Applicazione di tecnologie digitali 3D per lo studio di depositi e reperti archeologici nelle cavità naturali

The research project described in this work falls fully within the discipline of Digital Archaeology and is proposed as a contribution to the current debate on experimentation and integration between the most recent digital technologies and traditional ones in the field of surveying, the limits and potential of 3D, and the use of the latter as an application tool in the historical investigation of an archaeological asset or site of historical and artistic interest. Specifically, the research is focused on particular contexts such as caves. In fact, some natural underground contexts with significant evidence of human presence have been examined. Taking into account these needs and objectives, thanks to the collaboration between the Departments of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education of the University of Molise and various other partners, including the MidA Foundation of Pertosa (SA), the Regional Center of Speleology Enzo dei Medici of Roseto Capo Spulico (CS), and the ACAS 3D spin-off company of the University of Pisa, a digital survey experience has been successfully completed, addressing both scientific documentation and communication. The investigated contexts consist of three underground sites where important traces of human presence with pre- and protohistoric evidence have been found. The Grotta di Polla, located in the province of Salerno, provides a comprehensive picture of the various mechanisms that, through their action over time, have made it a precious reserve of archaeological evidence reflecting the cultural significance of the communities that frequented it for cult purposes during the Metal Ages. The structural integrity of the hypogeum has been severely affected by meteoric agents, such as the wastewater from an ancient Pleistocene lake, which has altered the preservation of the remains inside and made archaeological investigations challenging. The evidence is almost entirely obliterated by a thick layer of mud, making common operational activities difficult. Despite this situation, survey and documentation methodologies have been adopted, allowing for the acquisition of important information about the ways and timing of the use of the underground cavity. The Cave of Pietra Sant'Angelo in San Lorenzo Bellizzi, in the province of Cosenza, is located on the eastern side of the Pollino National Park. It is a small cave with traces of ancient human occupations and internal archaeological sites. The research conducted so far has enabled dating the oldest human occupation of the site to the 6th millennium BC. Ceramics with red bands and heart-shaped impressions indicate human presence in the cave during the Middle and Early Neolithic periods. The Grotte dell'Angelo di Pertosa-Auletta, located in the Alburni Mountains massif, within the "Cilento" Geopark in the province of Salerno, have two unique features: they are the only caves in Italy where it is possible to navigate an underground river, the Negro, and the only ones in Europe to preserve the remains of a pile-dwelling village dating back to the 2nd millennium BC, discovered during the excavations of 1898 conducted by Giovanni Patroni and Paolo Carucci. They have also been used as sacred places from the Bronze Age to more modern periods, as evidenced by the discovery of a votive hoard, known as the "internal hoard," containing over 300 miniature jars. The presence of a second hoard, the so-called "external hoard," with materials from both the Bronze Age and the Hellenistic-Roman phase, indicates the extensive and continuous use of the cave over time, up to the medieval period. Regarding this last context, the work carried out did not involve activities directly related to archaeological excavation, but was focused on the possibility of creating 3D digital copies of the collections of artifacts from it. In this sense, we have witnessed a real explosion in the use of 3D models for the digital experience of museum exhibitions in the last decade. During the recent pandemic period, the prolonged temporary closure of cultural sites to the public has further accelerated this practice. It immediately became clear how the potential offered by 3D could maintain interest in the displayed collections. Many of the most important Italian museums have embraced the challenge of offering their audiences the possibility to continue enjoying the collections online. Artifacts, artworks, and archaeological sites have entered the digital archives of superintendencies, private foundations, and museum institutions to be disseminated on the web. Furthermore, in these circumstances, the 3D scanning of artifacts, as we will see, can be a valuable support tool for historical and archaeological scientific research. The initial idea was, in practice, to define a workflow that, including the phases of acquisition, processing, and dissemination of three-dimensional archaeological data, could contribute to the development of an investigation model that not only employs techniques for 3D archaeological surveying, but also integrates methods for the management, processing, and disclosure of data to a wide audience.