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В 2018—2019 гг. на памятнике Самсы в Шу-Илейском междуречье раскопано пять курганов тюркского времени (VIII—X вв.). Всего изучено семь погребений: в четырех курганах обнаружены единичные катакомбные (№1, 3) и подбойные погребения с конем (№ 4, 17). В ещё одном кургане (№ 2) вскрыто два подбойных захоронения, совершённых по мусульманскому обычаю (VIII—X вв.) и одно позднее впускное. В первом захоронении (кург. 2) найдено довольно редкое бронзовое зеркало, ближайшие аналогии которому происходят с территории Тянь-Шаня и Согда. Результаты радиоуглеродного анализа, полученные находки и характер погребального обряда позволяют датировать курганы VIII—X вв. На основе краниологического анализа делается вывод о неоднородности населения, оставившего данный могильник. В серии присутствуют черепа, в облике которых фиксируются как европеоидные, так и монголоидные признаки. Особенности остеологической конституции позволяют отметить, что исследованные посткраниуумы, в целом, характеризуются «степным» морфологическим вариантом сложения. Различия в погребальных обрядах и физическом облике погребённых свидетельствуют об активных процессах смешивания монголоидного и европеоидного компонентов местных и пришлых этнических групп. Полученные данные дают информацию о разнотипном антропологическом составе людей, погребённых на памятнике Самсы, и их связях на основе погребального инвентаря с населением Тянь-Шаня, Согда и Тохаристана. Разнотипность антропологического состава тюрков связана с их смешиванием с представителями иных расовых типов на пути своего распространения, что подтверждается в работах других исследователей.

Abstract Heritage sites in Alexandria, Egypt, are some of the UNESCO world heritage sites at high risk from geo-environmental hazards, in particular caused by sea level rise and heavy rain due to the climate change. Recently, safeguarding UNESCO world subterranean and built heritage draws more attention. After recent environmental catastrophies in Alexandria, sustainable conservation materials and stabilizing configurations of underground monumental structures has also become urgent and highly demanded. Based on typical damage due to the heavy weathering caused by the ground water table and salt, this paper offers a guide for engineers and conservators, where rock structures consolidation and stabilizing configurations to protect these structures in the static state and against strong seismic events is presented. In this paper, typical geotechnical problems and damage to the Catacombs of of Kom El-Shoqafa are presented first, followed by an experimental evaluation methodology that includes spectroscopic and morphological characterization in addition to the mechanical testing of untreated and treated rock samples with synthetic organosilicone and acrylic compounds. The effectiveness of the new silica-based consolidants was evaluated in terms of the amount of solid adsorbed, mechanical properties (e.g., surface hardness, ultrasonic velocity, modulus of elasticity and modulus of compressive strength), and resistance to salt crystallization. The treated groups showed better mechanical strength than the control group. The ability of the treated samples to resist climate change negative impact was also greatly improved. According to laboratory tests, new silica-based hardeners and hydrophobic materials have great potential for strengthening weathered Calcarenitic rock structures. It was observed that the rock samples containing the modified binder (MTMOS + Wacher BS 15) reach higher mechanical strength parameters. After the experimental study (testing procedures), FEM analysis was performed using PLAXIS 2D code to validate the silica-based consolidants and verify their efficiency in improving the response of rock structures in static and seismic states against strong earthquake events. The results of this work confirm the high potential of low-cost injection techniques and stabilizing configurations (pre- stressed anchors and concrete friction piles) technology, confirming the possibility of achieving significant improvement in the geotechnical properties of Calcarenitic rock structures and enhancing the seismic performance of underground archaeological structures using low-cost injection technology that is easy to manufacture.

