Historical coastal urban landscapes digital documentation and temporal study with 2D/3D modeling functionality: The case of Thessaloniki,Greece

The study refers to the visual representation of the coastal front of the historical center of Thessaloniki in northern Greece and its changes that have occurred through the years. Most of the old town was destroyed by fire on August 18, 1917. A few years later, the French architect and archeologist Ernest Hébrard proposed the reconstruction of the city centre, but his plans were never fully implemented. Since then, a series of interventions changed the form of the old town and consequently the coastal cityscape. The research was initially based on the photogrammetric processing of archive aerial images (1938) of Thessaloniki's city centre. Besides the vertical images, high oblique aerial images dated back to 1932, proved to be a significant source of information. A rich archive of old photographic material, sketches, drawings and gravures of the coastal forehead of the city was also used. Ortho-images of the coastal front, derived from laser scanning (2010), and a 3D model of the historical city center, derived from the stereo photogrammetric process of aerial images (1990), contributed decisively at the multi temporal study of the city front. The main outcomes of the present documentation study are the 3D representation (at scale of 1:200, accuracy 5 cm) of temporal changes of a part of the coastal front of the historical center of Thessaloniki and the 2D representation (at scale 1:100, accuracy 1–2 cm) of these changes with respect to variations on skyline, lacunas, interventions in old buildings, etc.     

GPR survey to study the restoration of a Roman monument

This paper describes the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey carried out on the Roman theatre of Sagunto (Valencia, Spain) following recent restoration work in 1991. The structure has been substantially altered a number of times: it was remodelled during the Roman and Moorish periods, partially destroyed during the Peninsular War (1808–1814) and the Carlist War (1833–1839), and extensively modified during the 1930s and 1950s. Major reconstruction work was carried out in 1991 to convert the building into a working theatre. The GPR survey was performed to detect the possible effects of the 1991 remodelling on the historical remains and to identify the point of contact between the present-day modifications and the Roman remains. We took several on-site measurements of the wave velocity in the different materials in known areas to determine as accurately as possible the depth of the contact point. The velocity was calculated by measuring the depth in these areas and the two-way travel time of the wave. The measurements were taken from the walls and the tiers as the thicknesses of the materials were known in these areas. The recorded values were compared with the velocities reported by other authors and with the information from diffraction hyperbolas recorded in the radar data, which are caused by small objects inserted in the medium. We used these velocities to determine the exact point of contact between the Roman remains and the materials used in later restorations. The contact points cause the reflections that can be seen in the GPR data. The results also reveal considerable variations in the surface of the Roman tiers, which can be attributed to partial erosion in these areas caused mainly by water.     

蚕桑民俗轧蚕花

转眼又到清明,我想起去年此时在湖州市善琏镇含山风景区参加的蚕花节.     

Mapping the impact of climate change on biomass accumulation on stone

Several climate parameters affect the growth of organisms and, hence, their capacity to accumulate biomass. In the present research, we analyse the influence of two parameters, temperature and precipitation, on biomass accumulation on stone substrate, and propose a function to estimate it in temperate areas. The expression is subsequently used for the first time to evaluate the impact that climate change would have in biomass accumulation in Europe. The models on climate change predict an increase in temperature and precipitation in northern areas of Europe for the far future (2070–2099), which would lead to a higher accumulation of biomass. Otherwise, a significant reduction in precipitation is expected in southern areas of Europe, associated with a lower biomass accumulation in such areas.     

