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Zbiva is an open access online research data base for the archaeology of the Eastern Alps in the Early Middle Ages. The data base is the product of four decades of thoughtful digital curation and is continually evolving at the data record level. As such, it is best described by the concept of Deep Data. The authors deposited a subset of the Zbiva data base in a persistent open access repository, Zenodo. This was necessary to ensure stable reference, facilitate the reproducibility of the results, and promote data reuse in their ongoing publication efforts. The deposited data cover the period from 500 to 1000 ce and are spatially restricted to present-day Slovenia, southern Austria, and a small part of north-eastern Italy. The data set is particularly suitable for archaeological gis analyses.

The use of topographic airborne LiDAR data has become an essential part of archaeological prospection. However, as a step towards theoretically aware, impactful, and reproducible research, a more rigorous and transparent method of data processing is required. To this end, we set out to create a processing pipeline for archaeology-specific point cloud processing and derivation of products that are optimized for general-purpose data. The proposed pipeline improves on ground and building point cloud classification. The main area of innovation in the proposed pipeline is raster grid interpolation. We have improved the state-of-the-art by introducing a hybrid interpolation technique that combines inverse distance weighting with a triangulated irregular network with linear interpolation. State-of-the-art solutions for enhanced visualizations are included and essential metadata and paradata are also generated. In addition, we have introduced a QGIS plug-in that implements the pipeline as a one-step process. It reduces the manual workload by 75 to 90 percent and requires no special skills other than a general familiarity with the QGIS environment. It is intended that the pipeline and tool will contribute to the white-boxing of archaeology-specific airborne LiDAR data processing. In discussion, the role of data processing in the knowledge production process is explored.

The articles in this special issue demonstrate significant differences in digital archiving capacity in different countries. In part these reflect differences in the history of archaeology in each country, its relationship to the state, whether it is centralised or decentralised, state-led or commercially driven. They also reflect some of the different attitudes to archaeology across the world, most recently explored in a survey conducted under the auspices of the NEARCH project. They reflect a snapshot in time, but our aim is to record the current state-of-the-art in each country, to inform knowledge, stimulate discussion, and to provoke change.

International audience; This article presents the archiving of archaeological digital datasets in Slovenia in its historic context. The datasets discussed have been separated into three categories: non-reproducible datasets, reproducible datasets, and registries. Several reproducible datasets created by ZRC SAZU have been freely available online since the early 2000s, but the number of users is small and those benefiting often do not adhere to clearly stated copyright limitations. There is a large discrepancy between the stated interest and the actual usage of reproducible, let alone non-reproducible, online datasets disseminated as open access. In addition, adherence to fair use cannot be expected unless enforced. The key outcome of this study is that it has exposed a total absence of systemic archiving practice for non-reproducible digital datasets. The article concludes with recommendations and next steps that could be taken to address these issues in future. First and foremost, a systemic approach to digital archiving is urgently needed if the irreversible damage to the decades worth of born-digital non-reproducible digital data is to be averted.; Cet article présente l'archivage des jeux de données archéologiques numériques en Slovénie dans son contexte historique. Les ensembles de données discutés ont été séparés en trois catégories : les ensembles de données non reproductibles, les ensembles de données reproductibles et les registres. Plusieurs ensembles de données reproductibles créés par ZRC SAZU sont disponibles gratuitement en ligne depuis le début des années 2000, mais le nombre d'utilisateurs est faible et ceux qui en bénéficient ne respectent souvent pas les limitations de droits d'auteur clairement énoncées. Il existe un écart important entre l'intérêt déclaré et l'utilisation réelle d'ensembles de données en ligne reproductibles, et encore moins non reproductibles, diffusés en libre accès. En outre, le respect de l'usage loyal ne peut être attendu à moins d'être appliqué. Le principal résultat de cette étude est qu'elle a révélé une absence totale de pratique d'archivage systémique pour les ensembles de données numériques non reproductibles. L'article se termine par des recommandations et les prochaines mesures qui pourraient être prises pour résoudre ces problèmes à l'avenir. Tout d'abord, une approche systémique de l'archivage numérique est nécessaire de toute urgence si l'on veut éviter les dommages irréversibles aux décennies de données numériques non reproductibles nées du numérique.

The use of topographic airborne LiDAR data has become an essential part of archaeological prospection, and the need for an archaeology-specific data processing workflow is well known. It is therefore surprising that little attention has been paid to the key element of processing: an archaeology-specific DEM. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to describe an archaeology-specific DEM in detail, provide a tool for its automatic precision assessment, and determine the appropriate grid resolution. We define an archaeology-specific DEM as a subtype of DEM, which is interpolated from ground points, buildings, and four morphological types of archaeological features. We introduce a confidence map (QGIS plug-in) that assigns a confidence level to each grid cell. This is primarily used to attach a confidence level to each archaeological feature, which is useful for detecting data bias in archaeological interpretation. Confidence mapping is also an effective tool for identifying the optimal grid resolution for specific datasets. Beyond archaeological applications, the confidence map provides clear criteria for segmentation, which is one of the unsolved problems of DEM interpolation. All of these are important steps towards the general methodological maturity of airborne LiDAR in archaeology, which is our ultimate goal.

