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1 – 10 of over 1000Andreas Vlachidis, Ceri Binding, Douglas Tudhope and Keith May
This paper sets out to discuss the use of information extraction (IE), a natural language‐processing (NLP) technique to assist “rich” semantic indexing of diverse archaeological…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper sets out to discuss the use of information extraction (IE), a natural language‐processing (NLP) technique to assist “rich” semantic indexing of diverse archaeological text resources. The focus of the research is to direct a semantic‐aware “rich” indexing of diverse natural language resources with properties capable of satisfying information retrieval from online publications and datasets associated with the Semantic Technologies for Archaeological Resources (STAR) project.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper proposes use of the English Heritage extension (CRM‐EH) of the standard core ontology in cultural heritage, CIDOC CRM, and exploitation of domain thesauri resources for driving and enhancing an Ontology‐Oriented Information Extraction process. The process of semantic indexing is based on a rule‐based Information Extraction technique, which is facilitated by the General Architecture of Text Engineering (GATE) toolkit and expressed by Java Annotation Pattern Engine (JAPE) rules.
Findings
Initial results suggest that the combination of information extraction with knowledge resources and standard conceptual models is capable of supporting semantic‐aware term indexing. Additional efforts are required for further exploitation of the technique and adoption of formal evaluation methods for assessing the performance of the method in measurable terms.
Originality/value
The value of the paper lies in the semantic indexing of 535 unpublished online documents often referred to as “Grey Literature”, from the Archaeological Data Service OASIS corpus (Online AccesS to the Index of archaeological investigationS), with respect to the CRM ontological concepts E49.Time Appellation and P19.Physical Object.
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Kui Chen, Marco Leona and Tuan Vo‐Dinh
Identification and characterization of organic pigments and dyes used in works of art and cultural heritage material such as prints, drawings, manuscripts, paintings, and textiles…
Abstract
Purpose
Identification and characterization of organic pigments and dyes used in works of art and cultural heritage material such as prints, drawings, manuscripts, paintings, and textiles can provide important information for dating, authentication, and conservation treatment of these objects and studying art history in general. Applications of surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for this purpose have recently attracted increasing attention of both academic scientists and museum researchers. This paper aims to review the latest development involving the emerging applications of SERS for the analysis of organic pigments and dyes used in works of art and cultural heritage material.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the importance of organic pigments and dyes in the studies of works of art and cultural heritage material and the challenges in their identification and characterization are briefly summarized. This is followed by a discussion on sampling considerations in the context of art and archaeology. Then the fundamental principle of SERS, SERS instrumentation and different types of SERS substrates are reviewed. Finally, selected examples of SERS applications to the identification of organic pigments and dyes, including the analysis of a couple of samples of artistic and archaeological interest, are presented and discussed.
Findings
The last few years have witnessed the emergence of SERS as a non‐destructive or micro‐destructive technique for the characterization of organic pigments and dyes found in artistic and archaeological objects. Spectroscopic and microscopic measurements using SERS have provided some novel information and answers to a wide variety of questions. However, SERS application to the field of art and archaeology is still in the fledging stage of development and requires closer collaboration between academic scientists and museum researchers. But the range of possible applications is broad. Future trends point to a strong need for the development of portable instruments for field applications.
Originality/value
By compiling this review, the authors hope to direct more attention toward SERS and bring together the expertise in the scientific, museum and art community to further explore the possibilities of SERS in rapid and direct identification of pigments and dyes under field conditions.
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Robert D. Montoya and Katherine Morrison
The purpose of this paper is to examine how archaeological document collections are layered entities and, thus, consist of documents that may be in discordance with one another…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how archaeological document collections are layered entities and, thus, consist of documents that may be in discordance with one another. Implications of this scenario for scientific study are discussed. Tensions arise between archaeological and Information and Library Science practices. Curators become primary agents in reconstructing the appropriate representational continuity of these documents.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is an in-depth examination of documentation in the Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology. It assesses how representations between documents are maintained as part of the collection management process. A document archaeological analysis of the Angel Mounds Collection shows how discordant data between documents is reconciled.
Findings
The study shows how documentary institutions are central to maintaining the chain of reference necessary to maintain the veracity of scientific data. Documents are embedded within a professional network of classification control that has implications for the conceptualization of documents. The study can help scholars gain a more nuanced view of the role of documents in scientific knowledge creation.