Seismic vulnerability of natural stone pinnacles on the Amalfi Coast in Italy

In the southern part of Italy, along the National Road 163 (the Amalfi Coastal road), and particularly close to Positano, some stone formations are present with a cylindrical shape (pinnacles) due to the erosion of the rock and the presence of sub-vertical cracking planes in the rocky slope. The landscape beauty and the dangerousness of these pinnacles, more than 10 m in height, leaning on the underlying road, requested a vulnerability study. The dynamic behavior of these natural solids is influenced by the notable mechanical inhomogeneity due to the nature of the rock, to the presence of diffused crack patterns and to the position along the slope. Some inspections have been performed to have a detailed survey of the pinnacles, using the Laser Scanner 3D technique and with the collaboration of geologist-mountain climbers; some rock specimens have also been taken to be analyzed and tested. The specific weight, the tensile (for bending) strength and the compressive strength, as well as the Young Modulus, considering various directions with respect to cracking planes, were analyzed during laboratory tests on the specimens sampled on site. Different structural modeling to analyze the seismic vulnerability of the pinnacles have been performed and compared: starting from simplified mechanical models of rigid blocks, passing through elastic analyses and finally to finite element (FEM) analyses. Numerical dynamic and static analyses, particularly, the modal dynamic analyses for the elastic continuum and the non-linear static analyses, considering both cracking and plasticity behavior of the rock have been performed. The analyses concerned the pinnacles both under the actual in-situ conditions and according to some strengthening interventions to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the design.     

Why everything has changed: the recent revolution in cultural economics

The internet, the iPod, the cell phone, Kindle, blogs, computer games, and virtual realities mean that cultural economics has changed an enormous amount in just the last five years. I explain and analyze some of the implications of these changes. Plenary address at the 2008 ACEI meetings, Boston, Massachusetts. I wish to thank meeting participants for useful comments and questions and thank Jennifer Rogers for her help in transcribing the talk.     

浙东运河尽显古今异彩

历史上内外贸易的黄金水道中国大运河南端的浙东运河,地跨杭州、绍兴和宁波三市,流淌在锦绣的宁绍平原,古时流到明州(宁波)港与外海连接,成为历史上内外贸易的黄金水道。称谓运河,一般指人工开凿的水上航道,有别于从深山峡谷奔突而出的自然江河。浙东运河主航道除利用甬江、姚江自然水系外,便是人工开掘。根据历史文     

Euganean trachytes: discrimination of quarried sites by petrographic and chemical parameters and by magnetic susceptibility and its bearing on the provenance of stones of ancient artefacts

This paper reports petrographic and chemical data and magnetic susceptibility values for trachytes of quarries recognizable within the Euganean Hills and sets out diagnostic parameters for these rocks. The diagnostic scheme proposed is basic for the definition of provenance of trachytes used in ancient artefacts spread over northern Italy. Trachytes were extensively used by the Romans for paving Via Aemilia, the most important road in the Po Plains connecting Ariminum (present-day Rimini on the Adriatic sea) to Placentia (present-day Piacenza on the Po river). Remains of the trachytic flagstones (basoli) used for paving segments of Via Aemilia crossing Regium Lepidi (present-day Reggio Emilia) and Bononia (present-day Bologna) have been characterised petrographically, chemically and also using magnetic susceptibility data. The discriminating scheme proposed here for the Euganean trachytes has been applied to the data obtained for basoli and thus the provenance of each investigated block has been inferred. The rocks sampled at Regium Lepidi mostly come from Monselice (only a few blocks from Monte Oliveto and Monte Merlo) and those of Bononia come mostly from Monte Merlo and, subordinately, from Monte Oliveto and Monselice (only one sample from Monte San Daniele). The dominant provenance of blocks, which is different in the two colonies distant by less than 50 km, suggests that the two segments of Via Aemilia were not built simultaneously.     

Cultural entrepreneurship and the Banff Television Festival

Cultural entrepreneurship involves a conception, an initial launch, and a transition to an established event. Each stage generates wicked coordination and financial challenges. We explore this important process by examining the history of the Banff Television Festival, an annual event featuring a competition, workshops, and providing a forum for developing projects. The documentation indicates that the anticipated problems of nonprofit activities — inefficient administration, crude management systems, slow adaptation and little innovation — were not characteristic of the Banff experience. Well informed industry customers and patrons have established an environment which generally encouraged managerial competence and creativity. This benign result may not generalize to other cultural initiatives, in particular to those that serve the public directly and draw patronage from diverse sources.The paper was presented at the 9th international conference of the Association for Cultural Economics, held in Boston, May 8–11, 1996.     

