REmote SEnsing techniques for ARCHaeology

Project Information

RESEARCH

Grant agreement ID: 823987

DOI

10.3030/823987

Project closed

EC signature date 7 November 2018

Start date 1 November 2018

End date 31 October 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 989 000,00

EU contribution

€ 989 000,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELLA TUSCIA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - RESEARCH (REmote SEnsing techniques for ARCHaeology)

Reporting period: 2020-11-01 to 2023-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Archaeological heritage is at risk, endangered by several natural and anthropogenic hazards and climate change pressures, causing physical degradation and destruction of ecofacts, archaeological artifacts, structures, and monuments. The interaction between surface and subsurface archaeological features and natural elements, such as soil and atmosphere, are exacerbated by other factors, related to human pressures and, most recently and for the future, climate change. All these factors not only amplify the natural deterioration of surface archaeological structures, but especially impact soil, thus reducing its ability to provide for the structural stability of structures and architectures, and to preserve the integrity of archaeological deposits.
The project RESEARCH aimed to focus on the soil and the threats to the soil which have a direct or indirect impact on the archaeological heritage. In this regard, RESEARCH addressed the design and development of a multi-task Web-GIS Platform, combining advanced (satellite, aerial/UAV, and terrestrial) remote sensing technologies with GIS applications for mapping and long-term monitoring of archaeological heritage to identify changes due to environmental, climatic, and anthropic pressures. The main aim was to create the prototype of a tool able to provide a systematic, effective, and affordable “service” to monitor the degradation processes and to enable preventive maintenance in archaeological sites.
To carry out the demonstration and validation of the Platform, the following case studies have been selected:
* Falerii Novi (Italy);
* Amathous (Cyprus);
* Almros area: Almyriotiki (Greece);
* Itanos (Greece);
* Sławno-Darłowo area: Cisowo, Dzierżęcin (Poland).

The Project coordinated the expertise and research efforts of seven beneficiaries into a synergetic plan of collaborations and exchanges of personnel to offer a comprehensive transfer of knowledge and training environment for the researchers in this specific area. The project’s activities and results have been shared following a dissemination and communication strategy, targeting specialists in the fields of archaeology, earth and environmental sciences, and authorities/stakeholders responsible for the preservation of cultural heritage.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the first 60 months of project, the following main results were obtained:

1) Definition, development and/or implementation of Data Processing Chains for the assessment of the major soil-related threats affecting the archaeological heritage, as the land/structural displacement, soil erosion, and land use/cover change, using and/or combining remote sensing, climatic, and environmental data.
2) Definition of Specific Risk Assessment Models related to the different threats considered by the project (matrices)
3) Design, development, and implementation of a Web-GIS Paltform for managing the output data obtained from the data processing chains and the archaeological data collected during the project
4) Design, development, and implementation of Data Integration Plug-ins for the generation of hazard, vulnerability, and final risk maps (intermediate and final products), following the risk assessment models defined by the project.
5) Design and Implementation of Web-GIS Interface.

To achieve the results above described, partners met on multiple occasions during the period: for secondments, meetings, and Summer Schools organized by RESEARCH, as described below.

Summer School:
1st Summer School in Limassol, Cyprus within 21-27 May 2019 with a visit to the case study of Amathous;
2nd Summer School in Rethymno, Crete within 21-26 September 2020 with a visit to the site of Olous (Elounda);
3rd Summer School in Viterbo, Italy within October 31st until November 2nd, 2022, with a visit to the case study of Falerii Novi;
4th Summer School in Nicosia, Italy within 3-5 October 2023.

The dissemination of project activities and results was based on:

Conferences:
Intermediate Conference: Viterbo, 3rd November 2022.
Final Conference: Roma, 17th of October 2023.

Social dissemination:
- Website of the project (http://www.re-se-arch.eu)
- Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Research-Remote-Sensing-techniques-for-Archaeology101614394610605).

Scientific Publications: 7 (the most publications are open-access)

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Thanks to the synergy of specialists in different disciplines, such as archaeologists, geologists, and experts in remote sensing and GIS technologies RESEARCH built a Web-GIS Platform, which, by managing and reprocessing the output data obtained from the data processing chains and the archaeological data collected during the project, allows the automatic generation of hazard, vulnerability, and final risk maps of the major soil-related threats affecting the archaeological heritage, as the land/structural displacement, soil erosion, and land use/cover change.

The socio-economic impact is considered relevant by addressing:

• Innovative schemes of management and protection of archaeological sites based on preventive maintenance. The awareness that the soil plays an important role in the preservation of archaeological heritage resources, as a possible medium for its
inevitable degradation, in response to environmental and climatic processes and anthropogenic-driven pressures, is at the root of this project. Hence RESEARCH aims to enable the systematic use of the preventive maintenance approach as opposed to the emergency restoration approach.

• Contribution to the development of risk mitigation strategy for protection schemes of archaeological sites. The results of project RESEARCH enable future development of risk mitigation strategies functional for preparing specific mitigation and protection protocols, particularly for land use/cover pressures and soil erosion, but in the future also for land movement and structure stability.

• Creation of a favorable economic impact on rural areas. The strengthening of the protection of cultural landscapes of the selected case studies and their enhancement through the RESEARCH Platform will help to determine a favorable economic impact on the rural areas concerned, including the positive impact on tourism. This is enabled by releasing the data in Open Access, freely available also for the realization of dedicated Apps for tourism, cultural fruition, and scholarship.

• Finally, the results of the project could be the basis for promoting specific Guidelines for best practices for the protection of archaeological landscapes and sites, affected by climate change processes and farming pressures, to promote their use at a
national and European scale.

Project Logo

First Summer School Programme

Final Conference Programme

MidTerm_2Annual Meeting,Rethymno-FORTH, September 2020

Second Summer School, Field visit to Olous (Elounda, Crete), September 2020

Third Summer School Programme

First Annual Meeting, Athens - GSH, November 2019

Intermediate Conference Programme

Second Summer School Programme

First Summer School, Lymassol-CUT, May 2019

Final Conference, Rome-UNITUS, October 2023

Fourth Summer School, Nicosia-S3/UNITUS, October 2023