The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo are one of the most visited sites on the island of Sicily and are home to one of the world's largest assemblages of human mummies. Within the framework of a multidisciplinary project aimed at investigating the biohistories of non-adults buried at this site, the authors wished to better understand how visitors felt about the display of these young individuals and whether they had prior knowledge of these mummies before their visit. In order to capture guest feedback, questionnaires were distributed to 105 visitors in September 2022. While there were no clear-cut patterns based on the demographic and social attributes of visitors, this research revealed some recurring themes. Several visitors felt that there should be signs warning guests of the Children's Room due to the large number of young individuals displayed in this area. Furthermore, visitors felt that more information was needed throughout the site and queried whether the non-adults, or their kin, had consented to their display. These issues could be addressed by the inclusion of information boards in the catacombs. The findings of this research ultimately have implications for the way in which non-adult remains are displayed in catacombs and other heritage contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beth Sheʿarim in Lower Galilee was an important Jewish village in the Roman period, with an extensive necropolis containing lavish tombs that provided burial for Jews from across the Roman East. The necropolis is renowned for its many inscriptions in Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew, and more. Two catacombs previously unknown were discovered recently in the western part of the necropolis. Each contains a few halls shaped as corridors with arcosolium chambers along the walls. Each arcosolium accommodates 3–4 burial places. In one of the caves, two Greek inscriptions painted in red were found; one, written on a slab of stone, mentions a proselyte named Jacob, while the other, inscribed on the wall, mentions Judah, the owner of the tomb. This article deals with the catacombs and the inscriptions in the context of late Roman Palestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first two centuries of our era constitute a period devoid of sacred images, and this aniconic phase of Christianity was not only determined by the observance of the Old Testament prohibition. The lack of interest of Jesus and the apostles towards the idea of preaching through images, the absence of information about the appearance of Christ, but also the precarious economic situation of the Christian community before the legalization of Christianity, are important factors that must be taken into account when discussing this absence of cultic representations characteristic of the first two Christian centuries. However, despite the initial aniconism, the development of the new cult in the Greco-Roman world, where images of divinities were omnipresent, led to the emergence of a Christian art. The first spaces dedicated to visual representations of the sacred are the catacombs. On the walls of the underground cemeteries, the adherents of the new religion depicted various symbols taken from the funerary repertoire of pagan imagery, which they adapted to acquire Christian significance, the cross, the fish, the vine and the lamb, included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a set of old postcards of the catacombs of Callixtus and an unpublished tourist booklet belonging to the same timeframe. It analyses them from the point of view of heritage tourism, history of archaeology, pilgrimage and promotion of Rome's cultural heritage. It compares them to other postcards on themes of Christian archaeology and introduces these objects as a wider phenomenon for the first time. In particular, it reflects on their role in disseminating the Roman catacombs in tourist circuits in Europe, and in the early Christian revival that spread across the continent between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The article will provide a more detailed reading of postcards as an object contributing to the dissemination of Catholic imagery and cultural heritage at the dawn of international mass tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contractor of the gas line transition from Damghan to Neka destroyed and recovered two tombs in 2014. The site is located 80 km south of Sari. Archaeological excavations led to discovering two historical cemeteries, settlements, and an Islamic castle and cemetery. Architectural remains and objects indicate historical catacomb burials. There are questions about the site including the architectural structure of the catacombs, burial method and dating. Systematic survey and excavation and subsequent comparison of data, with burial method, suggest a vast Parthian settlement in the site. Vestemin is the first Parthian site in Mazandaran. What distinguishes the site from the other Parthian cemeteries is the family catacombs. The Vestemin catacombs consist of three parts, including 1) the rectangular space or the corridor, 2) threshold or entrance between the rectangular space and the catacomb chamber, 3) the catacomb chamber. Armaments including swords, daggers, arrowheads, trefoil arrowheads, and armor were among the findings of the cemetery. Varieties of the objects and using armaments as gifts, had nothing to the deceased’s gender. Investigating the types of armaments reveal how the cavalries applied them, because armaments such as swords, daggers, and arrowheads, are light weapons that Agile Parthian cavalries used against the romans’ heavy weapons, as their classic enemy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Študijné Zvesti AU SAV is the property of Institute of Archaeology SAS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Some specialists in Crimean archaeology tend to believe that Early Medieval Crimean vaults may contain bone remains of the Alans who once moved to the peninsula from the Caucasus. Such an assumption is based on the similarity of vault burial structures and T-shaped Alanian catacomb graves. However, arguments like this is fairly criticized by specialists in Sarmatian archaeology. We have tried to test this hypothesis with the use of methods taken from physical anthropology. In addition to materials from Crimean burial grounds of Suvlu-Kaya, Inkerman, Chernaya Rechka and from Early Alanian sites in the North Caucasus, we used a wide range of comparative materials from various archaeological cultures of Eastern, Central and Southern Europe. The conclusion is that people buried in the Crimean vaults were hardly related to the Alans or the Sarmatians and presumably originated from autochthonous ‘Taurian’ population. At the same time, the physical appearance of people buried in niche graves is very similar to that of people belonging to the Late Sarmatian and the Early Alanian groups.

