"Archaeology and Geoinformatics"
(volume 11)English summaries [1]
Berlizov A.N. Application of GIS in the study of funerary monuments of the Asian Bosporus of the 6th–4th centuries BC
Bezdudny V.G., Radyush O.A. Geophysical studies of a part of the territory of the “Gorodishche of Novosil” (Novosil, Orel region). Magnetometry. GPR
Bezdudny V.G., Trebeleva G.V., Glazov K.A., Kasintsev A.V., Bezdudny A.V. Test geophysical (magnetometric) surveys on a part of the territory of Markulskoye ancient settlement (Ochamchirsky district, Republic of Abkhazia)
Borisov E.A., Chechushkov I.V. Application of GIS-methods in the study of the settlement system in the Lower Klyazma in the 11th–13th centuries
Khokhlov S.A., Ivanov S.V., Bardashov M.N., Tkachenko Yu. Underwater remotely research of the Sarkel fortress (Left-Bank Tsimlyansk ancient settlement)
Korobov D.S. Use of remote sensing data for monitoring the condition of archaeological sites
Menshikov M.Yu., Yunkin J.A. Possibilities of 3D-illustrations in printed archaeological publications
Petrov M.I., Tarabardina O.A., Salomatin D.A., Sapozhnikov P.A., Faradzheva N.N. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the Novgorod manor of the 14th century (based on the materials of the Duboshin-II excavation)
Platonova N.I., Marunin M.V. Latest data on the topography of the Peredolsky archaeological complex
Shevchenko V.A., Modin I.N., Erokhin S.A., Krasnikova A.M. Geophysical studies of the Gnezdilovo barrow necropolis
Smekalov S.L., Zubarev V.G., Yartsev S.V. Mounds of Crimea. Comparison of the results of studies of selected areas based on maps, aerial photography, satellite images and ground reconnaissance surveys
Smekalov S.L., Zubarev V.G., Yartsev S.V. Geoinformatics is simple. For “just” archaeologists
Trebeleva G.V., Glazov K.A., Kizilov A.S., Yurkov V.G. Application of photogrammetry in the works of the joint Russian-Abkhazian Markul archaeological expedition of IA RAS and AbIHR ASA
Trebeleva G.V., Glazov K.A., Kizilov A.S., Sakania S.M., Yurkov V.G., Abornyev I.V., Yurkov G.Yu. Reconstruction and 3D-visualisation of the fortress of Great Pitiunt and its first Christian churches
Zaripova G.H., Ovechkina L.V., Pigarev E.M., Sitdikov A.G. Study of the complex of mausoleums near the village of Lapas, Astrakhan region, using modern technologies
Zhurbin I.V., Zlobina A.G., Shaura A.S., Bazhenova A.I. Statistical analysis of multispectral survey and signs for reconstruction of the cultural layer of settlements destroyed by ploughing
Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow
Application of GIS in the study of funerary monuments of the Asian Bosporus of the 6th–4th centuries BC
The application of GIS, taking into account the accumulation of a huge amount of archaeological materials, makes it possible to make a significant contribution to the study of funerary monuments of the Asiatic Bosporus, in particular, it concerns the necropolises of Volna 1, near the village of Vinogradniy, Artyushchenko 2, where about 1500 burials of the 6th–4th centuries BC were discovered. The application of GIS-technologies in the analysis of this data set was conditioned by the need to compare necropolises among themselves and to search for analogies in other synchronous monuments of the ancient world.
Using Quantum GIS software, polynomial spatial referencing of necropolises of the Taman Peninsula was carried out (18 ground and 7 burial mound necropolises were taken into account). Using a set of raster data, plans of the necropolises under consideration were included in the system, which made it possible to accurately localise them as well as all archaeological objects investigated there. Vector layers were created for each necropolis with separate polygons for each burial. The database on burials of the Asiatic Bosporus, created in Microsoft Excel on the basis of the universal code of N.E. Berlizov and A.P. Vinediktov [Berlizov et al., 2003. P. 7], was used. The code takes into account 111 extra-ritual characteristics (dating, sex, age of the buried person) and features of the burial rite, starting from the characteristics of the burial structure and ending with the presence of ritual objects. QGIS was used to merge all vector layers, which helped to compare burials of all necropolises with each other.
The project allows visualising the results of research of necropolises of the Asian Bosporus and comparing the objects identified in them by an unlimited number of characteristics, which solves the problem of quick search for analogies of archaeological materials. An opportunity is created to study the spatial distribution of burials to determine the status of the buried by the prestige of the burial location [Gulyaev, 2010. P.18; Dimakis, 2016] and to identify sites with different burial practices [Berlizov, Sudarev, 2022. P. 68–69]. Further development of the project may be the inclusion of information on other archaeological sites, primarily on settlements of the studied region.
The study was carried out within the framework of the RSF project No. 23-18-00196 “Comprehensive research of a new urban necropolis of Archaic and Classical time Volna 1 on the territory of the Asian Bosporus”.
