This paper investigates immersive technologies to increase exploration time in an underwater archaeological site, both for the public, as well as, for researchers and scholars. Focus is on the Mazotos shipwreck site in Cyprus, which is located 44 meters underwater. The aim of this work is two-fold: (a) realistic modelling and mapping of the site and (b) an immersive virtual reality visit. For 3D modelling and mapping optical data were used. The underwater exploration is composed of a variety of sea elements including: plants, fish, stones, and artefacts, which are randomly positioned. Users can experience an immersive virtual underwater visit in Mazotos shipwreck site and get some information about the shipwreck and its contents for raising their archaeological knowledge and cultural awareness.

The Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) represents a vast historical and scientific resource that, often, is not accessible to the general public due the environment and depth where it is located. Digital technologies (Virtual Museums, Virtual Guides and Virtual Reconstruction of Cultural Heritage) provide a unique opportunity for digital accessibility to both scholars and general public, interested in having a better grasp of underwater sites and maritime archaeology. This paper presents the architecture and the first results of the Horizon 2020 i-MARECULTURE (Advanced VR, iMmersive Serious Games and Augmented REality as Tools to Raise Awareness and Access to European Underwater CULTURal heritage) project that aims to develop and integrate digital technologies for supporting the wide public in acquiring knowledge about UCH. A Virtual Reality (VR) system will be developed to allow users to visit the underwater sites through the use of Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) or digital holographic screens. Two serious games will be implemented for supporting the understanding of the ancient Mediterranean seafaring and the underwater archaeological excavations. An Augmented Reality (AR) system based on an underwater tablet will be developed to serve as virtual guide for divers that visit the underwater archaeological sites.

Underwater excavation is still a very difficult and demanding task. One of the main problems is how to train inexperienced archaeologists. One of archaeologys most challenging tasks is known as dredging. This article presents a novel system for simulating underwater excavation techniques using immersive VR. The focus is not on simulating swimming but on excavating underwater while following established archaeological methods and techniques. In particular, the use of dredging procedures was implemented by a realistic simulation of sand in real-time performance. The working area for performing dredging with an airlift is currently limited to 2 by 2 meters, and users need to excavate it aiming to find artifacts within a specific amount of time.

Very gracile dog bones dated to the 8 th-9 th century AD were found at the Chotěbuz-Podobora archaeological site in the Czech part of Silesia near the town of Český Těšín. Osteological analysis indicated that the bones were from a greyhound. To confirm this hypothesis, genetic analysis of greyhound-specific Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the control region (CD, also D-loop) of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was performed, together with analysis of buccal swabs from living greyhounds from the Czech Republic. Our genotyping results strongly support the hypothesis that bones found were from a greyhound which supports the second hypothesis that an elite order inhabited Chotěbuz-Podobora hillfort in the Middle Ages.

The paper offers relevant information concerning Klášťov, the dominant summit of the vizovice Hills in eastern Moravia, where Moravia's highest-positioned stronghold was built in the period of the lusatian urnfield culture. later, in the 9 th and 10 th c., it was used by the domestic population above all for cult purposes; traces of a more permanent occupation have not been detected there yet. Text also presents an exceptional local find of a brass inlaid trefoil iron sword set fitting, probably a local imitation of Carolingian models (?). it represents a high-quality, professionally made art and craft product whose popularity culminated in the second and third quarters of the 9 th c. in the West; it might have occurred also later in the moravian milieu.