Roman gold-glass roundels were excised from the bottoms of functional glass vessels and inserted in the mortar, sealing funerary niches in the catacombs. Images were executed in gold leaf laminated between two layers of glass. It is still not clear whether the original vessels were meant just for funerary use, or whether they were given as valuable gifts on important occasions, such as baptisms. The paper begins with the discussion of these two possibilities; it concludes that the ‘gift theory’ better fits the known facts. The purpose and functions of the gold glass vessels are further explored in the paper within the framework of the hierotopic approach, thus shifting the focus of analysis from individual artefacts to sacred spaces in their entirety. The Christianization of the Roman household is thus viewed as the creation of a domestic sacred space, particularly through its saturation with Christian symbolism and proto-iconic imagery. These developments were tightly connected with the re-interpretation of the traditional Roman lifestyle in terms and categories of the new faith, and with the emergence of new Christian ideals of marriage and the family home. Portraits of married couples, well represented in gold glasses, asserted a new Christian understanding of marriage as an eternal union sealed by God in heaven. Another important kind of sacred space was that of the catacombs themselves where the Christian paradise shone through the eternal gloom of the underworld, with gold-glass proto-icons shimmering in the darkness to mark the points of connection between heaven and earth. The sacred space of the catacombs saw the transition from the cult of the dead to the veneration of saints. When a tomb was sealed with a gold-glass roundel with a saint’s sketchy likeness, their presence was thus evoked while the soul of the deceased was committed to their care. The increasing popularity of the proto-icons of martyrs in gold glasses alongside a phasing out of family portraits indicated the advent of the cult of saints, marking as well an important step in the evolution of portraits into icons. Статья посвящена известному, но всё ещё малоизученному жанру христианского изобразительного искусства, расцвет которого приходится на вторую половину IV века. Изображения выцарапывались на золотой фольге и вплавлялись в днище стеклянных сосудов. Большинство золотых стёкол найдено в римских катакомбах в виде выломанных из сосудов «донцев», так что судить о назначении и форме сосудов можно лишь гипотетически. Статья начинается с сопоставления двух представленных в литературе теорий по данному вопросу: погребальной и подарочной. Согласно погребальной теории, сами донца и были конечным продуктом, предназначенным для закрепления на могиле как своего рода визуальные эпитафии. Согласно подарочной теории, сосуды заказывались в качестве ценных подарков по случаю важных событий, например, крещения. По совокупности известных фактов подарочная теория представляется в целом более обоснованной. Вопрос о возможных функциях сосудов с золотыми донцами обсуждается далее в рамках иеротопического подхода, согласно которому процесс христианизации следует рассматривать как создание христианских сакральных пространств, в первую очередь семейного дома. Сакрализация дома путём его насыщения христианской символикой и протоиконическими изображениями находилась в тесной связи с переосмыслением традиционного семейного уклада в терминах новой веры и становлением христианского идеала семейной жизни. Семейные портреты, представленные на золотых стёклах, утверждают христианское понимание брака как нерасторжимого союза, заключённого на небесах. Другим важным сакральным пространством были сами катакомбы, в которых образ христианского рая «просвечивал» сквозь вечный мрак подземного царства мёртвых. В сакральном пространстве катакомб произошёл переход от культа мёртвых к культу святых. При запечатывании могилы золотым донцем с ликом мученика душа покойного поручалась заботам святого. Вытеснение семейных портретов в золотых стёклах ликами мучеников было не только этапом формирования культа святых, но и важным шагом на пути эволюции портретов в иконы.

