- LBI ArchPro
Hohe Warte 38
A-1190 Wien
VIAS-Vienna Institute for Archaeology
Franz-Klein-Gasse 1/III
A-1190 Wien - +43 664 6027740304
- Computer Science, Archaeology, Geography, Landscape Archaeology, Computer Graphics, Experimental Archaeology, and 11 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Archaeological Science, Virtual Reality (Computer Graphics), Digital Archaeology, Physical Geography, Geomatics, 3D GIS, Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Aerial Archaeology, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)edit
- I studied Prehistoric Archaeology, Mathematics, Archaeometry and Computer Science at the University of Vienna and at ... moreI studied Prehistoric Archaeology, Mathematics, Archaeometry and Computer Science at the University of Vienna and at the Vienna University of Technology. I am specialized in archaeological prospecting, digital documentation and virtual reality visualisation of archaeological heritage and obtained a Ph.D. at the University of Vienna based on my thesis “Magnetic Prospecting in Archaeology”.
I am doing archaeological research on sites all over the world for over 25 years and coordinated many national and international research projects. My main research from 1985 to 2004 focused on the application of geophysical prospecting methods in archaeology. Together with the team Archeo Prospections® (1996 – 2004) we developed equipment, logistics and software for the high-resolution geophysical prospecting of archaeological sites. So far I and directed more than 200 archaeological geophysical field surveys in Austria and abroad. The main developments are in multisensor cesium-gradiometry, 3D processing and interpretation of ground penetrating radar presented by invited papers on many international conference and in peer reviewed international journals.My recent research (2002 – 2008) focused on the applications of terrestrial 3D laser scanners in archaeology and the complete digital recording of stratigraphic archaeological excavations. I directed the “Scanning of the pyramids project 2004” focussing on the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx at Giza and over 30 national and international archaeological documentation projects and 3D laser scanner surveys.
I have been and still am involved in several large (short and long term) national and international research projects, many of them coordinated by me. These projects and surveys cover a wide range of archaeological problems and sites from all prehistoric and historic periods, many of them applied latest technological developments science, others range in the field of basic research and innovative development of new technologies applicable to archaeological problems.
Since 1995 I am engaged with teaching at the University of Vienna, the University of Innsbruck and the FH Mainz specially presenting his respective fields of research (geophysical prospection, stratigraphy, GIS, statistics) and his practical experience to the next generation of researchers. In 2008 I received the venia docendi at the Institute for Prehistory and Early Medieval History of the University Vienna on his Habilitation “Interdisciplinary Field Archaeology”. All over my career I tried to integrate students and post-docs into contract work and the various research projects, for the dissemination of the new technological developments, the development of the young researchers´ practical skills and their career development alike. I was working as visiting professor at the University of Innsbruck and as visiting researcher at Nara/Japan, Xian/China and at the Bermuda Maritime Museum.
I was acting as curator of the County Exhibition 2005 of Lower Austria at Heldenberg presenting the Middle Neolithic Circular Ditch Systems in all aspects (2003-2005) to the public. Related to the preparation of this exhibition I directed scientific research projects on the virtual reconstruction and the astronomical aspects of this oldest European Monuments and acted as field director for the systematic prospection of all Austrian monuments. I was awarded “Austrian Champion in European Research 2008” for coordinating the European Researchers´ Night 2007 Project “CelticNight” in Austria.
I am author and co-author of over 150 scientific publications and over 200 unpublished scientific reports. I was involved as acting scientist and scientific consultant for various TV-productions and invoked and coordinated various scientific events and international conferences. Together with my engagement as curator of large exhibitions and scientific events this experiences developed my primary experience as writing journalist into extended skills in dissemination of scientific results to the scientific community and the general public alike.edit
Reprinted with permission from Looking to the Future, Caring for the Past. Copyright 2016, Bononia University Press. Editor Federica Boschi
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Research Interests:
ABSTRACT In February 2014 high-resolution ground penetrating radar and earth resistance tomography measurements have for the first time been used successfully for the distinct mapping of buried archaeological structures in the vicinity of... more
ABSTRACT In February 2014 high-resolution ground penetrating radar and earth resistance tomography measurements have for the first time been used successfully for the distinct mapping of buried archaeological structures in the vicinity of the Bronze Age archaeological site of Akrotiri on Santorini/Thera in Greece.