Social implications
Curatorial intervention plays a central role in maintaining the veracity of scientific data. In this way, the narrative shows how social and professional scientific discourses are impacted by curatorial intervention and that this process is inextricable from how we understand “knowledge” broadly construed.
Originality/value
This study examines how documents are embedded within a broader collection context and further studies should acknowledge this. It shows how documents within the domain of archaeology pose specific issues of concern for document curators and scholars, especially in relation to the documentation of spatial data, which is central to this work.
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This paper aims to help archaeologists, museums’ curators and technicians in understanding the principle of using the photogrammetry and 3D scanner for the museum archaeological…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to help archaeologists, museums’ curators and technicians in understanding the principle of using the photogrammetry and 3D scanner for the museum archaeological objects in a practical way by presenting specific examples for both methods. Another purpose is to evaluate the performance offered by the photogrammetry and the three-dimensional (3D) scanner device, with the aim of providing a suitable solution to the different shapes and sizes of the archaeological objects.
Design/methodology/approach
The author used the camera Canon EOS 1300 D for photographing and Einscan Pro 2X Plus as a 3D scanning device for several years on different kinds of objects made of various materials, including ceramic, stone, glass and metal.
Findings
This paper showed that both approaches create 3D models with high resolution in easy and different ways.
Practical implications
Handling objects and preparing them for photographing or scanning has involved a number of caveats and challenges regarding the risk of damage that the author had to bear in mind.
Originality/value
This paper is completely based on the author’s personal experiences of creating 3D image of various objects in the project of Documentation of Objects in the Jordanian Archaeological Museums.
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Elvira Aura-Castro, Carmen Díaz-Marín, Xavier Mas-Barberà, Miguel Sánchez and Eduardo Vendrell Vidal
The purpose of this paper is to characterize three-dimensional (3D) printing filaments commonly used in fused deposition modeling (FDM) to determine their viability for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to characterize three-dimensional (3D) printing filaments commonly used in fused deposition modeling (FDM) to determine their viability for restoration and conservation treatments.
Design/methodology/approach
Eight current filaments for FDM from six polymeric materials have been characterized to determine their suitability for restoration and conservation treatments. For testing these filaments, specimens are printed with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene; polylactic acid; polylactic acid with CaCO3 (E.P.); polyethylene terephthalate glycol; polypropylene; and high-impact polystyrene. Suitability of a filament was verified using the Oddy test by detecting the action of volatile pollutants released from the filaments. The morphological and color changes were observed after allowing them to degrade under the exposure of UV radiation. The samples were then analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy technique was applied to complete the characterization of the printed filaments.
Findings
Materials investigated are suitable for restoration purposes ensuring long-term stability. Rapid prototyping using FDM is appropriate for restoring sensitive archaeological objects allowing reconstruction of parts and decreasing risk while manipulating delicate artifacts.
Originality/value
Rapid prototyping using FDM was chosen for the restoration of a fragile and sensitive archaeological glass bowl from Manises Ceramic Museum.
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The cultural heritage of a nation is an important part of its identity. Its works of art, its records and archives and its archaeological remains contribute to its past and its…
Abstract
The cultural heritage of a nation is an important part of its identity. Its works of art, its records and archives and its archaeological remains contribute to its past and its present. Many nations are legitimately concerned to retain this cultural legacy, even where the objects are being sold to recognised galleries or museums in other countries. The export ban imposed by the British Government on the ‘Three Graces’ was a prominent example of the importance attached to certain works of art.
By reconsidering the concept of the historic environment, the aim of this study is to better understand how heritage is expressed by examining the networks within which the…
Abstract
Purpose
By reconsidering the concept of the historic environment, the aim of this study is to better understand how heritage is expressed by examining the networks within which the cultural performances of the historic environment take place. The goal is to move beyond a purely material expression and seek the expansion of the cultural dimension of the historic environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Conceptually, the historic environment is considered a valuable resource for heritage expression and exploration. The databases and records that house historic environment data are venerated and frequented entities for archeologists, but arguably less so for non-specialist users. In inventorying the historic environment, databases fulfill a major role in the planning process and asset management that is often considered to be more than just perfunctory. This paper approaches historic environment records (HERs) from an actor network perspective, particularizing the social foundation and relationships within the networks governing the historic environment and the environment's associated records.