The use of topographic airborne LiDAR data has become an essential part of archaeological prospection, and the need for an archaeology-specific data processing workflow is well established. However, interpolation, an important step in which a rasterized surface is derived from the classified point cloud, has received little attention from archaeologists. This processing step, also known as rasterization or gridding, has a direct impact on the accuracy and visual quality of the digital elevation model, but remains a challenge despite numerous studies. Numerous studies have compared the accuracy of different interpolators with conflicting results, but very few compare the visual precision. Also, there are no archaeology-specific studies. This paper addresses this problem by providing an archaeology-specific visual assessment of precision. Six of the most commonly used interpolators were tested at four test sites with an innovative use of triangular assessment method. Kriging was the best interpolator in undersampled areas and inverse distance weighting was a distant second. In other areas, triangulation with linear interpolation was marginally better than Kriging. However, when availability and computational costs are also taken into account, inverse distance weighting is the most suitable archaeology-specific interpolator. In addition, we propose a hybrid interpolator that combines the strengths of triangulation with linear interpolation and inverse distance weighting (QGIS plug-in)., prospection, et la nécessité d'un flux de travail de traitement des données spécifique à l'archéologie est bien établie. Cependant, l'interpolation, une étape importante dans laquelle une surface rastérisée est dérivée du nuage de points classifié, a reçu peu d'attention de la part des archéologues. Cette étape de traitement, également appelée rastérisation ou quadrillage, a un impact direct sur la précision et la qualité visuelle du modèle numérique d'élévation, mais reste un défi malgré de nombreuses études. De nombreuses études ont comparé la précision de différents interpolateurs avec des résultats contradictoires, mais très peu comparent la précision visuelle. De plus, il n'y a pas d'études spécifiques à l'archéologie. Cet article aborde ce problème en fournissant une évaluation visuelle de la précision spécifique à l'archéologie. Six des interpolateurs les plus couramment utilisés ont été testés sur quatre sites de test avec une utilisation innovante de la méthode d'évaluation triangulaire. Le krigeage était le meilleur interpolateur dans les zones sous-échantillonnées et la pondération de la distance inverse était loin derrière. Dans d'autres domaines, la triangulation avec interpolation linéaire était légèrement meilleure que le krigeage. Cependant, lorsque la disponibilité et les coûts de calcul sont également pris en compte, la pondération de distance inverse est l'interpolateur spécifique à l'archéologie le plus approprié. De plus, nous proposons un interpolateur hybride qui combine les atouts de la triangulation avec l'interpolation linéaire et la pondération de distance inverse (plug-in QGIS).

Pricujoca knjiga je nastala z namenom, da odgovori na vprasanje: ali je v arheoloskih virih izpricano predkrscansko svetisce na Blejskem otoku? Blejski otok je imel poseben pomen za vsako lokalno skupnost, ki je kadarkoli živela ob Blejskem jezeru. Pisanje J. V. Valvasorja in A. T. Linharta je sloves otoka poneslo sirse, dokoncno pa ga je usidral v kulturno zavest Slovencev France Preseren, ki je na otok v pesmi Krst pri Savici postavil Živin hram. Arheologija, kot vsaka znanost, zahteva kompleksen pristop. V knjigi je predstavljena arheoloska analiza dokumentacije izkopavanj, ki so bila na Blejskem otoku med letoma 1962 in 1965. Takrat je pod vodstvom Vinka Sribarja ekipa Narodnega muzeja Slovenije raziskali grobisce in ostanke cerkvenih zidov iz srednjega veka. Najdisce je eno od stevilnih v blejski mikro-regiji, a je kot kraj – otok na jezeru – posebnost med najdisci v Sloveniji.

This paper compares a high resolution, near-annual pollen record from the Šijec raised bog (1194 m a.s.l., Pokljuka, Slovenia) with historical land-use maps in order to understand how the Alpine environment has altered because of changeable economic trends in the fifteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries AD. In the fifteenth century AD the study site was surrounded by mixed forest ( Fagus, Abies, Picea, Quercus) and agricultural fields and pastures, but by the beginning of the nineteenth century AD the landscape had become more open, with very intensive agricultural land-use and grazing. The forest composition also changed: Fagus and Abies declined because of intensive grazing and ironworks (forest clearance and charcoal production). In the second half of the nineteenth and at the beginning of the twentieth century AD, forest recovered, but farming activities continued and, as a result of the forestry policy, Picea prevailed. After AD 1945 agricultural economy declined and mixed forests, which today cover more than 70% of land, are still expanding.