Bezdudny V.G.*, Radyush O.A.**
*Laboratory of Archaeological Geophysics, Rostov-on-Don
**Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow
Geophysical studies of a part of the territory of the “Gorodishche of Novosil” (Novosil, Orel region). Magnetometry. GPR
In October 2022, V.G. Bezdudny carried out geophysical surveys of a part of the territory of the “Gorodishche of Novosil”, Novosil, Orel region. Archaeological research of the site was carried out by the Seiminsko-Sudzhinskaya expedition of IA RAS under the direction of O.A. Radyush.
The “Gorodishche of Novosil” has a significant range of existence and accumulation of cultural layer from the Early Iron Age (the turn of the eras), reliably dated to the end of the 1st century BC, the period of Romensk culture of the 10th–11th centuries, the Old Russian town of the 12th–13th centuries, the capital of the appanage principality of the 13th–14th centuries. Probably, life continues in the 15th century, in the middle of the 16th century the fortress is restored and exists until the beginning of the 18th century, the site itself continues to be used at least until the middle of the 19th century (Radyush, 2016). The excavations revealed a pit of the basement of the Old Russian period, a pottery kiln of the Romensky period, and a lime kiln of the 18th–19th centuries. The objects identified in the pits before the geophysical survey required, if possible, determination of their preservation, location and contours.
A single-channel GPR with a 200 MHz antenna was used. The measurement grid was 0.1 × 0.25 m. For the magnetometric study, the processor overhauser sensor POS-2 in its gradientometric (two-channel) modification with a measurement network of 0.5 × 0.5 m was used.
The study of a part of the Novosil ancient settlement territory was carried out at several areas. The first area of the geophysical survey was marked according to the preliminary results of prospecting. In the test trench, the remains of a building rubble and a corner of the foundation of some kind of construction were found. A part of a lime pit was found in the pits to the east.
The geophysical survey of the first area revealed an amorphous, elongated shape boundary, most likely a reflection of brick and construction debris rubble and destroyed structures. The lower GPR layers revealed two rectangles, measuring 10 × 6 m (No. 2) and 8 × 7 m (No. 2.1). Possibly it is a reflecting of a single structure with a partition between them. Remains of annexes may have been traced to the north and east.
The magnetometry plot reveals strong magnetic field spikes across the entire site. Subrectangular boundaries of magnetic field changes on archaeological sites with dimensions from 2 × 1 to 3 × 3 m are clearly traced.
It is possible to speak about the presence of archaeological objects on the sites of magnetometric and GPR survey of a part of the Novosil ancient settlement. The rubble and the corner of the structure identified in the pits were contoured using non-destructive methods. Magnetometry revealed and planted on the plan about a dozen of archaeological objects. It is now possible to verify by test trenches or drilling the presence of objects and structures, as well as their dating. Judging by the layout of the settlement, the objects could belong to the 18th–19th, 15th–16th centuries and Old Russian time. Further excavations will clarify the results and interpretation of geophysical studies.
Bezdudny V.G.*, Trebeleva G.V.**, Glazov K.A.***, Kasintsev A.V.**, Bezdudny A.V.**
*Laboratory of Archaeological Geophysics, Rostov-on-Don
**Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow
***Subtropical Scientific Centre RAS, Sochi
Test geophysical (magnetometric) surveys on a part of the territory of Markulskoye ancient settlement (Ochamchirsky district, Republic of Abkhazia)
Magnetic prospecting is a well-known and successfully used method in archaeology. The first applications of this method date back to the middle of the 20th century, and mass application began in the 1990s. However, the effectiveness of the method depends largely on the peculiarities of both the site itself and the natural conditions of the territories. Therefore, before resorting to large-scale works, in February 2023, test geophysical (magnetometric) studies were carried out on a part of the territory of Markulskoye ancient settlement (Ochamchirsky district, Republic of Abkhazia). The purpose of the works was to check the possibility of manifestation and contrast in magnetic plan of separate stones, stone and other archaeological constructions on the territory of a part of the ancient settlement; to compare the geophysical data with the results of the digital terrain model (DTM) to assess the potential possibility of revealing stone constructions that are not visible above the surface of the monument. During the work, measurements of the vertical gradient of the magnetic field were made at several plots to the south-west of the ancient settlement. Three plots were investigated (with measurements at plot No. 1 being duplicated), with a total area of 1,266 square metres. 9,945 magnetic field observations were made. The duplicated magnetometric study of the same plot showed stable, adequate, repeatable results. This confirms that the magnetic field changes introduced by man in the past are relatively stable and can be recorded by the presented equipment. The comparison of geophysical data with the results of DTM obtained by photogrammetry from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) showed that individual stones on the surface of the study areas are not contrasting magnetically, but stones in the proposed structure with anthropogenic impact show contrasting values. There is a problem of separating objects and remnants of modern human activity from archaeological objects of earlier times. In order to fully preserve the information, the obtained magnetic survey data, in particular the zones with anomalous contrast data, are entered into a unified GIS for the Markulskoye settlement. Further expansion of geophysical surveys, necessarily in combination with other studies, including excavations, will help to clarify the interpretation of geophysical data.
