This project aimed to systematically investigate the archaeological remains of the imperial Domitian villa in Sabaudia (Italy), using different three-dimensional survey techniques. Particular attention in the research was paid to the identification and documentation of traces that buried structures left on the surface occupied by the villa, which extended for 46 hectares, an area that was fully covered with structures. Since a dense pine forest was planted during the 1940s and is currently covering the site, this contribution investigates particularly the correlation among the presence of cropmarks, identifiable with the processing of multispectral maps and vegetation indices from RGB images, and earthwork anomalies identified in a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) built, by utilizing a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) flight from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The study demonstrates how the use of vegetation maps—calculated starting from RGB and multispectral aerial photos—can provide a more expeditious preliminary analysis on the position and extension of areas characterized by the presence of buried structures, but also that, in order to investigate in-depth a context in similar conditions, the most effective approach remains the one based on LiDAR technology. The integration between the two techniques may prove fruitful in limiting the extension of the areas to be investigated with terrestrial survey techniques.

Archeological prospection and 3D reconstruction are increasingly combined in large archeological projects that serve both site investigation and dissemination of results. This paper describes and validates a method for using multispectral imagery captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), subsurface geophysical surveys, and stratigraphic excavations to evaluate the role of 3D semantic visualizations for the collected data. The information recorded by various methods will be experimentally reconciled using the Extended Matrix and other original open-source tools, keeping both the scientific processes that generated them and the derived data separate, transparent, and reproducible. This structured information makes immediately accessible the required variety of sources useful for interpretation and reconstructive hypotheses. The application of the methodology will use the first available data from a five-year multidisciplinary investigation project at Tres Tabernae, a Roman site near Rome, where numerous non-destructive technologies, as well as excavation campaigns, will be progressively deployed to explore the site and validate the approaches.

This paper focuses on the potential of an integrated approach using aerial LiDAR, aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning, and archaeological survey to detect the presence and configuration of lost medieval settlements under canopy. This approach was applied to the site of Altanum (Calabria, Italy), on the hill of Sant’Eusebio, completely covered by vegetation. Altanum was a large fortified settlement characterised by a long occupation, especially during the Byzantine and Norman-Swabian periods. The activity began by carrying out a LiDAR survey of the whole hill. The acquired LiDAR data were processed and filtered in order to obtain a DFM (Digital Feature Model) useful for the identification of features of archaeological interest. Several enhancement techniques were performed on DFM to increase the visibility of archaeological features. The features thus identified were subsequently surveyed through the use of terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry integrated with laser scanning to document the visible buildings. The most significant result of the study was to create a single GIS platform with the integration of all data in order to delineate the whole settlement layout, as well as to produce 2D and 3D datasets useful for the for knowledge and protection of the identified remains.

Abstract. In 2020 to diagnose and monitor the condition of the frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, the CNR initiated an important diagnostic and three-dimensional survey of the monument. These restoration preparatory activities have provided the opportunity and data for the creation of a real-time 3D simulation model that will not only help conservators and art historians better understand and manage the artwork, but will also enable the planning of improvement measures and the communication of the fresco cycle and its state of preservation to the public via the Brancacci POV application. Brancacci POV is a hybrid multi-user experience that allows a group of tourists to visit the chapel under the guidance of an expert, either on-site or off-site. The Web3D application is based on ATON, a framework developed by CNR ISPC that integrates 3D simulation of the monument and the discovery of invisible layers (e.g., ultraviolet data) processed and optimised for real-time rendering. The article illustrates all the steps performed from the 3D survey to the Web3D implementation to obtain the 3D simulation and achieve the expected interactive result. In particular, we focus on the optimization workflow of the reality-based model developed for this case study and on the processing of high-resolution maps (visible and invisible layers) for real-time web interaction.