CNR, Progetto Finalizzato Beni Culturali

RAMSES Scientific Publications

Conference Proceedings

Supporti informativi in tempo reale per scavi archeologici
M.Ancona, G.Dodero, V.Gianuzzi, C.Fierro and V.Tine'
Proc. SMI 96, Ravello, 13-15 Novembre 1996, 91-100.
The paper (in Italian) derives from a cooperation between archaeologists and computer scientists at the University of Genova. It presents the requirements of software tools which may be applied to a stratigraphic excavation; such tools are based on two new technologies: wireless mobile computing and pen-based man-machine interfaces.

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Mobile Computing for real time support in archaeological excavations
M.Ancona, G.Dodero, C. Fierro, V.Gianuzzi, V.Tine', A.Traverso
CAA97, Computer Applications in Archaeology, Univ. Birmingham, UK, 10-13 apr 1997.
in:L.Dingwall, S.Exon, W.Gaffney, S.Laflin and M.VanLeusen (eds), Archaeology in the age of the Internet, CAA97 Proceedings, BAR International Series 750, Oxford, 279.
This abstract presents a joint undergoing project between archaeologists and computer scientists at the University of Genova. The goal of the cooperation is the development of a hardware/software integrated system to be applied to stratigraphic excavation; such a system is based on two new technologies: wireless mobile computing and pen-based man-machine interfaces. The proposed system consists on a workstation, and two or more mobile computers connected to the workstation by radio devices. The workstation is installed in some building close to the excavation site, it should be connected to Internet by telephone cables or satellite. Mobile systems provide pen-based input, and support local computation (data acquisition and preliminary analysis) as well as remote computations, which result as transactions on the workstation. The project shall consist on a three year effort (1997-1999) funded by the Italian national research council; a prototype demonstration is planned already for end 1997. Proceedings edited by Archaeopress, Oxford, in British Archaeological Report Series.

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Taking digital notes in the field: the Archeo toolset
M.Ancona, G.Dodero, M.Mongiardino, A.Traverso
CAA 98 Computer Applications in Archaeology, Barcelona, March 25-28,1998.
New Techniques for Old Times, (J.A.Barcelo,I.Briz, A.Vila, Eds), BAR International series 757, Archaeopress, Oxford, 1999, pp.117-121.
We describe a software tool which is executed on a mobile pen-based computer, intended to substitute handwritten notes and sketches in the field. Such a tool substitutes computer post-elaboration of field notes by means of real-time connection of a mobile local-area network.

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Computer Supported Cooperative Work in field archaeology: the Ade system
M.Ancona, V.Gianuzzi, M.Migliazzi, V.Tine'
CAA 98 Computer Applications in Archaeology, Barcelona, March 25-28,1998.
New Techniques for Old Times, (J.A.Barcelo,I.Briz, A.Vila, Eds), BAR International series 757, Archaeopress, Oxford, 1999, 123-126.
The paper describes Ade, a site object store where objects with different attributes (textual, graphical, spatial) are kept as aggregates inside larger units like stratigraphic units and contexts. The same toolset may be used to produce documents like rep orts to sponsoring organizations, or email to colleagues in Universities or museums, with various attachments, thus improving fieldwork communication and cooperation possibilities.

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Mobile computing in outdoor environments
M.Ancona, G.Dodero, V.Gianuzzi
Proceedings SAC 99 - ACM Symposium on Applied Computing, San Antonio, Texas, February 1999, 413-415.
The paper originates from, and describes as well, an experience in developing and using a system for on-site support, in real time, for archaeological excavations. The experience is made possible by joining two new technologies: wireless mobile computing and pen-based man-machine interfaces. The respective impact on system hardware and software structure is described and implications for outdoor mobile applications are discussed.

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RAMSES: a mobile computing system for field archaeology
M.Ancona, G.Dodero, V.Gianuzzi
Hans-W.Gellersen (Ed.), Handheld and Ubiquitous Computing, Lect. Notes in Computer Science No.1707, Springer Verlag Heidelberg: 1999. (222-233). Presented at HUC 99, Karlsruhe, 27-29 september 1999.
RAMSES (Remote Archaeological Mobile Support Enhanced System) is an outdoor application of mobile computing to field archaeology, whose prototype has already been field tested in Summer 1998 at the site of Poliochni in Greece. The requirements for both hardware and software are illustrated; the system is composed by a fixed station, acting as object repository, and a few mobile units, which input archaeological evidence by means of electromagnetic pen. The software components on both fixed and mobile systems and their interaction are described as well.

