91ÉçÇø

Life and Death in Roman Sicily and Malta in 3D

This research project aims at using 3D digital imaging and remote sensing to document and preserve the most emblematic examples of domestic and funerary archaeology of Roman Sicily and Malta, making them virtually accessible on a global scale. Villas, luxurious residences located in the countryside, the suburbs or by the sea, exemplified the model of an aristocracy-driven economy based on industrial agricultural production and at the same time they represented, though their mosaic floors, frescoed walls and exquisite marble decorations, the cultural climax of the Empire. Catacombs and hypogea, underground family or community cemeteries for citizens of Christian faith, with their labyrinthine plans, multitude of burials and religion-themed frescoes, embodied the ultimate act in the life of everyman and everywoman.

Selecting peculiar cases of villas and catacombs across Sicily and Malta, still presenting open research questions and complex archaeological features and, this IDEx project also aimed at harnessing the power of 3D visualization to refine traditional interpretative hypotheses giving new 3D digital substance to manifestations of life and death of the islands in Roman times.

 

Villa di Durrueli at Realmonte 

- Agrigento, maritime villa, 2nd century CE 

- Research methods: Terrestrial laserscanning, terrestrial and aerial digital photogrammetry, GIS analysis

Further readings:

E. Bonacini, D. Gullí, D. Tanasi 2016, , J. L. Lerma, M. Cabrellas (eds), Proceedings of the ARQUEOLOGICA 2.0 – 8th International Congress on Archaeology, Computer Graphics, Cultural Heritage and Innovation, Editorial Universitat de Valencia, pp. 392-395.

3D Resources:

 

 

Villa di Caddeddi on the Tellaro river 

- Noto (Siracusa), rural villa, 4th century CE

- Research methods: Terrestrial laserscanning, terrestrial and aerial digital photogrammetry, ground penetrating radar, GIS analysis

Further readings:

D. Tanasi, S. Hassam, P. Trapani, D. Cali, L. De Giorgi, I. Ferrari, G. Giuri, G. Leucci 2022, , Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2204, pp. 1-7. 

D. Tanasi 2018, . Pp. viii+ 200, figs. 197, most in colour. ISSN 0165-9367; ISBN 978-90-429-3388-0, in Journal of Roman Archaeology 31 pp. 783-785.

3D Resouces:

 

Hypogeum of Crispia Salvia at Marsala 

- Trapani, family cemetery, 2nd century CE

- Research methods: Terrestrial laserscanning, terrestrial digital photogrammetry

Further readings: 

D. Tanasi, S. Hassam, K. Kingsland 2021, , in A. Del Bimbo, R. Cucchiara, S. Sclaroff, G. M. Farinella, T. Mei, M. Bertini, H. J. Escalante, R. Vezzani (eds), Pattern Recognition. ICPR International Workshops and Challenges, Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Pattern Recognition (ICPR 2020), Milan, 10-15 January 2021, (Lecture Notes in Computer Science 12667, Springer), pp 353-367. 

3D Resources:

 

Catacombs of St. Lucy at Siracusa

- Siracusa, community cemetery, 3rd – 8th century CE

- Research methods: Terrestrial laserscanning, terrestrial digital photogrammetry

Further readings:

I. Gradante, D. Tanasi 2017, , Archeologia e Calcolatori 28.2, pp. 581-586. 

D. Tanasi, I. Gradante, S. Hassam 2019, , Studies in Digital Heritage 3.1, pp. 60-82. 

I. Gradante, M. Sgarlata, D. Tanasi 2016, , J. L. Lerma, M. Cabrellas (eds), Proceedings of the ARQUEOLOGICA 2.0 – 8th International Congress on Archaeology, Computer Graphics, Cultural Heritage and Innovation, Editorial Universitat de Valencia, pp. 71-77.

3D Resources:

 

Catacombs of Abbatija Tad-Dejr (Malta)

- Rabat, community cemetery, 5th – 9th century CE

- Research methods: Terrestrial laserscanning, terrestrial digital photogrammetry, ground penetrating radar

Further readings:

D. Tanasi, D. Cardona, S. Hassam, K. Kingsland, M. Kraft, P. Trapani, D. Calderone, L. De Giorgi, G. Leucci 2023, , Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage 30, pp. 1-27. 

D. Tanasi., D. Cardona, S. Hassam, K. Kingsland, P. Trapani, D. Calderone, L. De Giorgi, G. Leucci 2023,, Proceedings of the 2022 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (MetroArchaeo 2022) 19-21 October 2022, Cosenza, Italy, ISBN: 978-92-990090-2-4.

3D Resources: