The frescoed Annunziata Oratory chapel in Riofreddo (Italy), a unique testimony to the pontificate of Martin V, sheds light on the trade routes of Ninfa in the first half of the 15th century. Despite having undergone several restorations in the past (the most recent in the 2010s), the Oratory presents serious conservation issues. At first glance, there are no evident signs of biological colonization; rather, the most obvious damage is attributed to detachments and saline efflorescence. Biological colonization at several points was identified using various diagnostic field and laboratory techniques such as ATPase point analysis, field stereoscopy in visible and UV light, culture-based and molecular approaches, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM analysis, biological colonization at several points was identified. The characterization of salt efflorescence was carried out using ion chromatography analysis. The presence of bacteria, fungi and algae, which are also linked to saline efflorescence, was observed. A clear correlation between the biological colonization and salt efflorescence composition was highlighted by our results, as well as the potential sources of microorganisms and salts via the capillary rise of groundwater. This early diagnostic approach regarding the presence of lithobionts and salt efflorescence demonstrates the complex interplay between environmental factors and microbial colonization, which can lead to biodeterioration processes.

ArcheoBot is a prototype of a Telegram Bot: it is an experimental prototype that builds on the common digital experiences of the authors of this article, aiming to offer a quick, powerful, easy to use tool. It aims to serve archaeological and topographical investigations quickly and to interface with other software for the management of collected data.

La rivoluzione apportata dalla connessione via web ha comportato la nascita di processi collaborativi tra utenti, portando alla creazione di vere e proprie comunità digitali in grado di attuare una progettualità basata sulla condivisione, ottimizzando le risorse e promuovendo il coinvolgimento attivo a partire dal basso. Tale dinamica si riscontra anche nell’archeologia pubblica, coinvolgendo il pubblico nella ricerca, conservazione e divulgazione del patrimonio archeologico. Basato su principi di accessibilità, partecipazione e condivisione delle informazioni, include diversi attori, tra cui archeologi, istituzioni culturali e volontari. Uno dei principi chiave è la condivisione dei dati archeologici attraverso piattaforme online, consentendo a ricercatori e pubblico di accedere e utilizzare informazioni per ulteriori progetti di ricerca. Tuttavia, in Italia, l’adozione di questa filosofia è in crescita ma limitata dalla mancanza di progetti collaborativi e di dati archeologici aperti, spesso a causa di una legislazione che non supporta appieno la cultura libera.

In this paper, we present the application of established methodologies to innovatively investigate a soil block containing a human skeleton and metal artefacts (VII century BC) from the necropolis of Crustumerium near Rome. The chemical composition was investigated using X-ray analysis, and digital acquisition was conducted for dissemination and enhancement purposes. This case study aims to show how the combination of virtual techniques (i.e., virtual anthropology and virtual reality) and X-ray imaging (XRI) can be useful tools for the study and communication of both ancient human remains and archaeological artefacts, especially when it is not possible to move and handle a fragile one.

This article presents an attempt to integrate into a single workflow two important tools for the management of archaeological data: pyArchInit and BraDypUS. Although each system has its proper applications and capabilities, their combined use could have brought several advantages. However, it is worth noting that the work currently has some structural limitations that can be resolved only by the modification of the source code. This work summarises and reports on the current methodologies (as of 2021) for operating on both desktop and web platforms simultaneously using specific tools.