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Computer mobili per la gestione dei dati di scavo
M.Ancona, G.Dodero, V.Gianuzzi
Archeologia e Calcolatori 11, 2000, pp. Edizioni All'Insegna del Giglio, Firenze.
A preliminary version has been presented at "Archeologia Computazionale", Dipartimento di Storia, Universita' di Firenze, 19 Marzo 1999. (in Italian)
This paper describes a system for real-time field support to archaeological excavations, and for interaction with remote researchers, via Internet. To this aim, a prototype system has already been field tested at the site of Poliochni in Greece. The system is composed by a wireless LAN, including one (two or more in the future) mobile unit (Telxon PTC), and a wired LAN, with at least one PC or Workstation running Windows NT and Lotus Notes Domino for gr oupware activities.The two LANs are connected by means of an Access Point Aironet 630 (Radio-hub). The system provides a communication link with remote workstations installed in Universities or Museums where reasearchers are interested in cooperating in r eal-time with field operators. Archaeologists can use the mobile units to draw the finds on the screen using a magnetic pen, to write the related textual information and to send these sketches or other digital snapshots to the fixed host by using suitable interfaces (serial, parallel, PCMCIA, and so on).

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The RAMSES experience in archaeological research
A..Traverso, M.Ancona, G.Dodero, V.Gianuzzi
Proc. VAST 2000, Arezzo, 24-25 Nov 2000.
With the financial help of CNR, Progetto Finalizzato Beni Culturali, an ongoing research project, Ramses, has joined innovative computer science and archaeological research by exploiting wireless networks in the excavation field.The project so far has produced a new system and a corresponding associated methodology for the acquisition of archaeological evidence in the field. The presentation describes the point of view of archaeologists using the Ramses system in a campaign and the feedbacks on the design of similar devices from the computer technology and software points of views.

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Wireless technologies for archaeology: two experiences
M.Ancona, G.Dodero, V.Gianuzzi, A.Traverso
Proc. 3rd Int. Conf. on Science and Technology for the safeguard of Cultural heritage in the Mediterranean basin, Alcala' de Henares, Spain, 9-14 July 2001
The paper presents an innovative technology, wireless communication, as it h as been applied to archaeology in two different projects, respectively named RAMSES and PAST.

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An Integrated Environment for Scientific Data Entry and Management on mobile systems
M. Ancona, G. Dodero, V. Gianuzzi, S. Locati, A. Romagnoli
Proc. Chilean Computing Week, First Workshop on Software Engineering, Punta Arenas, 5-9 Nov 2001.
In this paper, an integrated approach to the problem of entering and manipulating scientific data on mobile devices connected in a wireless network is presented, and its ability to support mobile users operating on the field in indoor and outdoor environments is briefly discussed. This approach is based on experiences collected by the authors in the development of three mobile applications, for cultural heritage and healthcare, with mobile computers connected via wireless network.

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Tesi di laurea (MSc Theses)

Basi di dati archeologiche: progetto RAMSES
M.Migliazzi - Tesi di laurea in Scienze dell’ Informazione, Universita` di Genova, dicembre 1997.

Archeo: strumento software per la progettazione di scavi archeologici in tempo reale.
M.Mongiardino - Tesi di laurea in Scienze dell’ Informazione, Universita` di Genova, dicembre 1997.

Un'applicazione groupware nella gestione in tempo reale di scavi archeologici
M.P.Montobbio - Tesi di laurea in Scienze dell' Informazione, Universita` di Genova, dicembre 1998.

Gestione integrata di scavi archeologici in una LAN Wireless
A. Torri - Tesi di laurea in Scienze dell' Informazione, Universita` di Genova, dicembre 1998.

Applicazione dei linguaggi VML e VRML per la gestione di figure geometriche in documenti archeologici
A. Canepa - Tesi di laurea in Matematica, Universita' di Genova, dicembre 2001.

For availability of the theses please ask by email to G. Dodero

Last Update: January 23, 2002.