Abstract Alexandria is one of the Mediterranean UNESCO World Heritage sites at risk from coastal flooding and Earthquakes. Nowadays, the safety of archaeological underground structures draws more and more attention. After many catastrophic events, the study of anti-seismic for underground structures has also become an important problem to be solved. Based on the typical underground structure seismic damage phenomenon, this paper summarizes the seismic characteristics, research methods and design methods of underground structures to offer a guide for engineers and conservators, where the polymer anti-seismic piling to protect the underground monumental structures against strong earthquakes is presented and validated in numerical analysis. In this paper, typical damages of archaeological underground structures are firstly presented, followed by the FEM analysis using the PLAXIS 2D code for the seismic response of Catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa in Alexandria, Egypt with and without the anti-seismic polymer pilling techniques. Results of this work underline the high potential of these low-cost anti seismic technique, confirming the possibility of achieving a significant improvement of the seismic performance of archaeological underground structures by using the low-cost and easy to manufacture it.

Copyright of Journal of Archaeological, Anthropological, & Interdisciplinary Studies (JAAIS) / Revista de Arheologie, Antropologie si Studii Interdisciplinare is the property of Institute of Bioarchaeology & Ethnocultural Research (ICBE) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Painted portraits on wood and cloth were common in the ancient world and prized as authentic and lifelike images. Affordable, portable, and desirable, they were an important form of representation, but rarely survive in the archaeological record outside Egypt. This article approaches the study of painted portraiture in a way that does not necessitate the survival of the images themselves. It analyzes evidence for the use, reuse, and imitation of painted portraits in the catacombs of 4th-c. Rome by examining the remains of settings and attachments for portraits, the shadows left by them on walls, and portraits in other media which imitate panel paintings. The article considers why painted portraits were so effective in funerary contexts and what connection they may have had to domestic portraiture. It also explores the development of panel portrait imitation through the phenomenon of the "square nimbus.". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay considers how the experience of being a Jewish heritage traveler inflects the author's approach to reading and teaching medieval literature. For the author, Jewish heritage travel, whether medieval or modern, tells alternative histories which rely upon alternative ways of seeing and interpreting in the face of ongoing, chronic crisis. Just as the medieval travel narrative of Benjamin of Tudela lists Jewish monuments in Rome alongside Christian ones, modern heritage tours intersect with and deviate from mainstream historical narratives, highlighting the achievements — and suffering — of the Jewish minority. To examine medieval literature from this vantage point leads the author not only to construct a parallel archive of Jewish-authored narratives, but also to find surprising examples of collective identity, borne of trauma and the shared experience of crisis, in Christian anti-Semitic sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the study and dissemination of Christian symbolic iconography, focusing on the Christian paintings of banquet scenes from the catacombs of Rome, Italy to the facsimile catacombs in Valkenburg, Netherlands of the 19th century. Topics discussed archaeological excavations and discoveries of the catacombs of San Callisto and Priscilla, and reproductions of the Sacrament Cubicles of Sacraments from San Callisto and the Cappella G of the catacombs of Priscilla.

The text traces the discovery and the history of two important banquet scenes from the Roman catacombs (from the Catacombs of Callixtus and from the Catacombs of Priscilla). It focuses on the interpretations given to the scene from the 19th century onwards and on its fortune in Europe: reproductions of the scenes found in various churches and chapels up to the middle of the 20th century are here presented. This overview will be useful to understand how the study and reproduction of a single iconography can contribute to a general reconstruction of the development of the discipline of early Christian art history.