The work was supported by RSF, project No. 22-18-00466 “The North-Eastern Black Sea Coast in Antique and Medieval Times: historical modelling based on GIS-technologies, geoarchaeology and archaeometry”.
Borisov E.A.*, Chechushkov I.V.**
*Vladimir State University
**Institute of History and Archaeology, Ural Branch of RAS, Ekaterinburg
Application of GIS-methods in the study of the settlement system in the Lower Klyazma in the 11th–13th centuries
The paper deals with the use of geoinformation methods to study the settlement system of Finno-Ugric and Slavic tribes on the territory of the lower reaches of the Klyazma River in the 11th–13th centuries. The lack and, to a large extent, impossibility of study this territory according to written sources prompts the application of relatively new methods of studying the material culture of this frontier region for the Vladimir-Suzdal land.
Today, a comprehensive study of settlement stages in the Lower Klyazma region is needed to reconstruct the stages of settlement associated with Slavic migrations at the turn of the 1st and 2nd millennia AD. For this purpose it is necessary to create a map and analyse the statistical material, which reflects all known information about towns, villages and burial grounds of the Lower Klyazma. It is necessary to identify markers indicating population movements, criteria of resource zones and landscape features that attracted settlers.
Mapping as a method allows us to reflect the settlement system and to identify sites of earlier and later periods by locating them in separate layers. This way of structuring information allows us to observe the location of sites and make the first assumptions about the character of the relief where they are located. The creation of Voronov-Tiessen polygons gives us new information about settlement density: the concentration and dispersion of sites as well as the size of resource zones, the distribution of sites over time, and, most importantly, where as yet unknown sites may be located. The application of these methods leads us to new results.
The presence of handmade Slavic and Finno-Ugric pottery in the cultural layer indicates early settlement of the area and contacts between ethnic groups as early as the 11th century. The change of technology from handmade to early wheelmade and advanced wheelmade pottery allows to specify the time of appearance of new sites in the studied territory and speaks about a new influx of population in the middle of the 11th century. Cremations as a more archaic variant of the burial rites found in the burial mounds also confirm the early settlement stage of the area. The gradual transition from cremation to inhumation deposition, early wheelmade and advanced wheelmade pottery, Christian symbolism and the orientation of the deceased to the west, the gradual decrease in the quantity of inventory, and the appearance of coffins testify to the second wave of settlement of this area in the second half of the 11th – early 12th centuries by the Christian population. During this period, 38 out of 63 known villages appear. Slavs chose the floodplain terraces for settlement along the river banks, which is connected with the greatest fertility of river floodplains, but their flooding during the off-season forced them to choose more elevated places for settlement. Such places are the priority for further archaeological exploration. It is noteworthy that burial grounds are usually located upstream of the settlement sites. Several groups of villages are located without town protection, and the known towns are erected in deserted places, which suggests the fortification purpose of these towns appeared not earlier than the middle of the 12th century.
Thus, the settlement system in this region is primarily connected with waterways and uplands on their banks. The settlement of this territory by Slavs was not simultaneous, at least two migration flows are observed: in the first half of the 11th century and in the second half of the 11th – 12th centuries. The question of where exactly and for what reason this population came from remains open.
Khokhlov S.A., Ivanov S.V., Bardashov M.N., Tkachenko Yu.
Autonomous Nonprofit Organization “Underwater Archaeological Society”, Moscow
Underwater remotely research of the Sarkel fortress (Left-Bank Tsimlyansk ancient settlement)
In the summer of 2022, an archaeological expedition was carried out to study the Left-Bank Tsimlyansk ancient settlement (Sarkel fortress). In 1952, the ancient settlement was flooded by the Tsimlyansk Reservoir. Part of the settlement was investigated by the Volga-Don Archaeological Expedition under the leadership of M.I. Artamonov.
The purpose of the new expedition in 2022 was to confirm information on the localisation of the Left-Bank Tsimlyansk ancient settlement, assess its current state and conduct research using remote sensing methods.
The research was carried out from small vessels. As part of the expedition, remote archaeological research was carried out using various hydrophysical equipment: bottom survey with side-scan sonars (SSS), construction of a bathymetric map of the bottom using echo sounders, bottom profile survey with an acoustic profilograph, and magnetometer survey in the immediate vicinity of the bottom. During the expedition, dives were made to the monument, as a result of which visual inspection of underwater objects discovered using SSS was made. Video recording of the objects was made and surface material was collected.
As a result of diving operations, the remains of buildings excavated by M.I. Artamonov's expedition were discovered. Despite complete darkness and poor visibility, it was possible to make a photogrammetric model of a part of the building. Using SSS and GIS mosaics, it was established that the remains of the brick structure were the remains of Building II described in the archaeological reports. Visual inspection revealed that the walls of the building rise up to 70 cm above the seabed and that the low-lying areas at the excavation sites were filled with silt to a depth of at least 70 cm. Using detailed archaeological reports on the excavations conducted by M.I. Artamonov's expedition and the obtained data of hydrophysical studies, the plans were compared and compiled in GIS. This made it possible to find out the current state of the ancient settlement and compare different hydrophysical complexes with each other. The monument is a good testing ground for hydrophysical data, which can be compared with archaeological reports of excavations carried out before the flooding.
