Linked Data for the representation and study of ancient prosopographies: models, methods, and applications. Linked data per la rappresentazione e lo studio di prosopografie antiche: modelli, metodi e applicazioni.

Materials for conservation and conservation issues: unsolved cases and new challenges. Materiali per la conservazione e problematiche di conservazione: casi irrisolti e nuove sfide

This research topic is open to project proposals aimed at improving the understanding of degradation processes and failure of original and restoration materials, with particular reference to organic materials. The research topic also includes the development of new materials and solutions for restoration, and studies aimed at deepening knowledge of the properties and performance of materials and restoration products already in use. The multidisciplinary connotation of the project and/or the intersection with sustainability issues and climate change are considered an added value.

The study is part of an understanding of the production processes used in the Far East (in particular linked to the production of ancient China) through the study of inorganic compounds through laboratory techniques and large Scales facilities.

Archaeometry for the study of small finds: building and communicating new knowledge. Archeometria per lo studio di piccoli oggetti: construire e comunicare nuova conoscenza.

Small archaeological finds are part of the so-called movable heritage. Because they are portable, they are easily sold, moved or discarded, and can therefore record the material (and immaterial) exchanges between communities and people, following the routes of migration or trade. Small objects are usually interpreted by archaeologists using a kind of typo-chronological approach. However, the raw materials used in their manufacture can leave chemical traces of origins and technologies, leading to new insights. A truly interdisciplinary approach involving materials science and archaeology would therefore allow a deeper interpretation of the finds, leading to new knowledge. Research projects on small finds from museums and archaeological research centres are welcome, with glass being the preferred, but not the only, material to be considered.

This research topic encompasses a rigorous interdisciplinary study, drawing upon methodologies from archaeology, geography, spatial statistics, and environmental studies. Doctoral candidates engaged in this endeavor will employ landscape-based and computational approaches to conduct original investigations. By intertwining these diverse disciplines, researchers aim to shed new light on the complexities of past landscapes and human communities contributing to a more holistic understanding of human-environment interactions across time and space. Moreover, their findings will illuminate the relevance of historical contexts to contemporary challenges such as land use, sustainability, resilience, and social organisation.

Computational approaches to the study of ancient materiality have been defined many decades ago to enhance the examination of archaeological records thanks to statistic, distributive, quantitative and qualitative analyses, as computer-aided procedures incredibly facilitated human workflow. The computational potential increased exponentially down to present day, to the extent that also in archaeology machine learning is applied to perform predictive analytics or create interpretive models that often bypass human interpretation rather than improve it. PhD candidates are encouraged to submit projects that question theoretically, on experimental bases, the effectiveness of computational approaches in the understanding of long-term dynamics as deployed by material evidence.

Public and community engagement have become pivotal for archaeological science due to modern societal challenges, as for instance identitarian claims, heritage disputes, political use of the past, protection of endangered contexts. Proposals for this research topic will define innovative strategies of engagement and awarness raising by the use of all possible technologies in different environments, including museums, to answer the need of present-day society.

This research topic deals with two lines of research. One is dedicated to computational text analysis, namely the use of digital tools such as programming languages (e.g. Python and R) and AI for historical and philological analysis of cuneiform sources. The other is devoted to 3D documentation and analysis for extracting data from cuneiform tablets, seals and sealings.

Sergio Favero Longo

Biological investigations for the diagnostics and control of cultural heritage deterioration / Indagini biologiche per la diagnostica e il contenimento del biodeterioramento dei beni culturali.

Biodeterioration is increasingly considered a major threat to the conservation of the Cultural Heritage, encompassing inorganic and organic materials, outdoor and indoor environments. Research proposals are invited dealing with the interactions between biodeteriogens and heritage substrates, focusing on biodiversity, physico-chemical processes, and effects on material durability. Multidisciplinary investigation approaches are recommended. Projects also considering innovative preventive and interventive strategies to contrast biodeterioration, and the assessment of their efficacy, are welcome.

Use of innovative X-ray imaging setup for the study and characterisation of objects and materials from museums and other institutions / Utilizzo di apparati innovativi per imaging con raggi-X per lo studio e la caratterizzazione di oggetti e materiali provenienti da musei ed altre istituzioni

X-ray imaging is widely used for the characterisation of materials of historical-artistic-archaeological interest, as it allows to obtain information on internal or hidden parts of an object in a non invasive way. Usually, instrumentations of this type only exploit the attenuation of an X-ray beam and cannot be moved from the laboratory in which they are housed. The development of instrumentation that is transportable in museums extends the possibilities of analysis to artefacts that otherwise could not be moved to laboratories for analysis. In parallel, to optimise the results that can be obtained, in addition to the X-ray transmission, it is also possible to exploit the phase contrast, which increases the amount of information that can be obtained and extends the potential of the technique. Optimising both these aspects could be the subject of the PhD student's work, who could focus on objects and materials from various museum collections and other institutions, including restoration centres.

Enhancing the exploration of Cultural Heritage information through LLMs / Migliorare l'esplorazione del Patrimonio Culturale attraverso gli LLM

Technology and material studies in the figured pottery production: between Experimental Archaeology and Archaeometry / Studio di tecnologia e materiali nella produzione della ceramica figurata: tra archeologia sperimentale e archeometria.

Geodiversity assessment and mapping for the cultural enhancement of abiotic ecosystem services / Valutazione cartografica della geodiversità per la promozione dei servizi ecosistemici di natura abiotica

Linked Data for the representation and study of ancient prosopographies: models, methods, and applications. Linked data per la rappresentazione e lo studio di prosopografie antiche: modelli, metodi e applicazioni.

Condition assessment, methodologies of conservation and materials for conservation / Valutazione dello stato di conservazione, metodologie di intervento e materiali per la conservazione.

Vito Messina

Public Archaeology, societal challenges, management of Cultural Heritage / Archeologia pubblica, cambiamenti sociali, management del Cultural Heritage

Extending research on the cuneiform tablets. computational text analysis, 3D capture and visualization.

Biological Investigations for the diagnostics and control of cultural heritage deterioration / Indagini biologiche per la diagnostica e il contenimento del biodeterioramento dei beni culturali.

Study and characterization of materials employed in the Ancient Egypt artifact production/ Studio e caratterizzazione di materiali impiegati nella produzione di manufatti dell'Antico Egitto.