Access to and participation in the arts: The case of those with low incomes/educational attainment

This paper looks at the issue of access to the arts in terms of the very unequal attendance at and audiences for the high arts by educational grouping. The meaning of equal access is analysed, recent data for two countries, namely the United States and Ireland, are examined and new evidence is proffered. The constraints/barriers to, and the rationale for, more equal attendance/audiences are examined. The paper concludes by outlining a number of possible responses to this continuing problem.This paper was presented at the 9th international conference of the Association for Cultural Economics, held in Boston, May 8–11, 1996.     

Unusual differential erosion related to the presence of endolithic microorganisms (Martvili,Georgia)

The presence of a diffuse biodeterioration phenomena can be observed across large areas of the outer surface of the limestone walls of the Church of the Virgin in Martvili. A differential erosion phenomenon was detected, suggesting a possible association with biological colonization. The erosion phenomenon is characterized by a circular discoloration leading progressively to the detachment of flakes of limestone at its center. Since the aforementioned process has not been described in the literature until now, the present study was focused on the interpretation of its origin and evolution. Three sides of the Church are affected by a variety of occurrences of circular differential erosion which display different stages of the process, whereas the western side is affected by epilithic growths across its entire surface. Surveys of the petrographic, mineralogical and physical features of the stone were made, and parameters such as density and porosity were recorded. Samples were analyzed by optical microscopy and SEM analysis in order to detected the presence of microorganisms whose species were then identified by means of morphological and molecular examinations. The study of cross-sections stained using the PAS method has confirmed the causal connection between microorganisms and the deterioration phenomena, providing information about their spread of penetration into the substrate and their substantial potential for causing damage. Dryness appears to be the main ecological condition favoring endolithic rather than epilithic growth. The most common isolated microorganisms were cyanobacteria (Chroococcales) and, to a lesser extent, meristematic fungi. The characteristics of the stone, and especially some endogenous discontinuities related to the accumulation of sedimentary layers and to the action of stone carving tools, might explain why the same differential erosion phenomenon occurs in specific areas of the block stones. The development of the differential erosion phenomenon shows a variety of stages of biological colonization. The progressive evolution of the deterioration process has been observed in detail: (a) firstly, white circular discolorations appear on the stone, which darken over time eventually becoming almost black; (b) circular perforations appear around the perimeter; (c) and finally a flake detaches from the center, leaving a deep depression in the stone.     

The evaluation of crystallization modifiers for controlling salt damage to limestone

Crystallization modifiers can significantly affect the capillary passage of dilute and concentrated solutions of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate through columns of limestone. In the absence of modifiers, sodium chloride passage through Monks Park limestone gave predominantly subflorescence with mild edge erosion while sodium sulfate mainly effloresced and severely damaged the stone column. With Texas Creme limestone, a stone of moderately higher porosity, essentially only efflorescence occurred with either salt and there was little or no stone damage. Uniquely, alkali ferrocyanides were found to impact significantly on the interaction of these solutions as they moved through the limestone. The addition of 0.10–1.00% of K₄Fe(CN)₆ to sodium chloride in Monks Park limestone experiments increased the flow rate of solutions through the stone, resulting in efflorescence in place of subflorescence, and yielded a massive formation of extended dendritic filaments without damaging the stone. This protection by additive was extended to sodium sulfate solutions, but only at lower salt concentrations. Results comparable to the effect of adding K₄Fe(CN)₆ to concentrated sodium chloride Monks Park limestone experiments were obtained with saturated sodium sulfate solutions without additives by conducting the experiments in a draft-free, high humidity environment—suggesting a potentially useful strategy for the conservation of fragile, salt-laden objects. These results are explained by factors causing evaporation of solution to occur either below or at the surface of the stone, and by the effect of modifiers on the crystal habit of the salts forming during evaporation in this region.     

Does public support make a difference,and for whom?

The paper discusses the impact of gender on the income level and public support of artists in Finland. The empirical data is based on a research project carried out in the Arts Council of Finland. The data discussed in this paper indicated that the average income level of women artists is lower than their male colleagues. There was, however, no significant evidence of a gender bias in the distribution of public support for artists. The variation in the economic situation of artists seems to be notably stronger according to art form than according to gender.Based on a paper presented at the 9th international conference of the Association for Cultural Economics, held in Boston, May 8–11, 1996.     

