image/svg+xml
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VIII/2/2017
InterdIscIplInarIa archaeologIca
natural scIences In archaeology
homepage: http://www.iansa.eu
Virtual Archaeology: Remains of a Roman Villa in the Bay of Stari Trogir,
Central Dalmatia
Nika Lužnik Jancsary
a,b*
a
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Aškerčeva c. 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
b
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology, Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna, Austria
1. Introduction
In the feld of conservation and interpretation of archaeological
heritage, the importance of documenting and presenting
heritage virtually increases every year. Virtual environments
are a privileged way of distributing the knowledge of cultural
and scientifc themes. The interest in computer graphics has
therefore been present in these felds for quite some time
and has eventually led to the establishment of the felds of
virtual archaeology (see Reilly 1990) and virtual cultural
heritage; for example (Addison 2000; Berndt, Carlos 2000).
Furthermore, with the technological development that is
more and more capable of reproducing the lost heritage for
the purposes of research and representation, this interest only
keeps increasing. All this brings additional responsibility for
scientifcally evaluated visualizations, as described more
thoroughly in charters like Principles of Seville (2011) and
The London Charter (2009). These guidelines suggest that
visualization should strive for historical rigour, authenticity,
scientifc transparency, and should also be made accessible.
The advantage of computer visualizations in this context
is that they enable the evaluation of models better than
any other type of media and at the same time provide a
comprehensive understanding of the monument. In the
virtual model, for instance, the relationship between the
building and the surrounding terrain is visible, and the
placement of diferent architectural features can be tested on
a virtual terrain. By positioning the virtual camera on various
points of interest, viewshed analysis can be performed. It
also enables a physical simulation of daylight or water tide.
The mass of the building material, and consequently also the
building time, can be calculated. Moreover, the volume of
structures is easily measurable, such that, for example, the
amount of fsh that could be raised in a particular breeding
pool can be calculated.
Computer visualizations can also present interactively the
possible reconstructions of the monuments on site. This way,
the authenticity of the monuments can be preserved – and
there is no need for them to be subjected to a contemporary
reconstruction (Pirkovic 2003).
In this context, a virtual presentation most signifcantly
benefts a site that is at the moment undervalued in the eyes
of the public. The public understanding of its signifcance
in the past and its connection with the present day could
Volume VIII ● Issue 2/2017 ● Pages 145–155
*Corresponding author. E-mail: nika_luznik@outlook.com
Article info
Article history:
Received: 14
th
March 2017
Accepted: 13
th
December 2017
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.24916/iansa.2017.2.4
Key words:
virtual archaeology
Roman archaeology
visualization
Roman villa
non-photorealistic reconstruction
ABStrAct
The paper focuses on the challenges of creating a computer visualization of a site with scarce source
data, originally gathered for documentation purposes only. The particular site considered in this article
is a Roman maritime villa in the bay of Stari Trogir, Central Dalmatia, Croatia. The well-preserved
remains are constantly under threat of destruction, as they are exposed to local construction work.
First described in the 17
th
century, and sporadically researched from the early 20
th
century, the remains
were again newly documented and interpreted in 2004. They are especially interesting because of their
peculiar semi-circular structure. The objective in the present work is to create virtual presentations of
multiple interpretations of the site, to tell a story about the locals’ home. This should encourage an
emotional connection with the remains and induce respect towards the place’s history, as well as the
desire to preserve and protect it.
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once again turn it into a building block of local, regional and
national identity and involve locals and visitors on a personal
level (Vidrih-Perko 2008; Merriman 2004; Sola 1985).
With these considerations in mind, the present work aims
at raising awareness for a particular site that fts the above
characteristics, by drawing on computer aided visualization.
The context of this work is a research project comprising
three diferent levels: (1) computer visualization of the site;
(2) implementation of the visualization, making it available
to the public; and (3) later evaluation of the success.
From the data available to the Department of Archaeology
(University of Ljubljana) for a case study of this kind, the
site of Roman remains in the bay of Stari Trogir near Trogir
in Central Dalmatia, Croatia was chosen (Figure 1, Figure 2
and Figure 7). The overall project is still ongoing, with the
current frst stages being to establish a virtual model of
the archaeological interpretation of the site. At this point,
valuable experience has already been collected on how to
visualize the information that is intended to be conveyed,
and a suitable visualization workfow has been established.
These issues will be the main focus of this article. In future
stages of the project, a quality heritage interpretation will
furthermore be conducted, which is a prerequisite for better
understanding of the archaeological fnds by the general
Figure 1.
Area of the site in the bay of Stari
Trogir (photo: Lužnik 2011).
Figure 2.
The position of Stari Trogir,
relative to Tragurion and Salona after
Zaninović (1997; geographical data after
NASA Worldview).