The conditions for underwater archaeologists to work in the waters of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir were also determined. In May 2019, the water at a depth of 10 m, in the area of the Sarkel fortress, was still too cold for prolonged work underwater in a wet suit. Visibility was still satisfactory, in the region of two metres, and no additional light sources were required. In July and September 2022, the water at a depth of 10 m in the vicinity of Sarkel fortress was warm enough for comfortable work in a wet suit, but due to microalgae blooms, sunlight was completely blocked and underwater lights were required. In spite of such difficult conditions for archaeological exploration, it is worthwhile to carry out additional research on the settlement and to give the monument a protected status.
Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow
Use of remote sensing data for monitoring the condition of archaeological sites
The application of remote sensing (RS) data in archaeology began in 1899, when aerial photography of archaeological sites was first used. Since the 1970s, space imagery has been added to aerial photographs in archaeological applications of RS. At present, aerial photography and space imagery in archaeology are used to solve two main tasks: 1) search for archaeological monuments and study of their peculiarities, which requires archival data, preferably the earliest in time imagery; 2) monitoring of the current state of archaeological heritage sites, for which the images of recent years are used.
The article highlights the author's experience in tracking the gradual destruction of the Podkumskoye 2 ancient settlement in the Kislovodsk Basin. The analysis of space images, which are publicly available on Google.Earth geoservice, allows tracing the state of the settlement from 2013 to 2020 and determining the time of destruction of the cultural layer and structures on the site, which occurred during unauthorised construction works.
Timely acquaintance with actual remote sensing data could allow us to stop the process of destruction of an archaeological site in time. Unfortunately, as in most cases, we observe these destructions after the fact. It seems undoubtedly that replenishing the existing archives of images made from space and available in open sources becomes a very useful tool in monitoring the condition of archaeological heritage sites. This experience can be useful both for specialists studying specific archaeological sites and for the staff of the cultural heritage protection authorities of our country.
Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow
Possibilities of 3D-illustrations in printed archaeological publications
This publication is devoted to the possibility of using the viewing of three-dimensional images with the help of modern standard tablets and phones when placing these images on two-dimensional media. There are situations when the illustrative part of the work placed in a paper publication cannot fully satisfy the professional demands of specialists. Not all photographs, let alone drawings or blueprints, can perfectly accurately convey the interposition of objects and their shape. Three-dimensional fixation in archaeology gives the most objective information about the object. It is especially important, for example, when a physical anthropologist wants to get maximum information about the state of an object, especially about the in situ situation, but due to some reasons does not have access directly even to bone remains.
There are two examples in this paper where the presence of archaeological material in a publication with only a drawing or photographs can lead to a distorted or incomplete representation of the published finds. In the first case we are talking about a hand-made vessel, where different sides of its rim have different profiling, which can give an erroneous idea of the type and date of the ceramic product. In the second case, we are talking about the complex position of the find in the burial, which was investigated in the absence of a physical anthropologist. The location of the object among the bones does not allow it to be attributed to the burial inventory, but, according to the archaeologists who conducted the excavations, allows to consider it as a tool that caused the death of the buried person. This situation must be examined comprehensively with the participation of anthropologists, and three-dimensional publication is the only way to study this plot once the bones and objects have been recovered from the excavation.
The article presents two of the simplest and most accessible ways of three-dimensional publication of archaeological material to date, using the two plots presented above as examples.
Petrov M.I.*, Tarabardina O.A.*, Salomatin D.A.**, Sapozhnikov P.A.**, Faradzheva N.N.***
*Novgorod Museum-Reserve, Veliky Novgorod
**Independent Researcher, Moscow
***Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow
Three-dimensional reconstruction of the Novgorod manor of the 14th century (based on the materials of the Duboshin-II excavation)
Large-scale archaeological research at the Nerevsky excavation in Novgorod for the first time revealed to the scientific community the main structural unit of the medieval city – the city estate. The first reconstruction of the appearance of a Novgorod manor from the Nerevsky excavation was published in 1961, the authors initially stipulated that it was based on plans of buildings and their appearance was largely hypothetical. Subsequent attempts to reconstruct various manor houses aroused constant interest, but the reason for their small (less than a dozen) number should be seen not so much in the lack of scientific objectives as in the difficulties of graphic execution and the availability of an experienced architect.
The introduction of modern technologies in archaeological research (digital drawings and photographs, photogrammetry) has significantly changed the possibilities of performing the reconstruction of the manor layout using different software.
Visual reconstructions play an extremely significant role for the popularisation of archaeological knowledge and also allow for the clarification and research tasks that involve aspects of estate layout, especially in three-dimensional space.
There are two stages in the process of reconstructing the manor building: the stage of interpreting the results of fieldwork and the stage of visualising the model. The reconstruction is based on a set of sources obtained during field research: drawings of buildings and stratigraphy, photographs, textual descriptions, as well as information on buildings from various excavations and ethnographic materials accumulated during many years of excavations in Novgorod. After the definition of conceptual approaches and schematic reconstruction of each of the buildings of the manor complex comes the stage of graphic visualisation, which in this work was performed in the Blender 3D v.2.8 software package. It should be noted that many details of the reconstruction are clarified at the stage of visualisation and study of the model (for example, the nature and direction of the roof; elements of the interior, etc.).