Findings
The paper concludes that the performance of HERs from an actor-network perspective is a hegemonic process that is biased toward the supply and input to and from professional users. Furthermore, the paper provides a schematic for how many of the flaws in heritage transmission have come about.
Originality/value
The relevance here is largely belied by the fact that HERs as both public digital resources and as heritage networks were awaiting to be addressed in depth from a theoretical point of view.
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Isto Huvila, Olle Sköld and Lisa Börjesson
Sharing information about work processes has proven to be difficult. This applies especially to information shared from those who participate in a process to those who remain…
Abstract
Purpose
Sharing information about work processes has proven to be difficult. This applies especially to information shared from those who participate in a process to those who remain outsiders. The purpose of this article is to increase understanding of how professionals document their work practices with a focus on information making by analysing how archaeologists document their information work in archaeological reports.
Design/methodology/approach
In total 47 Swedish archaeological reports published in 2018 were analysed using close reading and constant comparative categorisation.
Findings
Even if explicit narratives of methods and work process have particular significance as documentation of information making, the evidence of information making is spread out all over the report document in (1) procedural narratives, (2) descriptions of methods and tools, (3) actors and actants, (4) photographs, (5) information sources, (6) diagrams and drawings and (7) outcomes. The usability of reports as conveyors of information on information making depends more on how a forthcoming reader can live with it as a whole rather than how to learn of the details it recites.
Research limitations/implications
The study is based on a limited number of documents representing one country and one scholarly and professional field.
Practical implications
Increased focus on the internal coherence of documentation and the complementarity of different types of descriptions could improve information sharing. Further, descriptions of concepts that refer to work activities and the situation when information came into being could similarly improve their usability.
Originality/value
There is little earlier research on how professionals and academics document and describe their information activities.
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Rabeeh Barghi, Zuraini Zakaria, Mastura Jaafar and Aswati Hamzah
Like other components of cultural heritage, the preservation of archaeological sites is important because they constitute a unique and irreplaceable legacy, something that has…
Abstract
Purpose
Like other components of cultural heritage, the preservation of archaeological sites is important because they constitute a unique and irreplaceable legacy, something that has been received from the ancestors and that should be passed on to future generations. The purpose of this paper is to explore how well secondary school students in Bujang Valley, Malaysia, understand the concept and value of archaeology and to what extent they are interested in archaeology.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey was administered to 110 students, aged 14 and 15 years, from secondary schools in the Bujang Valley area.
Findings
The results showed that most of the students were interested in archaeology and had a moderately accurate understanding of what archaeology entailed. Their main information sources included museum visits and participating in local archaeological projects. Participants demonstrated a sense of archaeological responsibility in objecting to the illegal trafficking of artefacts.
Practical implications
Moreover, these findings have significant implications for heritage and education authorities in the Bujang Valley in terms of planning for educational programmes to raising the awareness of local communities.
Originality/value
These findings expand upon the knowledge of students’ attitudes towards archaeology.
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Valentina Della Corte, Iris Savastano and Alessandra Storlazzi
The purpose of this paper is to study service innovation applied to archaeological sites' management, in terms of enrichment of primary cultural product with auxiliary products…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study service innovation applied to archaeological sites' management, in terms of enrichment of primary cultural product with auxiliary products (cultural activities).
Design/methodology/approach
The research design is based on the application of the main issues in strategic management, with particular reference to resource‐based theory and service‐dominant logic, to cultural archaeological sites' management. The empirical part concerns a case study analysis conducted on some cases in the Mediterranean area: Hercolaneum (Italy), Masada (Israel) and Petra (Giordania).
Findings
By the cases' study, it comes out a clear awareness of the need to bring innovative forms to archaeological sites' management, both through the use of information and communication technology techniques and to the enrichment of “integrated and complex” offers that go far beyond the archaeological core product.
Research limitations/implications
The analysis provides a foundation for further development in the field of service innovation applied to archaeological sites' management. The paper proposes an analytical model and a positioning matrix, according to some variables, that could be applied to other cases for a more relevant analysis.
Practical implications
The paper provides policy makers, private and public actors a possible approach for developing and applying strategic management concepts to cultural offer in an innovative way.
Originality/value
The paper gives some first important hints to innovate cultural service in archaeological sites. It is not just an attempt to apply a managerial optic in this business: an interdisciplinary approach is adopted, even consulting scholars in culture and archeology, trying to enrich the contents of managerial approach.
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