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public (Colquhoun 2005; The ICOMOS Charter for The
Interpretation and Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites
2008; Tilden, Craig 2007). At the end of the project, users
will be asked for feedback to help evaluate the resulting
interpretation.
The area of Trogir consists of a small territory between the
Split and Sibenik area in Central Dalmatia, Croatia. Beside
the coastline, it also encompasses a few minor islands. Its
hinterland is a rocky, impoverished area, while the coastline
is a fruitful area favourable for life. Access to the bay of
Stari Trogir from the mainland is hard due to the steep slope
and remote location, while it is easily accessible from the
sea (Kirgin, Marin 1989). Roman remains are common in
the area, and maritime villas that are similar to those on
the coast of Italy (D’Arms 1970; Lafon 2001; Marzano
2007; Matijašić 1998) and, for example, to those in ancient
sources (such as: Pliny, The epistles of Pliny the Younger,
2.17; Horace, Shorey, Jennings Laing, Odes and epodes,
2.18; Varro, Storr-Best, Varro on farming, 3.3.10) are also
not unknown to this part of the Roman Empire (Figure 7;
Matijašić 1998; Begović, Schrunk 2003; Begović, Dvoržak
1994; Schrunk, Dvoržak 2004; Gnirs 1909 after Matijašić
1998; Suić 2003). The relatively well-preserved standing
remains of the Roman villa in the bay of Stari Trogir itself
are constantly under a process of destruction, since they are
exposed to construction work by local residents trying to
improve the functionality of the coast.
These remains were last extensively documented in the
year 2004 (Figure 4, Figure 5). The project was issued
by Konzervatorski Ured in Split, under the guidance of
Figure 3.
Site of Stari Trogir – comparison between the measured foor
plan in 2004 (orange) and sketched foor plan from 1918 (green, after Jelić
1918/1997).
Figure 4.
The measured plan of the site of Stari Trogir, after Novaković
(2004).
Figure 5.
Interpretation of the structures in the bay of Stari Trogir, after
Novaković (2004).
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M. Katić, and the works were executed by the Department
of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana (SI)
under the leadership of P. Novaković in 2004. A key challenge
in the process of moving to a computer 3D visualization is
that the above documentation was not primarily intended for
computer visualization. It was executed with an electronic
tachymeter – a total station that is still the most commonly
used documentation device at archaeological sites. Outlines
of visible structures were measured, and a DTM (Digital
Terrain Model) of the northern part of the site was created.
Our endeavour therefore presents an interesting test of how
well traditional ways of documenting can be used for this
purpose.
Furthermore, the remains themselves are of special
interest, as they include a peculiar semi-circular structure, the
function of which is not especially well understood. Similar
structures, according to the remains, can be found in two
villas: Villa della statua and Villa della terma/del peristilio in
Barcola, Italy (Lafon 2001; De Franceshini 1998). Presenting
it in a virtually rebuilt environment can serve as an efcient
way of assessing diferent theories of its former appearance
or function. Combined with the conclusions of older reports
of the site and analogies, this allowed for frst interpretations
of the remains to be made. First, for better understanding of
the site and its interpretation, an overview of its history and
past research is in order.
2. Ancient sources
The site has an interesting history. In the Roman state, the
area originally belonged to the province of Illyricum, which
was established as a military zone after the Third Illyrian
War. According to recent theories, it was administratively
organized by Octavian. Due to its size, the province was
divided into the Upper and Lower Illyricum under Augustus,
which were renamed into Pannonia and Dalmatia under
Vespasian (Sašel, Kos 2010). The area of the bay of Stari
Trogir belonged to the latter (Figure 2; Wilkes 1969;
Zaninović 1977).
In ancient literary sources, the Trogir area is described
in the “Periegesis”, work by Greek geographer Pseudo-
Skymnos (404–412, GGM I, 213) from the 2
nd
century BC. In
this part, he describes the coast of the Mediterranean, as well
as the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. After the description
of northern Dalmatia, he continues with a description of the
Island of Hyllos, where he thinks of the landscape between
Sibenik and Trogir. He estimates it about the same size as
the Peloponnesus. The area was supposed to be settled with
the people of Hyllos in ffteen cities, who were Hellenes
by origin and took Heracles’ son Hyllos as their leader. At
the same time, they also became wild and barbaric, which
supposedly could be seen from their practices, which closely
resembled those of their neighbours. For this description,
Pseudo-Skymnos refers to Timaeus and Eratosthenes, who
were Greek historiographers and geographers from the 4
th
and 3
rd
century BC. The Trogir area is similarly described by
Pseudo-Skylax (Periplus, 22, GGM I, 28), a writer from the
mid-4
th
century BC.