The reconstruction of the manor house complex is based on the materials of research of the Duboshin-II excavation in the sediments of the 1360–70s (horizon 4, manor house A), which were studied in 2017. The choice of the site for reconstruction was determined by a complex of reasons: a significant area of research, the excellent level of preservation of organics in the excavation; the high rate of formation of the cultural layer, which ensured the preservation of the remains of structures to a considerable height; the detailed dendrochronology of the horizon, which allows us to trace the dynamics of the development of the A estate building.
The present work represents the most modern experience of visualising a medieval urban manor; in the future it is planned to create a series of reconstructions of the manor buildings investigated both in the Duboshin-II excavation and in other excavations in Novgorod.
Institute of History of Material Culture RAS, St. Petersburg
Latest data on the topography of the Peredolsky archaeological complex
The Peredolsky archaeological complex on the bank of the Luga River, 70 km northwest of Veliky Novgorod, includes monuments dating from the middle of the 1st millennium AD to the late Middle Ages. In recent years interest to it has increased due to discoveries of antiquities of the 6th–7th centuries (“pre-sopka type”). In parallel, V.Y. Konetsky and S.V. Troyanovsky hypothesised that the “Big Sopka” or “Shum-Gora” – a unique two-tiered mound of the Peredolsky necropolis, 13.5 m high – is not a mound, but the remains of a motte – a mound with a donjon tower on top. The new data and the discussion that arose forced us to resume the research of the Peredol complex. The main emphasis was placed on clarifying the topography and mutual location of archaeological sites, as well as on obtaining information about the surface structure and altitude situation on the ground.
Along with the generalisation of data obtained by traditional methods, the latest methods were used – tacheometric survey, low-altitude aerial survey and aerial scanning of the complex area (about 1.5 sq. km) using LiDAR technology. As a result, the specified area received plan-altitude and photogrammetric characteristics with an accuracy of about 5 cm in plan and height. A photographic plan of the area was produced, combined with an elevation atlas. The first is a set of photographs taken by low-altitude aerial survey with the centre of the image defined. On the second one the plan-altitude and photogrammetric information is available in the form of a point cloud collected by a scanning device and representing the surface.
The elevation map shows the plan-altitude situation using colours, each corresponding to a specific elevation. This makes it possible to convey and interpret the shape of any irregularity in the relief and the fixed objects. The latter should help to clarify the location of destroyed or unknown archaeological sites that have no distinct markers on the ground. In this respect, the section of the Luga River bank became promising, where the height map revealed circular structures, possibly representing the bases of ploughed-out barrows.
On the contrary, the absence of traces of a cultural layer was confirmed in the area of Shum Gora. This is a serious argument against the new hypothesis, according to which this site in the 11th–12th centuries should have been a residential area adjacent to the owner's castle-motte.
Thus, as a result of the research conducted, an exhaustively detailed topography of the complex has been obtained, which will be further filled with new archaeological information and semantics.
Shevchenko V.A.*,**, Modin I.N.**, Erokhin S.A.*, Krasnikova A.M.***
*Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow
**Moscow State University
***State Historical Museum, Moscow
Geophysical studies of the Gnezdilovo barrow necropolis
The paper deals with the results of complex geophysical studies of the medieval barrow necropolis of Gnezdilovo 12, located in Suzdal Opolye near a large settlement of Gnezdilovo 2 dated to the 10th–12th centuries. In addition to burial mounds flat inhumations and signs of cremation burials were found on the site. The main factor determining the necessity of geophysical methods in the study of such necropolises in Suzdal Opolye is the absence of any traces of barrow mounds in the relief. There are two reasons for the destruction of the mounds: intensive centuries-long ploughing, and previous archaeological work carried out in the mid-19th century under the leadership of Count A.S. Uvarov. At the same time, the results of geophysical methods are significantly affected by various natural heterogeneities, which are the main obstacles: elements of palaeocryogenic polygonal network, deluvial structures and palaeo-soil bodies.
The applied set of geophysical methods included pseudo-three-dimensional electrotomography and magnetic survey. Electrotomography was carried out using a series of parallel profiles with a distance between electrodes and a spacing between profiles of 1 m, using a combined three-electrode Amn+mnB unit in one polarisation, multichannel equipment “Omega-48” (“LogiS”, Russia). Magnetic reconnaissance was performed with measurement of the modulus of the total magnetic field vector, with a spacing between profiles of 1 m, along the profile – 0.2 m, sensor height 0.5 m, using quantum magnetometer “G-858G” (“Geometrics”, Canada). As of 2020, the area of geomagnetic survey in the zone of the main concentration of material collected on the ploughed surface of the site was 3.75 ha, eletrotomography – 2.67 ha, excavation area – 100 sq. m.
