Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BE-ARCHAEO (BEyond ARCHAEOlogy: an advanced approach linking East to West through science, field archaeology, interactive museum experiences)
Période du rapport: 2021-08-01 au 2023-07-31
Approaches combining archaeology and archaeometry for the investigation of past records are established, but recent technological advances, especially new IT tools, push for a general update of the consolidated procedures.
BE-ARCHAEO launches a trans-disciplinary approach in the investigation of past registered at archaeological sites, with the involvement of IT experts within an on-the-field interplay between archaeologists and archaeometry experts, in a truly interdisciplinary and trans-sectoral environment. Besides improving the career perspectives of researchers, the project is developing new tools for strengthening the links between archaeology and hard sciences, with the building of a shared knowledge database with interlinked archaeological and archaeometric informations.
Research theme has been provided by the Japanese partners through a new archaeological site, the Tobiotsuka mounded tomb (Soja City, Okayama Prefecture), and their archaeological collections, to investigate the evolution from chieftain power to central government, by investigating the connections between Kibi and Izumo areas. This intersectoral and trans-disciplinary approach will contribute to further growth of archaeology and archaeometry, but also to the cultivation of cultural-property specialists with interdisciplinary vision, the enhanced fusion of archaeology and science, and the development of new IT technology that contributes to the storage and utilization of interdisciplinary data for communicating our new knowledge to the public.
The main achievements of the BE-ARCHAEO project are:
- An OA integrated archeological database,employable in additional research projects.
- new research collaborations that will be implemented with the submission of new European research projects.
- complete scientific investigations on all planned materials.
- More visibility for SMEs.
- The Partner IRIAE has started two new research projects in collaboration with Japanese institutions.
- BE-ARCHAEO allowed new connections among researchers engaged in the study of Eastern archeology and revitalized the interest in the subject.
- Additional BE-ARCHAEO summer schools, workshops, and events will be held in the upcoming years.
BE-ARCHAEO launches a trans-disciplinary approach in the investigation of past registered at archaeological sites, with the involvement of IT experts within an on-the-field interplay between archaeologists and archaeometry experts, in a truly interdisciplinary and trans-sectoral environment. Besides improving the career perspectives of researchers, the project is developing new tools for strengthening the links between archaeology and hard sciences, with the building of a shared knowledge database with interlinked archaeological and archaeometric informations.
Research theme has been provided by the Japanese partners through a new archaeological site, the Tobiotsuka mounded tomb (Soja City, Okayama Prefecture), and their archaeological collections, to investigate the evolution from chieftain power to central government, by investigating the connections between Kibi and Izumo areas. This intersectoral and trans-disciplinary approach will contribute to further growth of archaeology and archaeometry, but also to the cultivation of cultural-property specialists with interdisciplinary vision, the enhanced fusion of archaeology and science, and the development of new IT technology that contributes to the storage and utilization of interdisciplinary data for communicating our new knowledge to the public.
The main achievements of the BE-ARCHAEO project are:
- An OA integrated archeological database,employable in additional research projects.
- new research collaborations that will be implemented with the submission of new European research projects.
- complete scientific investigations on all planned materials.
- More visibility for SMEs.
- The Partner IRIAE has started two new research projects in collaboration with Japanese institutions.
- BE-ARCHAEO allowed new connections among researchers engaged in the study of Eastern archeology and revitalized the interest in the subject.
- Additional BE-ARCHAEO summer schools, workshops, and events will be held in the upcoming years.
Initial activities started with a workshop in Okayama (February 2019) to establish researchers interactions and protocols.
The first excavations on Tobiotsuka, consisting in two trenches outside of the mound and four square portions inside the stone chamber, have been preceded by a geophysical survey, to obtain 2D sections and 3D images of the structure of the burial mound and and the location of zones where to focus the excavations.
In parallel, a photogrammetric measurements has been done, aimed at 3D rendering of the mound. All activities have been recorded by the team of communicators.
Several ceramic shards have been found in the stone chamber, together with metal fragments and a glass bead. To obtain information on the technology of production and provenance, ceramic and glass samples from another Kofun of Okayama prefecture ( Tatetsuki mound) and from three archaeological sites on Shimane prefecture have been analysed. Presently, the whole set of data is still being elaborated, together with the analysis of Tobiotsuka finds.
Preliminary conclusions are:
- The kofun has been plundered.
- The rank of the deceased was high.
- Probably, the kofun hosted two sarcophagi, one in terracotta and one in wood more or less coeval.
During the excavations soil samples have been collected and analyzed, to delucidate the building technique of the mound and the formation of the tomb pavement. Preliminary results are contrasting, and suggest a more appropriate sample preparation in next excavations.
A vegetation survey of the mound allowed the identification of 30 plant species and to obtain information about the acidity and the level of disturbance of the soil. The microbiological investigations of the soil detected a remarkable variability of fungal communities, with a distributional patterns related to different microenvironmental factors, which need to be further investigated.
We started also an investigation of animal remains, to help the clarification of chronology of the eras and the transition periods under study. We did not find remains of animal origin for now. The investigations of bones from museum collections, mainly of aquatic fauna, allowed to perform a taxonomic identification, and a osteometric and taphonomic study, useful to reconstruct the ecological and economic dynamics of the human community in its ecosystem. Preliminary results are promising.