EXTENDED ABSTRACT:On January 19th 2012 Apple launched iBooks®2 for iPad® - a new application for downloading digital content to the iPad - and the new software (iBooks Author®) which allows creating and publishing digital content using the .iba digital format and all-new iTunes® application offering access to a variety of digitised educational content. Our aim was to test the attractiveness of the new Apple releases and the effect of a relatively easy access to the world market of digital content on the promotion of Slovenian cultural heritage. We added three books to the iTunes digital collection which might be of interest to the general public: a re-edition of a scientific monograph by Andrej Pleterski: Mythical Reality of the Carintian Dukes' Stones (Mitska stvarnost knežjega kamna) in Slovenian and German version and a non-fiction iBook by Benjamin Štular: Ljubljana in the Middle Ages. Archaeological Research (Srednjeveška Ljubljana. Arheološke raziskave). The digital version of the Andrej Pleterski's book was chosen for the actuality of the topic in Slovenia and Austria. People and politicians in Carinthia were annoyed by the book contents as it was published by the Regional Museum in Klagenfurt in December 2011. While the science in this book is sound it has been abused to meet the current needs of some of the Carinthian politicians. The incident was polemically reflected in the main Slovenian newspapers, too. The non-fiction iBook was selected because of the attractiveness of the theme, besides a lot of multimedia content had already been created and could be easily published to Apple's iBookstore. All three iBooks were posted to iTunes® less than three weeks after the release of the iBooks Author application to create digital content. We wish to present our experience with the applicability of the new medium, users' feedback and access statistics. Guidelines for Apple licenses are presented. The applicability of the new medium and its impact on the popularisation of the Slovenian cultural heritage was evaluated on the basis of the usage statistics in the first two months.

International audience; This paper presents visualisation techniques of high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) for visual detection of archaeological features. The methods commonly used in archaeology are reviewed and improvements are suggested. One straightforward technique that has so far not been used in archaeologye the shift method e is presented. The main purpose of this article is to compare and evaluate different visualisation methods. Two conclusions have been reached. Where a single method must be chosen e for printing or producing digital images for non-professionals e the use of sky view factor or slope gradient is endorsed, both presented in greyscale. Otherwise interpreters should choose different techniques on different terrain types: shift on flat terrain, sky viewfactor on mixed terrain, slope gradient on sloped terrain and sky view factor (preferably as a composite image with slope gradient) on rugged terrain.

In this article the authors present the Slovene Pagan sacred landscape. Based on the case of the Bistrica plain, North of Ljubljana (Slovenia) they have tried to show the ritual sites within the sacred landscape for the period between 9th Century and the end of 10th Century. This was concluded through the oral tradition and archaeological sources. They have tried to determine the role of the individual ritual site within the landscape and the manner in which the sacred landscape influenced the life of the people of the period.

This article examines archaeological data on an Early Medieval cemetery. Presenting new interpretations of partially known data, its author examines life stories of individuals buried at this site as well as the communitys ritual place. Although interpretations, in which the author strongly emphasizes experiental subjectivity, are the result of certain previously tested methodologies they nevertheless represent a novelty in the research of Early Medieval cemeteries of Central Europe.

The author discusses in this contribution the symbolism of an Early Medieval pot from the Brezje above Zrece necropolis. The pot is exeptional due to the Greek cross impressed on the base. The impression correlates exactly with the cross-shaped brooch from Saint Lambert near Pristava. In one object, this small pot, the Slavic ritual – a small pot as an object of grave inventory - and the Vlach custom - a Christian symbol - are combined. Consequently, this is an example of the coalescence of the logic of real with the logic of abstract.

International audience

Arheološka istraživanja lokaliteta Kaznica-Rutak u blizini Đakova 2005. I 2006. g. rezultirala su otkrićem ranosrednjovjekovnog slavenskog naselja, C14 analizama datiranog u 7.-9. st. Predavanje se fokusira na analizu prostorne organizacije naselja, kako se ono uklapa u istovremena slavenska naselja u susjednim prostorima i regijama srednje Europe.

No disease provoked such terror in the medieval world as leprosy. The disease was progressive and mercilessly destructive and consigned its victim to a ‘‘living death’’ invoking the pronouncement ‘‘Mundo mortuus sis, sed Deo vivas’’ – be thou dead to the world, but alive unto God. It is estimated that by the 13th century over 19000 leprosaria were built in Europe to segregate individuals suffering from the disease from other members of the community. The earliest cases of leprosy in Croatia were discovered in the Radašinovci archaeological site. The site was excavated from 1999-2009 revealing the presence of a small cemetery that was in use from the 9th-10th centuries. A total of 124 individuals (30 males, 44 females and 50 subadults) have been recovered. Six individuals: four males and two females exhibit clear osteological evidence of leprosy. The pathological changes include rhinomaxillary changes indicative of leprosy: resorption of the anterior nasal spine, resorption of the central maxilla and destruction of the palatine. Postcranial changes include cupping deformities, volar phalangeal grooves on the proximal phalanges of the hand, concentric diaphyseal remodeling and resorption of the distal ends of the metatarsals, and periostitis on the distal radii, ulnae, tibiae and fibulae. These individuals were randomly distributed throughout the cemetery and exhibit the same grave orientation, architecture and artefacts as the other interred individuals, demonstrating that during the 9th-10th centuries the social reaction to individuals suffering from leprosy displayed no evidence of the ostracism that would later become so ubiquitous.