness, while qualitative precision gauged the scientific contribution. While the AI chatbots, especially ChatGPT-4, demonstrated proficiency in recombining existing knowledge, they failed in generating original scientific content. As a side note, our results also suggest that with ChatGPT-4 the size of the LLMs has plateaued. Furthermore, the paper underscores the intricate and recursive nature of human research. This process of transforming raw data into refined knowledge is computationally irreducible, which highlights the challenges AI chatbots face in emulating human originality in scientific writing. In conclusion, while large language models have revolutionised content generation, their ability to produce original scientific contributions in the humanities remains limited. We expect that this will change in the near future with the evolution of current LLM-based AI chatbots towards LLM-powered software.Comment: Non-peer reviewed preprint. Includes Graphical abstract, 8 Figures. Appendices are linked and deposited at Zenod

Proizvodnja nagrobnih spomenikov v notranjosti rimske province Dalmacije

The present study deals with the question of the organization of the stonemasonry production of funerary monuments in the interior of the former Roman province of Dalmatia. The aim of the research was to identify a model of stonemasonry production that originated in a mountainous and difficult to traverse area, where the possibilities of water transport of stone material are minimal. The author started from the assumption that production centres formed in some geographical areas during Roman rule, using local limestone sources for their operation. The study includes funerary monuments discovered in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the western part of Serbia and Montenegro. By combining the methods of macroscopic petrographic analysis of the stone material and typological and spatial analysis, the existence of several production centres was proven. The results of the analyses indicate a very likely that they exploited the local limestone resources. Epigraphic data also made it possible to define their chronological aspect.Pričujoče delo se ukvarja z vprašanjem organizacije kamnoseške proizvodnje nagrobnih spomenikov na prostoru notranjega dela nekdanje rimske province Dalmacije. Cilj raziskave je bil prepoznati model kamnoseške proizvodnje, ki se je oblikoval na goratem in težko prehodnem območju, kjer so možnosti vodnega transporta kamnitega materiala minimalne. Avtorica izhajala iz predpostavke, da so se v času rimske oblasti na nekaterih geografskih območji oblikovala proizvodna središča, ki so za svoje delovanje uporabljala lokalne vira apnenca. Študija zajema nagrobne spomenike, odkrite na prostoru današnje Bosne in Hercegovine in zahodnega dela Srbije in Črne gore. S kombinacijo metod makroskopske petrografske analize kamnin in tipološke analize ter prostorske analize je pokazala na obstoj več proizvodnih središč. Rezultati analiz kažejo na zelo verjetno možnost, da so izkoriščali lokalne vire apnenca. Epigrafski podatki pa so omogočili njihov obstoj tudi časovno opredeliti

Executable Map Paper (EMaP) for Archaeological LiDAR

Archaeological LiDAR has evolved into an indispensable component of archaeological prospection and landscape archaeology. However, it is frequently employed as a black-box digital method, which confines it to the realm of a specialized field. Making scientific publications more accessible, transparent, and reproducible is one of the steps required to turn LiDAR into a background method for all archaeologists. This is possible, according to our proposal, through the Executable Map Paper concept. This concept can be understood as a type of executable paper that pursues Open Science’s goals. The proposed technical solution consists of a PDF frontend, a persistence layer, and a hyperlinked interactive map. Executable Map Paper is applicable to all map-dependent sciences, including geography, geology, and any geoscience. In this paper, we outline the theoretical context, propose technical solutions, and provide a practical illustration

Rimske klesarske delavnice na Ižanskem

This  article  presents  a  hypothesis  about  three  Roman period  stonemasonr y  workshops  that  operated  in  the area of Strahomer, Iška vas, and Ig, all of them located on the  southern  edge  of  the  Ljubljansko  barje,  to  the  south of  the  Roman  Emona.  The  hypothesis  is  based  on  the formal  analysis  of  the  grave  stelae  as  well  as  their  spatial distributionV članku je predstavljena hipoteza o treh rimskodobnih klesarskih delavnicah, ki so bile na območju Strahomerja, Iške vasi in Iga na južnem robu Ljubljanskega barja, južno od Emone. Hipoteza je nastala na podlagi formalne analize nagrobnih stel in analize njihove prostorske distribucije

Application of Airborne LiDAR Data to the Archaeology of Agrarian Land Use: The Case Study of the Early Medieval Microregion of Bled (Slovenia)