The impact of cultural economics on economic theory

The paper asks what kind of impact cultural economics has had on the development of economic theory. Six research areas are discussed: productivity differentials between artistic and non-artistic labor, variations of the public good concept, particularly in relation to environmental goods, endogenous changes in preferences, long-term rates of return on paintings, impact of new media technologies and the autonomy of artistic valuation.It is shown that these topics have relevance beyond their applications in the cultural field, and that the theoretical issues involved challenge standard assumptions and standard modelling procedures in economic theory.Presidential address delivered at the 9th international conference of the Association for Cultural Economics, held in Boston, May 8–11, 1996.     

Growth,accessibility and the distribution of arts activity in the United States: 1980 to 1990

Using data on the location of artists by state as a proxy for the location of artistic activity, this paper shows that from 1980 to 1990 the arts grew rapidly and became more dispersed, reversing a trend toward greater concentration during the 1970s. Accessibility increased as the ratio of artists to population rose in most states. Nevertheless, enormous inter-state variation in that ratio remains. The second part of the paper examines the determinants of artist location at the state level. The equations estimated for both years prove to have a high degree of explanatory power.This paper was presented at the 9th international conference of the Association for Cultural Economics, held in Boston, May 8–11, 1996.     

A high resolution laser scanning model of the Roman theater in Pinara,Turkey – comparison to previous measurements and search for the causes of damage

The archaeological site Pinara, southwest Turkey, which includes several remarkable objects of cultural heritage, has been the focus of several previous archaeoseismic studies. One of these examined the setting of the Roman theater in the east of Pinara by a lidar survey. A gross inclination of the stone rows of the auditorium of 0.81° towards N 314°E was interpreted as a consequence of recent coseismic tectonic movements. A new survey of the theater with a terrestrial phase laser scanner is the basis for a model with 15 times higher resolution and 28 times more data points. Parallel to the fieldwork in this study, the process and accuracy of the leveling of the 3D point clouds produced by the scanner was tested in a series of experiments. Based on the orientation of the blocks forming the seats of the theater, we suggest six sections with changing average inclination of the seats and a fault line separating a northern and a southern section. While the previously found overall inclination of the auditorium is confirmed by the new model and the dip direction agrees, the inclination is 0.58° compared to previously determined 0.81°. The almost perfect increase of inclination with the height of the first 10 entire seating rows and the nearly constant inclination from row 11 onward, makes systematic measurement errors during the construction a possible cause. This is an alternative scenario to the interpretation of a coseismic displacement of the conglomerate block on which the theater was built.     

Significance of studying the petrography and mineralogy of the geological environment of old rupestrian churches to prevent their deterioration. A case study from the South Carpathians

This paper provides new insights into understanding the causes of deterioration of the Corbii de Piatra rupestrian church and shows the significance of studying the geological environment of historical rock-cut settlements when undertaking preservation and restoration actions. The Corbii de Piatra church is one of the few rupestrian churches remaining in Romania and is an important part of the country's heritage. The church is carved in a stratum of polymictic sandstone of Oligocene age, which is part of the Getic Depression, located in the southern part of the South Carpathians. In the 14th century the interior walls of the church were decorated with mural paintings of a high artistic value. Over the centuries, the church's walls and mural paintings have been negatively affected by a series of physicochemical processes. These processes were studied through field investigations and laboratory analyses carried out between October 2007 and November 2010. The investigations revealed that tectonic fissuring and the structural anisotropy of the rock facilitate the infiltration of meteoric water through the walls into the interior of the church, from north to south, maintaining a high-level of humidity in the northern wall and in the interior of the church. The most harmful effects observed were: (i) the partial hydrolysis of the feldspars through reaction with water from the pores, producing a friable mass of phyllosilicates which led to a superficial disaggregation of the rock and to a diminished cohesion between the rock and the mortar of the fresco, (ii) the reprecipitation of the gypsum as efflorescences on the northern wall and ceiling, covering the mural painting in localized areas, as a result of the transportation of the gypsum by water from the upper strata, (iii) the alteration of the cinnabar pigment, as a result of water penetration by diffusion through the fresco from the wet rock to the pictorial layer (the secondary effect observed being the formation of sulfuric acid, which further reacted with the carbonate from the fresco to form gypsum), (iv) the development of biotic crusts, predominately algal, on the interior wet walls, which, facilitated by the permanent high humidity and the semi-obscurity of the interior of the church, have covered large surfaces of the fresco. Compared to the interior, the exterior vertical walls have been exposed to prolonged daily and seasonal variations of temperature and humidity. These variations have caused repeated variations in the volume of the sandstone, leading to contraction fissuring and peeling of the vertical walls. Any future procedures that might be used to conserve the church should strive to reduce the humidity of the sandstone in the interior walls.     