The studies made it possible to determine the structure of the site, including the position of the mounds not expressed on the modern surface. The correctness of the interpretation of the objects in the mound section of the necropolis is proved by the correspondence of the resistivity map and the plans taken during the archaeological excavations of the monument, conducted under the direction of A.S. Uvarov in 1851. The results of magnetic survey show archaeological objects poorly, unlike natural ones, which does not allow using this method as an independent tool. However, the application of complex processing to the results of geophysical methods allows us to suppress natural interferences and highlight archaeological objects. In our case, the results of electrotomography and magnetic survey were used to calculate two principal components using the appropriate tool from the ArcGIS software; the first principal component includes the most correlated natural heterogeneities, while the second reflects predominantly archaeological sites. The number of embankments and their density are higher than those noted by Uvarov.
In addition to the area with pronounced ring anomalies, the electrical resistivity maps show an area with local anomalies of increased resistivity (“ripples”). It is interpreted as the area of distribution of archaeological sites. The objects may be mounds with unexplained ditches, earth graves or pits of unclear purpose but of anthropogenic origin. Archaeological excavations are required to determine their type. The correctness of interpretation of the boundaries of the local anomalies distribution zone as the boundaries of the site is confirmed by the correspondence of the contour of the “ripples” and the contour of the surface material distribution according to the data of field walking, as well as by the results of excavations. Thus, the excavation of 2020, located within the zone of “ripples” distribution, showed the presence of a number of burial mounds and other objects. The applied complex of methods does not have sufficient detail for a full-fledged mapping of such objects, but allows us to draw conclusions about the boundaries and structure of the site. The interpretation model, the issues of identifying burial mounds and the influence of natural factors are discussed in more detail in [Modin et al., 2020; Modin et al., 2019; Krasnikova et al., 2020; Modin et al., 2022].
The work was supported by the RSF project No. 19-18-00538-P “Medieval necropolises in changing landscapes: study of Old Russian burial grounds with lost burial mounds”.
Smekalov S.L., Zubarev V.G., Yartsev S.V.
Tula State Pedagogical University
Mounds of Crimea. Comparison of the results of studies of selected areas based on maps, aerial photography, satellite images and ground reconnaissance surveys
The topic of the paper is not new, similar comparisons were made by one of the co-authors, though in another team, back in 2007. Over the past 14 years, new ground reconnaissance surveys have been carried out, space images have become different, computers and programmes used have changed. So there are questions about addressing the same issues with new knowledge and technical capabilities. We are referring to studies in Eastern Crimea, where the authors conducted a detailed ground survey of the area adjacent to the Adzhiel gully and its branches – about 30 km west of Kerch, as well as some other areas: in Western Crimea in the western part of the Tarkhankut peninsula and in one of the areas of central Crimea northeast of Belogorsk.
Russian military topographic maps of the mid and late 19th century at scales of 1: 42,000 (“verstovka”) and 1: 126,000 (“trekhverstovka”), Soviet maps at scales of 1: 100,000, 1: 50,000, 1: 25,000 and 1: 10,000 of the second half of the 20th century, space imagery from Google.Earth and Bing.Map geoservers, and aerial photography of Crimea from the second half of the 20th century were used for comparison. In terms of maps, there have been no changes in the past 14 years, except that the authors have found some additional data that were not there before. Space imagery has certainly become more complete and of higher quality, but the greatest interest, according to the authors, has occurred in the possibility of using aerial photography. 14 years ago the preparation of orthophotos was largely “manual”. The use of software versions that existed at that time (“Talka”, “Photomod”) did not allow to fully automate the “stitching” of individual images and made it difficult to work with a large number of photos. In fact, each photo had to be geocoded separately. Appearance of Agisoft software and many foreign analogues allows to use aerial images for large territories to a much fuller extent.
The article presents the results of a comparison of the data from the above sources for the marked areas, and the main conclusion is the need for traditional pedestrian reconnaissance to verify the results of interpretation. Thus, mounds marked on old maps and preserved to the present day can almost always be found on remote sensing data (when the results of ground reconnaissance are already available), but the initial analysis of space and aerial photographs can only confidently identify sufficiently large mounds, and the identification of all objects slightly similar to the mounds gives too many false points.
Smekalov S.L., Zubarev V.G., Yartsev S.V.
Tula State Pedagogical University
Geoinformatics is simple. For “just” archaeologists
Geoinformatics has already entered many fields of scientific research for more than 20 years, naturally also in archaeology. However, the full-scale use of the “geoinformation” apparatus requires the use of specialised software, expensive and not very easy to use. To master in full this apparatus for archaeologists who need “just” results – display of archaeological sites on maps and aerial images, general analysis of distances, areas, ratio of times of different objects, etc. – is to some extent an unnecessary task. Therefore, “just” archaeologists turn for help to colleagues – “geoinformaticians”, regardless of their “geoinformation” specialisation, or to fellow archaeologists who have geoinformation skills.
Meanwhile, many important practical tasks can be solved without the use of specialised GIS programs, but with the use of services that are available on the Internet and the application of which does not require special knowledge in programming and geoinformatics.
