Judita LUX1 / Jure RAVNIK2 (1 Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (ZVKDS), Preventive Archaeology Center, Kranj, Slovenija / 2 Kranj, Slovenia) Outline: Presentation of a system of tools and standards for collecting, archiving and interpretation of digital data in archaeology. Avitus is a database system for collecting, archiving and interpretation of digital data, presented on a case study of archaeological site Mošnje. The system is compatible with data from various sources, i.e. total station, camera, drawings, forms, descriptions, etc. We created a flexible system which collects as much information as possible in a short time. It effectively combines all the information in a single file on the AutoCAD platform, which is linked to an Access database. It employs computer power for rapid quantitative, qualitative and spatial analyses as soon as the data is entered. The data is sorted in all the subsystems in the same, standardized way, i.e. stratigraphic units (SE), finds (NA), samples (VZ), photography (FS), drawings (RS), etc. Documentary part adds different maps, grids, and other templates. These groups are then organized into smaller units, which increases analytical possibilities. A copyrighted code called Avitus, that connects all the elements was created in the Visual Basic programming environment and inserted in Autocad and Access. It allows us to migrate, compare and connect data between the two applications, create unlimited subgroups according to various criteria and display results in separate database tables or spatial layers, alone or in any combination with the other layers. Avitus also provides easier access to standard functions of both parent applications, such as automatically connecting dots, generating layers, computations of square or cubic meters, Harris matrix, etc. It enables user complete control over graphic design, color and font and the use of symbols. The advantages of Avitus are analytical power, faster data processing, full connectivity of all data covered and the addition of powerful tools. The ultimate objective is to supply archaeologist with fast and reliable way to collect data and create a powerful tool for further analysis after completion of excavations. Keywords: Digital data, spatial and chronological analysis,...

Silvana FAIS / Paola LIGAS / F. CUCCURU (Dipartimento di Geoingegneria e Tecnologie Ambientali, University of Cagliari, Italy) Outline:The application of non-destructive acoustic techniques is fundamental for damage diagnosis of the carbonate building stones in monuments and for evaluation of their conservation state. This experimental work focuses on the application of non-destructive acoustic techniques to evaluate the conservation state of carbonate building stones commonly employed as building materials in the monumental structures of the Mediterranean cities. The propagation of acoustic waves through natural stones commonly used as building materials in historical monuments is becoming of increasing importance to determine its dynamic properties hence its mechanical behaviour. In this work the acoustic techniques in the ultrasonic range 24-82 kHz were used to define quantitatively some dynamic properties of study rocks for evaluation of their conservation state and better understand their alteration processes. Measurements of compressional and shear wave velocities have been carried out in laboratory. The relationship between the above mentioned geophysical measurements and some physical properties of rocks (i.e. uniaxial compressive strength, Young modulus) have been carefully evaluated. The acoustic data were also corroborated by the study of other rock properties (i.e. density, porosity, textural features, mineralogy) to correlate these properties with the elastic ones. On the basis of the results of the laboratory measurements in situ ultrasonic investigations were carried out on significant monuments of historical downtown of Cagliari (Italy). The in situ application have been aimed to draw up compressional wave velocity maps on the investigated structural elements in order to check zones of weakness, to assess the weatherability of the carbonate stones and evaluate the effectiveness of the restoration works. In fact, alterations in the material cause a decrease in the ultrasonic velocity, which can be used as representative of its elastic status. As deduced from several tests carried out in different experimental conditions the ultrasonic velocity values must be interpreted as relative. Notwithstanding this, the velocity maps indicate variations of the elasto-mechanical behaviour of the materials and consequently of their integrity. From our experimental tests result that the percentage of error for the velocity measurements in the different experimental conditions is not more than 6%....

Raluca KOGALNICEANU1 / Alexandru MORINTZ2 (1Giurgiu County Museum, Romania / 2“V. Parvan” Institute of Archaeology, Bucharest, Romania) Outline: The posters intend to present the attempt, now at a smaller scale, to record all the lithic finds in a 3D manner The site of Iepuresti (44º15’59” N and 25º51’52” E), located in Southern Romania, represents the settlement place for communities from the Chalcolithic (Gumelnita culture) and Bronze Age Periods (Glina culture). The excavation process is still in its early years: only three campaigns have taken place so far. During the last campaign (2009), an attempt has been made to realize the 3D model of the site and of the excavation, and to record all the flint pieces from Section 3 (4 x 4 m) in a 3D manner, attributing to them a number and x, y, and z coordinates. The 3D model was realized using a total station and a CAD type software. There were more than 200 flint pieces discovered in 2003. Almost 200 of them came from Section 3, while the rest of them were found in the area of the previously excavated sections. Some of them were the result of chance finding. The aim of our attempt to place in a 3D environment the flint pieces discovered in Section 3 was to see if any special groupings could be detected, per layer, and to be able to manipulate easier almost 200 finds, according to their particular features. The purpose of this poster is to present a method of approach for numerous small size findings with its results at small scale. As some of the attempts gave interesting results while others proved to give us nothing so far, we will also underline the methodological conclusions that were drawn from these early attempts. Keywords: Romania, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, lithics,...