皖南传统村落的空间网络特征及影响因素分析

皖南传统村落作为我国最具地域代表性的传统聚落之一,以其保存面积之广、完好程度之高、类型之众,以及社会历史文化底蕴之深厚而闻名于世,具有重要的学术研究价值。以深受徽文化影响的核心地带黄山市为例,通过实地调研、文献梳理、资料整理,结合地域文化对其传统村落的空间网络特征进行研究,揭示了皖南传统村落具有山环水抱、发展演进、树状分布的物质空间网络特征和兼收并蓄、宗族教化的非物质空间网络特征,并通过案例实证,总结了空间网络特征的形成主要与自然环境、人口迁徙、社会经济和人文历史四种影响因素相关,通过以上研究提出一种基于宏观整体性的传统村落保护思路,以促进皖南地区传统村落的和谐与可持续发展。     

Cultural determinants of economic growth: Theory and evidence

Shortcomings of neoclassical growth theory and growth accounting are viewed as a challenge for cultural economics. Recently, new growth theory has introduced several growth determinants and has closed the gap between theoretical and empirical research. Whether this development leaves space for cultural determinants in explaining economic growth is in the center of this paper. The theoretical analysis shows how an endogenous growth model can be used to explain the impact on economic growth of cultural determinants. The empirical part uses indices from cross-cultural studies to extend recent cross-country growth regressions. Among other Hofstedes uncertainty avoidance index is shown to be significantly correlated with economic growth.Discussion paper presented at the 9th international conference of the Association for Cultural Economics, Boston, May 8–11, 1996.     

Cartographic heritage: Toward unconventional methods for quantitative analysis of pre-geodetic maps

Historical cartography all over the world is a fundamental part of Cultural Heritage, and it needs to be preserved from damage of its analogical support due to ageing. Regeneration of ancient cartography in digital form is an interesting way not only to preserve historical cartographic documents as Cultural Heritage, but also to allow new chances of understanding and using the historical information they record. In such a way, modern digital techniques, in particular study of map deformations and map georeferencing, help in metric analysis of ancient cartography, and at last they appear to be useful for researchers to derive historical information for their studies, for example related to urban development or to geomorphological and environmental topics. The present research would give an example of the usefulness of the digital regeneration of ancient cartography, but also an example of possible difficulties in correctly interpreting information preserved in historical cartography, especially the pre-geodetic one. The study subject consists in three contemporaneous pre-geodetic maps (late 16th century) from the ancient Po river delta area (Italy), by means of which a geometrically correct representation of those parts of the landscape, not preserved today because of sea erosion, was tried. In fact, standard georeferencing methods, that use reference control points to compare historical cartography with the present one, in this specific case demonstrated to be not successful in describing the real location of disappeared landscape details with an adequate level of accuracy. For these reasons, in order to define which map among the others was the most faithful to the contemporaneous physical reality, a compound methodology, consisting of a three-step analytical process, is here applied to the three samples. Starting from measurement of sighting angles and distances applied to a number of landmarks, a splitting of the old maps in sub-areas, probably corresponding to the set of original surveyed zones, was performed. In the area of main concern, the use of absolute measurements was avoided in order to check the level of inner congruence of the representation. Finally, a new specific error index, that can also be applied to maps lacking an explicit graphical scale, is proposed to evaluate the map truthfulness degree. The proposed method can be applied to other similar examples from ancient cartography.