Stratigraphic archaeological excavations demand high-resolution documentation techniques for 3D recording. Today, this is typically accomplished using total stations or terrestrial laser scanners. This paper demonstrates the potential of... more
Stratigraphic archaeological excavations demand high-resolution documentation techniques for 3D recording. Today, this is typically accomplished using total stations or terrestrial laser scanners. This paper demonstrates the potential of another technique that is low-cost and easy to execute. It takes advantage of software using Structure from Motion (SfM) algorithms, which are known for their ability to reconstruct camera pose and threedimensional scene geometry (rendered as a sparse point cloud) from a series of overlapping photographs captured by a camera moving around the scene. When complemented by stereo matching algorithms, detailed 3D surface models can be built from such relatively oriented photo collections in a fully automated way. The absolute orientation of the model can be derived by the manual measurement of control points. The approach is extremely flexible and appropriate to deal with a wide variety of imagery, because this computer vision approach can also work with imagery resulting from a randomly moving camera (i.e. uncontrolled conditions) and calibrated optics are not a prerequisite. For a few years, these algorithms are embedded in several free and low-cost software packages. This paper will outline how such a program can be applied to map archaeological excavations in a very fast and uncomplicated way, using imagery shot with a standard compact digital camera (even if the images were not taken for this purpose). Archived data from previous excavations of VIAS-University of Vienna has been chosen and the derived digital surface models and
orthophotos have been examined for their usefulness for archaeological applications. The absolute georeferencing of
the resulting surface models was performed with the manual identification of fourteen control points. In order to express the positional accuracy of the generated 3D surface models, the NSSDA guidelines were applied.
Simultaneously acquired terrestrial laser scanning data - which had been processed in our standard workflow - was
used to independently check the results. The vertical accuracy of the surface models generated by SfM was found to be
within 0.04 m at the 95 % confidence interval, whereas several visual assessments proved a very high horizontal
positional accuracy as well.
orthophotos have been examined for their usefulness for archaeological applications. The absolute georeferencing of
the resulting surface models was performed with the manual identification of fourteen control points. In order to express the positional accuracy of the generated 3D surface models, the NSSDA guidelines were applied.
Simultaneously acquired terrestrial laser scanning data - which had been processed in our standard workflow - was
used to independently check the results. The vertical accuracy of the surface models generated by SfM was found to be
within 0.04 m at the 95 % confidence interval, whereas several visual assessments proved a very high horizontal
positional accuracy as well.
Research Interests:
In the past 30 years archaeological field survey has become central to the practise of Classical Archaeology. During this time, approaches have developed from the systematic collection of artefacts to include the routine deployment of... more
In the past 30 years archaeological field survey has become central to the practise of Classical Archaeology. During this time, approaches have developed from the systematic collection of artefacts to include the routine deployment of various geophysical and remote sensing techniques. The ability of archaeologists to reveal the topography of buried urban sites without excavation has now been demonstrated through a wide range of projects across the ancient world. Archaeological Survey and the City reviews the results of such projects and in particular discusses the ways in which the subject might develop in the future, with an emphasis on the integration of different strands of evidence and issues of archaeological interpretation rather than on the technicalities of particular methodologies. Several themes emerge from the fourteen papers. The first is the increasing number of large-area surveys providing data at a sufficient scale to make a significant contribution to our understanding of classical cities both in the Mediterranean and beyond (eg Baelo Claudia, Caistor-by-Norwich, Xanten, Ammaia). The second theme is the generation of new types of data through the application of specific techniques to address particular questions pertaining to urban life, for instance in identifying particular industrial processes such as metal-working (eg Munigua, Wroxeter) or the increasing success in isolating cemeteries (eg Silchester). The techniques involved in identifying these phenomena complement the use of geochemical survey to characterise particular soil properties related to animal husbandry, cultivation or the creation of domestic waste deposits (eg Faleri Veteres), an area which has considerable future potential. A third theme lies in the application and integration of multiple techniques to provide new dimensions to the information available. The data from a number of survey projects have demonstrated that a single survey technique will rarely, if ever, reveal all of the potential information so there is a significant benefit to be derived from applying multiple survey-strategies to the questions being asked of a site. These themes emphasise the dynamism of research in this area, which continues to revolutionise the study of ancient cities.
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Summary In the Roman town of Carnuntum 40 km south-east of Vienna (Austria) the unique discovery of a school of gladiators was made using a multi-disciplinary approach based on high-resolution near-surface geophysical prospection. The... more
Summary In the Roman town of Carnuntum 40 km south-east of Vienna (Austria) the unique discovery of a school of gladiators was made using a multi-disciplinary approach based on high-resolution near-surface geophysical prospection. The outstandingly well preserved architecture was revealed through non-invasive mapping using latest highly efficient multichannel ground penetrating radar systems. Foundations of a building complex including a circular training arena surrounded by wooden stands, the gladiator's living ...
Over the centuries many archaeologists have investigated the site of Stonehenge and we now know a great deal about the phasing and nature of the site. However, the area around the henge, while containing many symbolic and ritual elements,... more
Over the centuries many archaeologists have investigated the site of Stonehenge and we now know a great deal about the phasing and nature of the site. However, the area around the henge, while containing many symbolic and ritual elements, is curiously 'blank'. The Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project aims to place the site and its development through time within a landscape context using fast and accurate ground-based geophysical techniques. The project has developed a rapid strategy to map, ...