Alexandria is one of the Mediterranean UNESCO World Heritage sites at risk from coastal flooding and Earthquakes. Nowadays, the safety of archaeological underground structures draws more and more attention. After many catastrophic events, the study of anti-seismic for underground structures has also become an important problem to be solved. Based on the typical underground structure seismic damage phenomenon, this paper summarizes the seismic characteristics, research methods and design methods of underground structures to offer a guide for engineers and conservators, where the polymer anti-seismic piling to protect the underground monumental structures against strong earthquakes is presented and validated in numerical analysis. In this paper, typical damages of archaeological underground structures are firstly presented, followed by the FEM analysis using the PLAXIS 2D code for the seismic response of Catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa in Alexandria, Egypt with and without the anti-seismic polymer pilling techniques. Results of this work underline the high potential of these low-cost anti seismic technique, confirming the possibility of achieving a significant improvement of the seismic performance of archaeological underground structures by using the low-cost and easy to manufacture it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catacombs, burial sites for early Christians, were constructed during the Roman Empire until the Christian religion was recognized in 313 AD. The catacombs were cementeries, which were organized according to precise rules and were dug into the ground on several levels, to occupy as little space as possible. The catacombs became places of worship as martyrs were buried in them. The catacombs were then abandoned with the barbarian invasions and the consequent construction of churches inside cities. The catacombs were rediscovered during the Renaissance period and became a place of renewed worship. In the present work, the acoustic characteristics of the catacombs of San Callisto in Rome, San Gennaro in Naples, and Vigna Cassia in Syracuse are discussed. The three selected catacombs differ by type of excavation and geometry. In particular, the catacombs of San Callisto are made of narrow corridors and small rooms; the catacombs of San Gennaro consist of large rooms with niches; the catacombs of Vigna Cassia are partly excavated in the tuff and partially occupy a disused aqueduct. The acoustic measurements were performed using an impulsive sound source. The description of the acoustic characteristics focuses on the reverberation time and the Speech Transmission Index. The results show that the reverberation time was always shorter than 1 second, confirming the reduced reverberation of these environments. Finally, the speech listening characteristics are particularly good, ensuring the suitable conditions for the prayer in these spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay takes the Paris underground as a 'naturalcultural contact zone' that allows us to consider what current eco-critical discussions of the Anthropocene might contribute to nineteenth-century French studies. Although the origin-point of the anthropocene era continues to be debated, some scholars point to late eighteenth-and early nineteenth-century geological theories of deep time as causing a crisis of representation; the Paris basin emerges as a stratigraphic site that makes visible the incommensurability of human and Earth timescales. I put recent critical work on non-human agency of la terre into dialogue with writings by Nadar, Simonin, and Balzac. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Reti Medievali is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the Early Christian catacombs of Rome, the use of the so-called gammadiae was pretty common. Unfortunately, at the daily state of the art, the comprehension of these symbols is still object of discussion for the international research community. In this paper we present the Gammadiae Management System (GMS), a database developed to study and comprehend the meaning of the so-called gammadiae represented on the pallium of saint characters in Early Christian catacombs of Rome. The cataloguing process has been useful to understand a particular symbolism used in the Antiquity, since the 1st century A.D. in the Jewish textile evidences, till the Dura Europos synagogue frescoes and, also, in some profane evidences, such as mosaics or precious gems. The so-called gammadiae seem to indicate the authority and the moral qualities of the men and, rarely, women who wear the pallium. At the moment, the GMS contains 209 forms about the so-called gammadiae in the Roman catacombs, realised in various techniques and on different supports.

Copyright of Studia Academica Šumenensia is the property of Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study investigates the Agrippesioi and Augustesioi synagogues of ancient Rome. Known from inscriptions found primarily in the Monteverde Catacombs, the synagogues are conventionally dated to the first century CE. Common opinion is that they were named directly after Marcus Agrippa and the emperor Augustus, both of whom, it is thought, played some part in founding the synagogues. Based on the chronology of the catacombs and the inscriptions, I assign the synagogues to the third and fourth centuries. Taking into account the linguistic and epigraphic comparanda of that period, I argue that the synagogue names were toponyms. They signaled where in Rome the Jewish synagogues were. The analysis has further implications for the history and social setting of Roman Jews. Like other groups at the time, they were identifying themselves based on areas or features in the late antique urban landscape that had been associated with Agrippa and Augustus for centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large catacomb grave was recently excavated in Hajjiabad-Varamin, in the Ham Rud valley (Kerman province, Iran). Dated from the late 4th to the early 3rd millennium BC, the burial is abundantly furnished with 90 artefacts, which provide for the first time an insight into the local material (ceramic) assemblage