In the article the authors consider the possibilities of using the most common services Google Earth, Google My Maps, Yandex My Maps, SAS-Planet, OpenStreetMap, 2GIS by “just” archaeologists.
The options of displaying archaeological data on-line on the relevant sites, or obtaining and using the software codes of these services on their own Internet pages are discussed.
Trebeleva G.V.*, Glazov K.A.**, Kizilov A.S.**, Yurkov V.G.*
*Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow
**Subtropical Scientific Centre RAS, Sochi
Application of photogrammetry in the works of the joint Russian-Abkhazian Markul archaeological expedition of IA RAS and AbIHR ASA
The joint Russian-Abkhazian Markul Archaeological Expedition of the Institute of Archaeology RAS and the Abkhaz Institute for Humanitarian Research AS of Abkhazia conducts its work in the region of Western Colchis: the territory of Abkhazia and the Greater Sochi area. The expedition works in a number of directions. The first direction is the study of the Markul settlement itself. The monument is located in the Ochamchirsky district of the Republic of Abkhazia and dates in general from the 4th century BC to the 15th century AD. For the study of this monument in 2019, UAV imagery was used to obtain its full orthophotomodel and a qualitative plan of the settlement as a whole. The survey and initial construction of the model were carried out by A.A. Medvedev and T.M. Kuderina of the Department of Physical Geography and the Cartography Laboratory of the Institute of Geography RAS. Further, the work with the obtained model, its analysis and processing were carried out by the expedition staff. Also, photogrammetry is used directly for fixing excavations and for creating a 3D-model of the found artefacts. In this case, the survey is carried out from the ground.
The second direction of the expedition's work is the research of the historical and cultural landscape. As part of the work in this area, cataloguing of temples and fortresses is carried out. Photogrammetric survey of temples with good architectural preservation and many complex details is carried out from the ground. The purpose of this survey is to obtain high-quality models and plans of the monument, with fixation of all architectural details and features. The survey of monuments with a large area and/or significant length of walls, such as Mamaika Fortress or Godlik Fortress, was carried out by the expedition staff using UAVs. The purpose of this survey is not to reflect all architectural features of the monument, but to obtain a qualitative plan of the object in the landscape.
Trebeleva G.V.*, Glazov K.A.**, Kizilov A.S.**, Sakania S.M.***, Yurkov V.G.*, Abornyev I.V.****, Yurkov G.Yu.*
*Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow
**Subtropical Scientific Centre RAS, Sochi
*** Abkhaz Institute for Humanitarian Research AS of Abkhazia, Sukhum (Abkhazia)
****Design and Construction Company Grad-23, Sochi
Reconstruction and 3D-visualisation of the fortress of Great Pitiunt and its first Christian churches
Historically and spiritually, Pitiunt (present-day Pitsunda) is one of the most ancient cities and religious centres of Abkhazia. Since 2018, the staff of the Markul expedition has started work on 3D-reconstruction of the appearance of the Roman fortress of Pitiunt based on the materials of the works of the Bichvint archaeological expedition of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, which explored this site from 1952 to 1972. As a result, a fortification variant was proposed for the period of the 4th century AD – the fortress flourished time – when its defensive walls were considerably extended to the east and the first Christian temples were erected on its territory. Based on this paleoreconstruction, a 3D-model of the relief area of the southern tip of the Pitsunda cape was built with the size of 1 × 1 km for the period of the 3rd–4th centuries AD, which partially included both the seaside coastline and the inner outlines of the Pitsunda harbour, at the entrance to which the fortress was located.
3D-modelling was performed in Autodesk 3ds Max software using standard landscape and water surface construction techniques. Trees and bushes were added to the scene, which in combination with various textures of the underlying surface and atmospheric haze increase the realistic perception of the model. The architectural reconstruction of the monument itself was mainly limited to modelling the geometry of the structures based on their contours obtained during archaeological research and mapped on the plan of the fortress. The plan of the Pitiunt fortress was scaled to fit the modelled terrain, and then each section of the fortress (curtain walls and towers) was outlined with a Line contour, after which it was converted to Editable Poly and stretched to the required height, which was determined by the results of archaeological excavations. The thickness of the walls, dimensions of the towers and curtain walls were obtained during the survey of the monument in 1952–1974, so its reconstruction was mainly reduced to raising the contours of the walls to a certain height.
The reconstruction of temples turned out to be more complicated. The study of excavation materials of the Bichvint archaeological expedition revealed a number of errors and discrepancies in the available sources. The scaling of different versions of the plans gave different geometric dimensions that have no correspondence with each other and with the available description. Therefore it was decided to clarify the geometry of the complex by means of aerial photography with UAV, construction of photogrammetric model, orthophotoplane and DEM of the monument. This work allowed us to identify a number of features of the geometry of the structures and clarify the dimensions. First of all, the significant proximity of the shape of the plans of the temples Nos. 2 and 3 to the parallelogram is striking. On the drawings published by the Bichvint Expedition, this is practically not noticeable, the plans of the temples are rectangular. The dimensions obtained during the UAV survey were the basis for 3D-models of the temples, with archaeological material giving us only the outline of the temple, and the assumed vertical dimensions were obtained by calculating the proportions used in synchronous monuments located on the territory of the Roman Empire. At the same time, when modelling each of the temples, considerable attention was paid to the force structure of the building, connections and distribution of loads. And if the shapes of temples Nos. 1, 3 and 4 can be considered typical, the design of temple No. 2, especially its asymmetrical apsidal part, required a lot of work on the elaboration of the power scheme of the roof. As a result, we obtained projections and sections of the proposed view of all four temples of the complex, and our attempt to reconstruct the mosaic floor of Temple No. 2 allowed us to obtain a detailed visualisation of the interior of Temples Nos. 2 and 3 (since in the third temple this floor was partially preserved).
