Study of ancient monuments’ seismic performance based on Passive and Remote Techniques

“Engineering structures are designed to be safe. The difficulty one trading in this regard is the desire to construct something for a specific purpose out of a material of which one can never know enough in terms of the material’s properties as well as the environment the structure is going to operate in”. Even though this affirmation was initially drawn for modern structures, it however firmly describes the situation of the ancient ones. In the case of ancient monuments, the mechanical properties of the construction materials, their consistency and their homogeneity are highly unknown and can only be determined probabilistically through elaborate testing under legislative and protective to the monuments’ restrictions. On the other hand, the environmental (weather) conditions and natural hazards to which those ancient masonry structures were and still are exposed is even more difficult to be determined with precision and thus monitored, but has certainly led to their degradation. Towards this end, the present study discusses the potentialities of non-destructive passive and remote system investigations of monuments, trying to examine the benefits and drawbacks in relation to the result and in comparison to conventional structural control methods. A selection of the most credible methods for the investigation of monuments is described along with their potential applications. The scope of this investigation is to acquire information regarding the subsurface condition and consequently the structural system of the monument and anticipate its future behavior in destructive earthquake events. This can be achieved through a simulation model, which can be as realistic as the information obtained and can be updated with more thorough information. To demonstrate the application of this updating process in obtaining the response of the monument, a case study tomb “Tomb 4” from the Hellenistic necropolis of the ‘Tombs of the Kings’, in Paphos Cyprus is examined, recapitalizing thus previous work of the team accomplished on the aforementioned monument. The seismic performance of the monument, located in a moderate earthquake hazard area, will be examined based on passive and remote data acquisition and simulation results will be shown

D4.8 Material virtual training

Work package 4 focused on the training and knowledge transfer between the existing personnel of the Remote Sensing Lab of the Cyprus University of Technology and experts from the high performing partners’ institutions. The current deliverable consists precisely of the specific training/knowledge transfer activity of the virtual trainings that have took place throughout the project. The deliverable provides a brief description for each virtual training, all relative information as per topic, participants, date etc. Also, the material produced by each trainer, is also hereunder displayed. The topics of virtual trainings focused on the analysis of hyperspectral images, the use of remote sensing for looting monitoring and the multi-temporal remote sensing analyses. In addition, the fourth virtual training was focused on the Integration of RS data for Cultural Heritage management in the Copernicus Era

ATHENA: center of excellence in Cyprus in the field of remote sensing for cultural heritage in the areas of archaeology and cultural heritage

In periods of economic instability, national considerations are overruling the process of European integration. Cultural Heritage (CH) is an integral element of a European set of values, and respect for heritage is vital for developing a common European identity. The CH sector has always been facing a number of challenges that have increased with the financial crisis that has hit Europe. To name a few, these include the decrease of public budgets, urbanisation, globalisation, and technological changes. Within this context, CH professionals are seeking to improve currently used methodologies, in order to better understand, protect and valorise the common European past and common identity. The use of satellite and other remote sensing (RS) technologies has progressively been established in the field of environmental monitoring. In the domain of CH and landscape monitoring and in particular with regards to archaeological sites, these technologies have made a significant contribution to research and analysis over the past few decades. The potential use of RS for the understanding, documenting, monitoring and valorization of CH has long been recognised not only by RS experts and archaeologists, but also by the public authorities involved in heritage management, that suggested an increasing use of non-invasive technologies (Valletta Convention, 1992). The ATHENA project aims to strengthen the Cyprus University of Technology’s (CUT) Remote Sensing Science and Geo-Environment Research Laboratory in the field of Remote Sensing Archaeology by creating a unique link between two internationally-leading research institutions: The National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). Through ATHENA, CUT’s staff research profile and expertise will be raised, while the S&T capacity of the linked institutions will come out enhanced

D6.6: 7 conference papers

The Deliverable 6.6 with the title “7 conference papers”, is part of WP6 “Dissemination and Exploitation” of Athena project with a basic aim to knowledge sharing, network development and exposure to an international environment. Three conference attendances were foreseen (e.g. CAA; SPIE; EARSeL) within the project duration whereas more than 30 posters and oral presentations were presented during the project in the conferences such as: SPIE 2016, SPIE 2018, EUROMED 2016, EUROMED 2018, EGU 2016, EGU 2017, EGU 2018, RSCy2016, RSCy 2017, RSCy 2018, etc

Active satellite sensors for the needs of cultural heritage: introducing SAR applications in Cyprus through ATHENA project