Tamás BELGYA1 / László SZENTMIKLÓSI1 / Zoltán KIS1 / Zsolt KASZTOVSZKY1 / Ralf SCHULZE2 / Petra KUDEJOVA2,3 / Thomas MATERNA4 / Lea CANELLA3 / Jan JOLIE2 and the ANCIENT CHARM Collaboration (1Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary / 2University of Cologne, Germany / 3Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany / 4Institut Laue-Langevin, France) Outline: To obtain the spatial distribution of the elements one possibility is to scan the sample with the help of a collimated neutron beam while collimating the ?-detector: Prompt Gamma Activation Imaging. Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) is a neutron-based tool for non-destructive bulk elemental analysis, where the measured concentrations represent the average composition of the irradiated part, in most cases of few cm3. To obtain the spatial distribution of the elements one possibility is to scan the sample with the help of a collimated neutron beam while collimating the ?-detector: this method is called Prompt Gamma Activation Imaging (PGAI). To avoid the complete scanning of the object, PGAI is combined with Neutron Radiography (NR) or Neutron Tomography (NT). NR/NT produces high-resolution 2D/3D images that characterize the geometrical structure and neutron attenuation features of the object. Then the elemental composition needs to be measured only at selected spots. This makes the technique, called radiography/tomography-driven PGAI much less time consuming. By registrating the PGAI and NT data one obtains a complete data set of morphological properties and elemental distribution of the sample. We have constructed a PGAI-NR/NT setup at the Budapest Research Reactor and also at the Forschungsneutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) research reactor, Garching, in the framework of the European ANCIENT CHARM collaboration.. Both setups consisted of a high-resolution neutron tomograph, a germanium gamma-spectrometer and a xyz?-moving table for the positioning of the samples. A spatial resolution better than 3 mm has already been achieved. Element maps for complex test samples and replicas of genuine museum objects were obtained by scans driven by tomography or radiography. Keywords: prompt gamma activation imaging, neutron, 3D element mapping, Ancient Charm,...

Agnes KIRCHHOFF / Philip PAAR / Jochen MÜLDER (Lenné3D GmbH, Berlin, Germany) Outline: The virtual reconstruction of the historical buildings and their ambient landscape demonstrate the role of vegetation in its historical context using 3D visualisation. Our aim was to virtually reconstruct Herod’s winter palace and gardens near Jericho in their ancient cultural landscape setting and to visualise this 3D model in an interactive real-time environment. The third Palace, a complex of buildings and gardens, was built from 15 to 10 BC. Historic authors describe the area as fertile land supplied with water via irrigation systems. The plantations surrounding the palace buildings were of great economic importance, while the gardens inside the palace complex conveyed wealth and prestige. From 1973 to 1987, Prof. Dr. Ehud Netzer led the excavations of the palaces. We used resources like his archaeological data and attendant garden-archaeological excavations as well as information deduced from historic references. Firstly a digital elevation model was constructed. ArcGlobe ESRI GIS data and archaeological maps were spatially joined with global ground data from NASA, satellite images and land use data. In a next step the buildings of the palace were reconstructed in SketchUp. Each building reconstruction is based on the most detailed available maps and drawings. Measures and relations of isometric sketches were taken into consideration. In a third step the Palace gardens, the surrounding plantations, and the natural vegetation at historic times were reconstructed. A species list was compiled and a plant distribution map was generated. Finally the elevation model, the buildings and the vegetation are loaded into Biosphere3D, an open-source landscape scenery visualisation system, to simulate the ancient landscape. The reconstruction of the landscape compose a vivid model and the 3D plant models in the scenery exemplify the interaction of buildings and land use demonstrating the important role of the vegetation. A research project of Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) and Lenné3D GmbH, Berlin, supported by the German Israeli Foundation in cooperation with University of Bayreuth. Keywords: 3D visualisation, archaeology, vegetation, virtual reconstruction,...

Sonja JILEK / Andreas SCHWARCZ (Institut für Österr. Geschichtsforschung, Vienna, Austria) Outline:The poster will present the aims and goals of the CE project Danube Limes The overall objectives of the Danube Limes project, which is supported in the Central Europe programme of the European Union, are to protect and promote the Danube Limes in Central Europe by nominating it for World Heritage status. In a first step Hungary and Slovakia decided to prepare their nomination documents with the help of many other partner countries, because such a project needs a trans-national approach in order to develop comprehensive solutions for the recording, protection and management of the Site. The nomination of a river frontier such as along the Danube requires specific measures for the definition, protection and presentation. It is vital to set up a commitment to achieve appropriate balance between preservation, conservation, access, the interests of local communities and sustainable economic use of our archaeological sites. Experience has shown that the WHS status is an efficient strategy to achieve long-time preservation and sustainable use of cultural/archaeological resources (both visible and buried archaeology). The presentation and awareness of the Danube Limes as a common and transnational heritage links up people from different regions and 8 countries. The nomination implies an up-grading especially of remote, rural or disconnected areas within the national as well as the European context. Keywords: Roman Limes, World Heritage, Danube...