Zaripova G.H.*, Ovechkina L.V.*, Pigarev E.M.*, Sitdikov A.G.**
*Institute of Archaeology, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan
**Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University
Study of the complex of mausoleums near the village of Lapas, Astrakhan region, using modern technologies
To the east of the Ak-Saray ancient settlement, located near the village of Lapas, Kharabalinsky district, Astrakhan region, there are ruins of mausoleums of various sizes. Studies of the mausoleum complex began long ago, and recently their study has been renewed using the latest modern non-contact methods. Since 2018, magnetic prospection was conducted at the site by V.G. Bezdudny, which provided some insights into the structural features of mausoleums No. 1 and 4. Since 2020, work was carried out at the site to obtain an orthophoto of the territory using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to further create a topographic plan of the ancient settlement. In 2022, a survey was carried out using airborne laser scanning technology [2]. As a result of the work the digital elevation model of most of the Lapas ancient settlement (more than 800 ha) was created.
The combined application of all the obtained aerial survey data (photographic, LiDAR) gave a more complete picture of the settlement topography, and their combination with the results of magnetometry and cartographic material of previous years allowed us to conduct a comprehensive analysis at a higher level and localise the mausoleums on the map. For this purpose, we carried out independent identification and verification of the mausoleums on the basis of all available materials.
The orthophoto plan and digital elevation model obtained during the processing of airborne laser scanning data were assembled into a single project in ArcMap GIS. The scheme of mausoleums location based on the satellite image, made by D.V. Vasiliev, was linked to these data.
Having digitised the locations of the objects of interest – mausoleums – for each raster image into a separate layer and compared the resulting data, we noticed that 14 known mausoleums are clearly distinguished on all these materials. However, the digital elevation model also visualises an additional eight objects that are possibly associated with the complex. Visually, they represent small elevations in the relief, the dimensions of which are comparable to those of the already known mausoleums. The newly identified structures require confirmation by other available methods.
Zhurbin I.V., Zlobina A.G., Shaura A.S., Bazhenova A.I.
Udmurtian FIC Ural Branch of RAS, Izhevsk
Statistical analysis of multispectral survey and signs for reconstruction of the cultural layer of settlements destroyed by ploughing
A new methodological approach for reconstructing the boundaries and structure of medieval settlements without relief features is proposed. The complexity and ambiguity of their reconstruction is caused by the fact that since the New Age the territory of the absolute majority of sites was used as agricultural land. The settlement features were “smoothed out” in the relief, and the destroyed cultural layer was moved to the adjacent gentle surface and slopes of promontories.
Initially, a statistical analysis of the multispectral aerial photography data is performed, which allows to divide the settlement site and the adjacent territory into segments with fundamentally different vegetation intensity. Further comparison with the data of geophysical, soil and archaeological surveys allows to interpret the selected segments: to assess the degree of preservation of the cultural layer of the settlement.
The comparative analysis of the results of the study of six diverse archaeological sites of the Chepetsk culture (9th–13th centuries) allowed us to formulate a set of features to characterise the cultural layer of settlements destroyed by ploughing:
1) The most intensive vegetation segments correspond to areas of predominantly residential medieval development. In the areas of economic and industrial activity, the vegetation cover is in most cases less dense. A common feature of the segments of different classes on the settlement site is their large area.
2) Outside the defences, the situation changes fundamentally. The vegetation becomes extremely heterogeneous, segments of small area of all allocated classes are fixed.
3) On the remaining gentle surface of the promontory, significant segments were identified, the properties of which coincide with areas of poorly humusified cultural layer of low thickness (natural vegetation).
4) A significant indication of the presence of medieval cultural deposits is the areas of denser vegetation on the slopes of the promontory. These are recorded only along the settlement areas and are absent outside the settlement boundaries.
5) In some cases, defences are marked by vertically orientated linear areas of more intense vegetation on the slopes of the promontory.
It is crucially important that the general trends identified characterise only the presence (or absence) of the original medieval cultural layer and its relative thickness (an indirect characteristic of the degree of its preservation). Further detailing of the structure of the cultural strata (search for the remains of surface and buried structures, study of stratigraphy, etc.) is possible only with the use of ground-based research methods, primarily excavations.
Notes
[1] Translated to English by Dmitry Korobov. Back
[2] DJI Matrice 600 hexacopter and L-SKAN150 LiDAR belonging to Kazan Federal University were used for the survey. Back