Geophysical Research Abstracts, 2017, Vol. 19, EGU2017-11758Non-invasive landscape investigation for archaeological purposes includes a wide range of survey techniques, most of which include in-situ methods. In recent years, a major advance in the noninvasive surveying techniques has been the introduction of active remote sensing technologies. One of such technologies is spaceborne radar, known as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). SAR has proven to be a valuable tool in the analysis of potential archaeological marks and in the systematic cultural heritage site monitoring. With the use of SAR, it is possible to monitor slight variations in vegetation and soil often interpreted as archaeological signs, while radar sensors, depending on the sensor's frequency, have penetrating capabilities offering an insight into the shallow underground remains. Radar remote sensing for immovable cultural heritage and archaeological applications has been recently introduced in Cyprus through the currently ongoing ATHENA project. The project, which runs under the H2020-TWINN-20150Coordination & Support Actions, aims at building a bridge between research institutions of the low-performing Member States and internationally leading counterparts at EU level, mainly through training workshops and a series of knowledge transfer activities, frequently taking place on the basis of capacity development. The project is formed as the consortium of the Remote Sensing and Geo- Environment Research Laboratory of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). As part of the project, a number of cultural heritage sites in Cyprus have been studied testing different methodologies involving SAR imagery such as Amplitude Change Detection, Coherence Calculation and fusion techniques. ATHENA's prospective agenda includes the continuation of the capacity building programme with upcoming training workshops to take place while expanding the knowledge of radar applications on conservation and risk monitoring of cultural heritage sites through SAR Interferometry. The current paper presents some preliminary results from the archaeological site of "Nea Paphos", addressing the potential use of spaceborne radar technology

D6.9 ATHENA’s printed brochure

The specific deliverable displays the brochures of the ATHENA project which have been created, printed and distributed throughout the project, for dissemination purposes

Educational activities of remote sensing archaeology

Remote sensing science is increasingly being used to support archaeological and cultural heritage research in various ways. Satellite sensors either passive or active are currently used in a systematic basis to detect buried archaeological remains and to systematic monitor tangible heritage. In addition, airborne and low altitude systems are being used for documentation purposes. Ground surveys using remote sensing tools such as spectroradiometers and ground penetrating radars can detect variations of vegetation and soil respectively, which are linked to the presence of underground archaeological features. Education activities and training of remote sensing archaeology to young people is characterized of highly importance. Specific remote sensing tools relevant for archaeological research can be developed including web tools, small libraries, interactive learning games etc. These tools can be then combined and aligned with archaeology and cultural heritage. This can be achieved by presenting historical and pre-historical records, excavated sites or even artifacts under a “remote sensing” approach. Using such non-form educational approach, the students can be involved, ask, read, and seek to learn more about remote sensing and of course to learn about history. The paper aims to present a modern didactical concept and some examples of practical implementation of remote sensing archaeology in secondary schools in Cyprus. The idea was built upon an ongoing project (ATHENA) focused on the sue of remote sensing for archaeological research in Cyprus. Through H2020 ATHENA project, the Remote Sensing Science and Geo-Environment Research Laboratory at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), with the support of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) aims to enhance its performance in all these new technologies

D5.4 – International Network (RS and CH) web-site

The present deliverable makes part of the Work Package 5: Promotion of the centre locally and internationally, and more specifically it adress the International networking achieved through the website of the project

ATHENA: remote sensing science center for cultural heritage in Cyprus

Geophysical Research Abstracts, 2016, Volume 18, EGU2016-PREVIEWThe envisage ATHENA center will be devoted to the development, introduction and systematic use of advanced remote sensing science and technologies in the field of archaeology and built cultural heritage, the multi-temporal analysis and interpretation and the distant monitoring of their natural and anthropogenic environment in the area of Eastern Mediterranean. ATHENA will take advantage of the current capabilities of Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), both in terms of technical and staff capacity and technological readiness of the existing Lab, performing advanced research to support CH sector. The Center aims to be in close collaboration with national and international research institutes and stakeholders, providing integrated remote sensing services and solutions in the area of Eastern Mediterranean, rendering that way ATHENA a center of knowledge and an established lab in the field of Remote Sensing Archaeology

D5.1 Leaflets

The specific deliverable is a collection of the special leaflets that were designed to inform stakeholders and other possible interested parties regarding the activities of the Remote Sensing lab within the framework of ATHENA project. For this purpose, 14 special leaflets were designed and uploaded on the project’s website. Additional information will be provided to all interested parties via the WP6 deliverables of the project