used in the Halil Rud valley around 3000 BC. The ceramics (here fully published) help to define a new ceramic horizon (which we propose to call "Varamin Period"), between the 4th millennium BC Aliabad wares horizon and the c. mid-3rd millennium BC occupation periods of Konar Sandal South. The analysis of the spatial distribution of the grave furnishings also reveals aspects of the final stages of the funeral, as well as some immaterial implications hidden behind the material evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hypogea can be considered under-examined environments as regards microbial biodiversity. New understanding has been gained about the predominant phototrophic microorganisms forming biofilms colonising archaeological surfaces in hypogea. In fact, the description of new taxa has remained elusive until recently, as many biofilm-forming phototrophs possess a cryptic morphology with a lack of specialised cells. Methods: A multiphasic study, including cytomorphological and ecological descriptions, genetic and biochemical analysis was carried out on the biofilms colonising hypogean environments around the Maltese islands. Molecular studies were imperative because biodiversity was found to be more complex than that indicated by classical taxonomy. Results: The dominant microbial life-form on archaeological surfaces is a compact subaerial biofilm. This study has led to new strains of the eukaryotic microalgal genus Jenufa, and the prokaryotic cyanobacteria Oculatella, Albertania and Nodosilinea being identified as the principal phototrophic biofilm-formers colonising the ancient decorated surfaces of Maltese hypogea. Complex morphologies and elaborate life cycles were eliminated as biodiversity was dictated only by the local contemporary microenvironment. The production of thick multilayered sheaths aided adherence to the substrate, concentrating microbial cells in biofilm formation. Albertania skiophila trichomes were able to glide inside the extracellular matrix. Oculatella subterranea exhibited phototaxis associated with a photosensitive apical cell containing a rhodopsin-like pigment. Conclusion: The biofilm provided a protective barrier and an improved chance of survival for cells growing in a low-nutrient, low-light environment. Effective strategies to prevent and control the growth of biofilms on the archaeological surface should take into consideration the adaptation of microorganisms to this particular mode of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the frame of the COBRA (Conservation of Cultural Heritage through Radiation and Enabling Technologies) Regional project, several historical sites have been object of study by means of non-destructive techniques to analyze different kinds of artworks from different points of view, as structural modification or chemical degradation. The availability of information on the state of health of artworks quickly and as complete as possible can represent a great advantage for the optimization of the conservation and restoration actions. To this aim, several prototypes based on non-destructive laser based techniques have been developed at ENEA and encouraging results have been obtained by their application to some cases study supported by COBRA project. In this work, some results of the study of the Greek Chapel in the Priscilla's Catacombs in Rome performed by LIF (Laser Induced Fluorescence) Scanning, giving information regarding the surface chemical composition, will be reported. Particular attention has been devoted to the area indicated by the site referents as of special interest for the presence of an evident biological attack. In addition to the characterization of extended biofilms, LIF was also able to detect microorganisms from areas where biodegradation is not evident, suggesting the possibility of its early detection. This result can be of great usefulness for the site conservation. The analyses by standard laboratory techniques (e.g. microscope observations) prompt us to exclude the presence of photosynthetic microorganisms. For an easy and understandable vision of the obtained results, collected by different instruments, a post-processing and data fusion phase was needed. • LIF as a useful tool to identify quickly and at distance areas with bioattack. • Possibility of early detection by LIF, some months in advance, of future bioattack. • Monitoring of the biomass growth by fusion of results from different instruments. • Presence of microorganisms in different stages, resistance and spread form in the bioattack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservar Património is the property of Associacao Profissional de Conservadores-Restauradores de Portugal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Since the official discovery of the Jewish catacombs of Venosa, Italy, in 1853, about 80 epitaphs and graffiti written in Hebrew, Greek and Latin have been found. These epitaphs constitute a unique source of information on the lives, family relationships and social status of the Jews living in late ancient Venusia. Although almost all of these inscriptions have long been accessible in published form, many doubts nonetheless persist as to their exact locations in the catacombs, and whether or not they remain in situ today. This article presents the results of a general survey undertaken in the catacombs in recent years, showing what has been lost and what actually remains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filamentous cyanobacteria grow as phototrophic biofilms in Maltese hypogea. Within these sheltered habitats, the prevailing relative humidity is high throughout the year, water seeps through the porous calcareous substrata and the irradiance is minimal. Isolated sciophilous cyanobacterial strains, adapted to tolerate and thrive in such environments, were studied using cytomorphological, ecological and genetic approaches. Light and electron microscopy revealed simple green trichomes 2–3 μm wide, made up of cells with parietal thylakoids, a rounded apical tip and surrounded by multistratified colourless sheaths. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S ribosomal RNA gene resulted in a new cluster of sequences that indicated a separate position at the generic level and justified the creation of the new genus Albertania. The strains were closely related (98% similarity or higher) and distantly related to other established cyanobacterial taxa (< 95%). The 16–23S internal transcribed spacer secondary folding structures were also unique. The clade consisted of six sequences isolated from phototrophic biofilms growing in five hypogea in Malta and Italy that are geographically isolated. The strains are described as Albertania skiophila gen. & sp. nov. since they form a monophyletic cluster made up of strains having a similar cytomorphology, ecology and molecular biology from two disjunct regions in Europe. Albertania skiophila strains are endemic to a specific habitat and distinct geographical region, leading to a defined biogeographical distribution in hypogea and caves around the Mediterranean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At some point in late antiquity, most scholars believe, Christians reversed the powerful valence of death pollution and considered corpses and bones to be sacred. The rise of the 'Cult of the Saints' or 'cult of relics' is widely accepted as a curious social phenomenon that characterized late antiquity. This paper argues that although present elsewhere in the late Roman Empire, no such 'corporeal turn' happened in Rome. The prevailing assumption that it did--fostered by the apologetic concerns of early modern Catholic historiography--has led us to gloss over important evidence to the contrary, to read our own assumptions into our extant textual, material, and archaeological sources. As a 'case study', this paper considers the socalled 'Crypt of the Popes' in the catacombs of Callixtus, which is universally presented unproblematically as an authentic burial chamber attesting to an age of persecution and the strength of Catholic apostolic succession. This paper argues, by contrast, that the chamber is not what it seems; it is, rather, a case of early modern historiographical artifice masquerading as late antique Roman Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study conducted Oratory Byzantine catacombs of Saint Lucia in Syracuse comes from the observation of the precarious condition of the underground funerary complex from the point of view of the static structures, which have undergone several alterations over the centuries due to landslides, blockages, collapses and subsequent excavations, conservation of the frescoes found that as a result of survey campaigns that have occurred intermittently on the monument. These difficulties have conditioned the public opening of only a part of the catacombs -la region A and the Oratory of the Forty Martiri- leaving hidden the community many significant spaces including the Oratory. The research will then, through the survey instrument with laser scanner, acquire a geometric-formal documentation of this important area through a 3D model on which to investigate aspects of a static nature, geological, material, historical, archaeological, necessary for a proper design of future interventions for the protection and consolidation of the catacomb. In fact, the 3D model obtained is a virtual copy of the recorded space through which it is possible to speculate on some design and physical environmental conditions of the sites, such as lighting and ventilation, and on some solutions distribution-functional, providing also a possible model for 3D navigation allows the virtual tour of the places underground. The location of the site, the distribution of the planimetric and static environmental conditions represented in research critical issues to be addressed in the survey phase of underground sites, providing for the research group of the fixed points on which to structure a possible protocol operating acquisition, integration, management and processing of the acquired data subject to change.

Phototrophic biofilms are widespread in Roman Catacombs due to the favourable microclimatic conditions present in these hypogea. They consist of complex communities formed by cyanobacteria and microalgae along with some heterotrophs embedded in a common mucilaginous matrix and are responsible for the aesthetic and structural deterioration of these important sites. It is a common practice to treat these surfaces with mechanical brushes and/or biocides in order to eradicate the presence of microorganisms. However, these treatments are not very efficient in the long term. In this study, research was carried out in order to understand which wavelengths of light inhibit the growth of phototropic biofilms and cyanobacterial strains isolated from Roman Catacombs and to develop a new illumination system. LEDs with various ranges of emission were employed along with a LED -‘testing light’, that appeared white to the human eye, obtained from a combination of wavelengths. The ‘testing light’ inhibited microbial growth and thus appeared a good candidate for the development of new illumination systems in confined environments to prevent biodeterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of the Sicily Mummy Project, the orofacial complex of a significant sample of individuals ( n = 111) from the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Italy, was inspected. The heads and dentitions of the mummies were documented and the recorded findings described: the state of preservation of skeletal and soft tissues; dental pathologies such as carious lesions and alveolar bone loss; enamel hypoplasia; and ante- and post-mortem tooth loss. Despite limitations in data collection, the oral health of these mummies was assessed and the frequencies of pathologies were compared to those of similar populations. From their position within the corridors of the Catacombs, sex and social status of the mummies were also inferred, allowing the dental pathologies to be specified in the social and historical context. Most interestingly, the rate of oral health problems did not differ between the groups of the members of the Capuchin Order and the laymen of the city of Palermo, despite their different lifestyles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]