The use of topographic airborne LiDAR data has become an essential part of archaeological prospection, particularly as a tool for detecting archaeological features in the landscape. However, its use for landscape reconstruction and understanding archaeological sites in their environmental context is still underutilised. To this end, we took an innovative approach to using LiDAR data as a means of discovering, documenting, and interpreting agricultural land use systems by looking for significant environmental variation within a microregion. We combined information from LiDAR-derived DEM derivatives with archaeological, geological, and soil data. We introduced two methodological innovations. The first is the modified wetness index, which combines the LiDAR-derived precision with the accuracy of the effective field capacity of the soil to obtain a very realistic predictor of soil quality. The second is the modified landform classification, a combination of topographic position index and visual geomorphological analysis, which amalgamates two of the most important predictive variables for the distribution of plant species. Our approach is demonstrated by a case study focusing on early medieval settlements in the context of agricultural land use in the subalpine microregion of Bled (Slovenia). It revealed that early medieval settlers were drawn to light soils with high water retention capacity. Such soils were particularly suitable for the cultivation of barley, which is known to have been one of the most important staple crops of the period, especially in colder climate such as subalpine. Soils with lower water retention capacity were not colonized until the eleventh century, which may signify the transition at that time to a higher level of agricultural organisation and wheat as a staple cereal food

Documentation of Archaeology-Specific Workflow for Airborne LiDAR Data Processing

International audienceAirborne LiDAR is a widely accepted tool for archaeological prospection. Over the last decade an archaeology-specific data processing workflow has been evolving, ranging from raw data acquisition and processing, point cloud processing and product derivation to archaeological interpretation, dissemination and archiving. Currently, though, there is no agreement on the specific steps or terminology. This workflow is an interpretative knowledge production process that must be documented as such to ensure the intellectual transparency and accountability required for evidence-based archaeological interpretation. However, this is rarely the case, and there are no accepted schemas, let alone standards, to do so. As a result, there is a risk that the data processing steps of the workflow will be accepted as a black box process and its results as ``hard data''. The first step in documenting a scientific process is to define it. Therefore, this paper provides a critical review of existing archaeology-specific workflows for airborne LiDAR-derived topographic data processing, resulting in an 18-step workflow with consistent terminology. Its novelty and significance lies in the fact that the existing comprehensive studies are outdated and the newer ones focus on selected aspects of the workflow. Based on the updated workflow, a good practice example for its documentation is presented

The Use of Limestone in the Roman Province of Dalmatia

The primary objective of this study is to present the methodological approach used in an attempt to determine possible provenience areas (quarries) of the stone material used for the stonemasonry production of the funerary monuments (dated between 1st and 3rd century AD) in the interior of the Roman province of Dalmatia. To illustrate this methodological approach, we have decided to present the results of three regional case studies. The results of the study reveal the possible existence of Roman quarries in the interior of the province of Dalmatia

Airborne LiDAR-Derived Digital Elevation Model for Archaeology

International audienceThe use of topographic airborne LiDAR data has become an essential part of archaeological prospection, and the need for an archaeology-specific data processing workflow is well known. It is therefore surprising that little attention has been paid to the key element of processing: an archaeology-specific DEM. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to describe an archaeology-specific DEM in detail, provide a tool for its automatic precision assessment, and determine the appropriate grid resolution. We define an archaeology-specific DEM as a subtype of DEM, which is interpolated from ground points, buildings, and four morphological types of archaeological features. We introduce a confidence map (QGIS plug-in) that assigns a confidence level to each grid cell. This is primarily used to attach a confidence level to each archaeological feature, which is useful for detecting data bias in archaeological interpretation. Confidence mapping is also an effective tool for identifying the optimal grid resolution for specific datasets. Beyond archaeological applications, the confidence map provides clear criteria for segmentation, which is one of the unsolved problems of DEM interpolation. All of these are important steps towards the general methodological maturity of airborne LiDAR in archaeology, which is our ultimate goal.L'utilisation de données LiDAR aéroportées topographiques est devenue un élément essentiel de la prospection archéologique, et la nécessité d'un flux de travail de traitement des données spécifique à l'archéologie est bien connue. Il est donc surprenant que peu d'attention ait été accordée à l'élément clé du traitement: un MNE spécifique à l'archéologie. En conséquence, le but de cet article est de décrire en détail un MNE spécifique à l'archéologie, de fournir un outil pour son évaluation automatique de la précision et de déterminer la résolution de grille appropriée. Nous définissons un DEM spécifique à l'archéologie comme un sous-type de DEM, qui est interpolé à partir de points au sol, de bâtiments et de quatre types morphologiques de caractéristiques archéologiques. Nous introduisons une carte de confiance (plug-in QGIS) qui attribue un niveau de confiance à chaque cellule de la grille. Ceci est principalement utilisé pour attacher un niveau de confiance à chaque caractéristique archéologique, ce qui est utile pour détecter les biais de données dans l'interprétation archéologique. La cartographie de confiance est également un outil efficace pour identifier la résolution de grille optimale pour des ensembles de données spécifiques. Au-delà des applications archéologiques, la carte de confiance fournit des critères clairs pour la segmentation, qui est l'un des problèmes non résolus de l'interpolation DEM. Tous ces éléments sont des étapes importantes vers la maturité méthodologique générale du LiDAR aéroporté en archéologie, qui est notre objectif ultime