Research Interests: Archaeology, Geophysics, Remote Sensing, Landscape Archaeology, Archaeological Prospection, and 11 moreNeolithic, Bronze Age, British Neolithic, British prehistory, Stonehenge, British Bronze Age, Ritual landscapes, Archaeological Remote Sensing, Neoithic, Prehistoric Monuments, and Ritual Monuments
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Research Interests:
It is a paradox in Norwegian archaeology – and perhaps also elsewhere – that some of the most outstanding archaeological monuments at the same time remain some of the least inves-tigated. In the case of the Viking Age ship burial from... more
It is a paradox in Norwegian archaeology – and perhaps also elsewhere – that some of the most outstanding archaeological monuments at the same time remain some of the least inves-tigated. In the case of the Viking Age ship burial from Gok-stad at Sandefjord, excavated in 1880, part of the explanation is the finding and subsequent excavation of the even more im-pressive Oseberg ship burial in the years 1903-04, which was to overshadow the Gokstad find for more than a century. But the paradox is caused by more than a shortage of research re-sources – it is also a result of changes internal to archaeology and cultural heritage management. Much archaeological know-ledge is today gained from large-scale, full excavations prior to extensive infrastructure projects, and we have learned to think of the past in terms of complexes and landscapes, rather than in terms of single monuments and structures. But not only do large infrastructure projects usually avoid places with monumental ar-chaeo...
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Research Interests:
Archaeological prospection and excavation have the same research objective, namely, the study of the material culture of humans. They investigate the archaeological record but are based on different physical properties and work with... more
Archaeological prospection and excavation have the same research objective, namely, the study of the material culture of humans. They investigate the archaeological record but are based on different physical properties and work with different resolution and instrumentation.In addition to the study of literature concerning antique discoveries and the collection and evaluation of surface finds, it is aerial archaeology and geophysical prospection that are the most suitable methods of achieving the intended goal. Aerial photographs provide the archaeologist with a large-scale overview, and digital photogrammetric evaluation provides very detailed topographic maps and orthophotographs of the archaeological structures visible on the surface. These structures appear in various forms, through contrasts in the physical properties between the structures themselves and the material that surrounds them.In geophysical prospection, the contrasts between the physical properties of the archaeological structures and the surrounding material usually can be investigated only in the near-surface or with direct ground contact. These contrasts are not directly visible, however, and must instead be measured and converted into a comprehensible visualization. The prospection methods used in the interpretation process are not significantly different from one to another. Interpretation encompasses the localization and classification of archaeological structures, the analysis of their spatial relationships, as well as the creation of models showing the main stratification at a site. Unlike excavations, through archaeological interpretation of prospection data, various accurate archaeological models of the entire site and the surrounding landscape can be made available rapidly. These models can be used for targeted excavations, so as to further condense the information and to refine the models. If all the data are made available in a geographical information system (GIS), it can be combined and further analysed by the excavator as well as by the prospector. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Research Interests: Archaeology, Geophysics, Complex Systems Science, Remote Sensing, Serious Games, and 15 moreMagnetic Resonance Imaging, Complex Systems, Archaeological GIS, Archaeological Computing, Agent Based Modelling, Data Interpretation, Virtual Heritage, Information Analysis, Archaeologists, Computing Technology, Agent Based Model, Interactive Cultural Learning, Computer, Geographic Information Systems, and Magnetic resonance image
To understand the development of prehistoric cultural and economic activities, archaeologists try to obtain as much relevant information as possible. For this purpose, large numbers of similar sites must be identified, usually by... more
To understand the development of prehistoric cultural and economic activities, archaeologists try to obtain as much relevant information as possible. For this purpose, large numbers of similar sites must be identified, usually by non-destructive prospection methods such as aerial photography and geophysical prospection. Aerial archaeology is most effective in locating sites and the use of digital photogrammetry provides maps with high accuracy. For geophysical prospection mainly geomagnetic and geoelectrical methods or the ground-penetrating radar method are used. Near-surface measurements of the respective contrasts within physical properties of the archaeological structures and the surrounding material allows detailed mapping of the inner structures of the sites investigated. Applying specially developed wheeled instrumentation, high-resolution magnetic surveys can be carried out in a standard raster of 0.125×0.5 m covering up to 5 ha per day. Measurements of ground resistivity or radar surveys in a raster of 0.5 or 0.5×0.05 m, respectively, are used to gain information on archaeological structures and on the main stratigraphic sequence of sites covering up to 0.5 ha per day. Data on intensities of the Earth's magnetic field, apparent resistivities of the ground or amplitudinal information of radar reflections are processed using a digital image processing technique to visualize the otherwise invisible archaeological structures or monuments buried in the ground. Archaeological interpretation, in the sense of detecting, mapping and describing the archaeological structures, is done using GIS technology by combining all relevant prospection data. As most of the Middle European archaeological heritage is under a massive threat of destruction, dramatically accelerated by intensive agriculture or industrial transformation of the landscape, the prospection techniques presented here represent an approach towards an efficient documentation of the disappearing remains of our ancestors.