The architecture of Be-archaeo database has been set up: we have defined the input fields to store/retrieve, and the ontology that will provide the information structure that supports all the phases of the project, up to the design and the implementation of the exhibition. We have also developed a conceptual model of the archaeometric knowledge and identified the major entities to be reported in the forms.
All activities have been disseminated by means of several media: web site, newspaper, conferences, social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), seminars.
- The database has been released and is openly accessible and implementable.
- Two summer schools have been organized. One in Okayama and one in Turin, followed by Over 100 PhD students.
- Two final exhibitions have been realized. One in Izumo (Japan) and one in Turin.
- Several project related publications have been produced.
The first excavations on Tobiotsuka, consisting in two trenches outside of the mound and four square portions inside the stone chamber, have been preceded by a geophysical survey, to obtain 2D sections and 3D images of the structure of the burial mound and and the location of zones where to focus the excavations.
In parallel, a photogrammetric measurements has been done, aimed at 3D rendering of the mound. All activities have been recorded by the team of communicators.
Several ceramic shards have been found in the stone chamber, together with metal fragments and a glass bead. To obtain information on the technology of production and provenance, ceramic and glass samples from another Kofun of Okayama prefecture ( Tatetsuki mound) and from three archaeological sites on Shimane prefecture have been analysed. Presently, the whole set of data is still being elaborated, together with the analysis of Tobiotsuka finds.
Preliminary conclusions are:
- The kofun has been plundered.
- The rank of the deceased was high.
- Probably, the kofun hosted two sarcophagi, one in terracotta and one in wood more or less coeval.
During the excavations soil samples have been collected and analyzed, to delucidate the building technique of the mound and the formation of the tomb pavement. Preliminary results are contrasting, and suggest a more appropriate sample preparation in next excavations.
A vegetation survey of the mound allowed the identification of 30 plant species and to obtain information about the acidity and the level of disturbance of the soil. The microbiological investigations of the soil detected a remarkable variability of fungal communities, with a distributional patterns related to different microenvironmental factors, which need to be further investigated.
We started also an investigation of animal remains, to help the clarification of chronology of the eras and the transition periods under study. We did not find remains of animal origin for now. The investigations of bones from museum collections, mainly of aquatic fauna, allowed to perform a taxonomic identification, and a osteometric and taphonomic study, useful to reconstruct the ecological and economic dynamics of the human community in its ecosystem. Preliminary results are promising.
The architecture of Be-archaeo database has been set up: we have defined the input fields to store/retrieve, and the ontology that will provide the information structure that supports all the phases of the project, up to the design and the implementation of the exhibition. We have also developed a conceptual model of the archaeometric knowledge and identified the major entities to be reported in the forms.
All activities have been disseminated by means of several media: web site, newspaper, conferences, social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), seminars.
- The database has been released and is openly accessible and implementable.
- Two summer schools have been organized. One in Okayama and one in Turin, followed by Over 100 PhD students.
- Two final exhibitions have been realized. One in Izumo (Japan) and one in Turin.
- Several project related publications have been produced.
Presently, the progress beyond the state of the art is mainly evident for researchers and institutions involved in the project, in particular for career development: three staff members of Turin University and one of Lisbon University became associate professors, one staff member of Okayama University obtained an important Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas.
Networking activities are enlarging the set of valuable collaborations. Further researchers have been involved in BE-ARCHAEO and are experiencing the use of their scientific techniques and labs for the archaeometric investigation.
- Complete the mound dating together with the archaeometric investigations of materials from museum collections of Shimane and Okayama prefecture, gthat will permit to contextualize the Tobiotsuka site in the historic and social transformation of Kibi and Izumo region.
- To set up a database with a good archaeological-archaeometric data correlation, that would serve as model for new archaeological projects.
Moreover, the following collaborations have been already set in order to enhance the project impact beyond participants and partners:
- new archaeomagnetic studies with the Okayama University of Science in Japan and with the Geophysical Department of the University of San Paulo in Brasil;
- investigation of glass finds with Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties
In addition, more than 500 people have visited on 27th of September 2019 the BE-ARCAHEO booths prepared in Torino (Italy) and Lisbon (Portugal) within the event “European researchers’ night” and have been exposed to the BE-ARCHAEO vision of research on past records. The researcher’s’ night has been held on-line on September 2020 by University of Lisbon (UNIARQ).
Networking activities are enlarging the set of valuable collaborations. Further researchers have been involved in BE-ARCHAEO and are experiencing the use of their scientific techniques and labs for the archaeometric investigation.
- Complete the mound dating together with the archaeometric investigations of materials from museum collections of Shimane and Okayama prefecture, gthat will permit to contextualize the Tobiotsuka site in the historic and social transformation of Kibi and Izumo region.
- To set up a database with a good archaeological-archaeometric data correlation, that would serve as model for new archaeological projects.
Moreover, the following collaborations have been already set in order to enhance the project impact beyond participants and partners:
- new archaeomagnetic studies with the Okayama University of Science in Japan and with the Geophysical Department of the University of San Paulo in Brasil;
- investigation of glass finds with Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties
In addition, more than 500 people have visited on 27th of September 2019 the BE-ARCAHEO booths prepared in Torino (Italy) and Lisbon (Portugal) within the event “European researchers’ night” and have been exposed to the BE-ARCHAEO vision of research on past records. The researcher’s’ night has been held on-line on September 2020 by University of Lisbon (UNIARQ).