At the beginning of the 1
st
century AD, in the work
“Natural History”, Roman encyclopaedist Pliny the Elder
(Naturalis historia, 3, 58) mentions the Trogir area with
reference to: the cape Diomedes (nowadays cape Planka) on
the Hyllos Peninsula; Tragurium (Trogir), a town famous for
its marble; and the city Sicula (Bijaći), which is where the
divine Claudius was sending military veterans.
In the “Geography of Strabo” (The geography of Strabo,
7.5.5), from the beginning of the 1
st
century AD, we fnd
the interesting fact that Trogir is an island, as it is listed as
such among the settlements of the Issa people and their most
famous islands like Issa (Vis) and Faros (Hvar).
3. Archaeological interpretation
In modern times, the site itself was frst mentioned in the 17
th
century by historiographer Ivan Lucić (1986, frst published
1666) in the work “De Regno Dalmatiae e Croatiae”, who
recognized it as a public square with porticoes and water
cisterns. In 1918, Jelić (1918/1997) characterized it as
Praetorium Caesaris and recognized a forum, cisterns, rooms
with barrel vaults and a room with an apse (Figure 3).
Later, Karaman (1954/57) recognized in the remains a
villa rustica
. However, Katić (1994/95) interpreted it as a
road station Loranum, more precisely as a part of its harbour.
He recognized water cisterns and the vaulted rooms and the
apse as a
balneum
.
In 2004, Begović (2004) interpreted it as a maritime villa
with cisterns, a
balneum
and a central fshpond – a
piscinam
vivariam
.
Maritime villas are in principle a kind of
villa rustica
. That
is, a building or a group of buildings within its own land,
that is positioned outside of towns. It includes a residential
area, as well as a production area. The goods produced were
meant to satisfy the needs of the villa, but were also used
for trading. Sometimes the production area is located only in
satellite villas on the land owned by the villa. Maritime villas
are mainly positioned on a peninsula or circling a bay, or
running along the coast. They follow a specifc architectonic
form that dominates over the seashore and has a panoramic
view (Begović, Schrunk 2003; Marzano 2007; Matijašić
1998).
Cisterns were used in karst regions for rainwater
collection. Due to the lack of accessibility of drinking water
from springs or streams, these reservoirs were an important
water supply (Matijašić 1998). In general; they are located
near remote small agricultural buildings or dug in the yards
of countryside villas. The subterranean nature of the cistern
provided the water a constant temperature, better quality and
taste (Vitasović 2008).
Cisterns in Stari Trogir are built in a similar way as other
examples in Dalmatia and in the south and east of Istria.
Usually, the walls are made of two layers: the outer layer is
made in an
opus incertum
technique that has on the external
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side multiple cut blocks and a centre made entirely of cement;
and the inner layer that is made in an
opus cementicium
technique – the so-called hydraulic mortar that was used to
line the walls of water cisterns and was obtained by mixing
coarse and fne sand, slaked lime and pounded bricks, and
applied to the wall in several layers (usually three), of which
the last, external, layer was fnished (
ligadina
) and had a
fner composition (Matijašić 1998; Kilić-Matić 2004). The
cisterns were covered: either in a barrel or a cross vault.
This was the only technical solution to keep the water cold
throughout the year. On the other hand, the largest possible
span using a barrel vault was 3–4 m. That is the reason for
cisterns being long and narrow. If they had to be wider,
pilasters were used that divided the cisterns into multiple
aisles (Matijašić 1998).
The Roman baths within residential villas were called
balneum
. The basic rooms were the same as in public
baths. There was a sequence comprising the dressing room
(
apoditerium
), the warm room (
tepidarium
) and the hot
bath (
caldarium
). The
caldarium
, and sometimes also the
tepidarium
, had hypocaust heating. Finally, there was the
frigidarium
, a room with a pool of cold water that was used to
cool down. Important parts of the
balneum
were also the dry
sweat room (
laconicum
) and a hot steam bath (
sudatorium
).
In the Mediterranean, the windows of a
balneum
were turned
towards the afternoon sun, so that the rooms were additionally
heated. The individual rooms had vaulted ceilings and apsidal
ends (Brödner 1997; Johnston 2004).
Maritime villas were especially well-suited for fsh
keeping. Many fshponds of various sizes and shapes were
located adjacent to villas, in seaside coves and inlets, or
in lagoons, where they could be fed by both salt and fresh
water and were a clear display of wealth (Higginbotham
1997; Lafon 2001). These
piscinae vivariae
were, according
to Varro, more pleasing to the eye than to the purse, and
were rather exhausting on the resources instead of increasing
them, as they were built, stocked and kept up at great cost
(Varro, Storr-Best; Varro on farming, 3.17.2).
In the same year as Begović, Novaković (2004) also
interpreted the remains as a maritime villa, though he
recognized in the central semi-circular part an
exedra
(Figure 4, Figure 5). This part of the architecture is poorly
preserved. According to Lucić, there used to be porticoes
in this area (Lucić 1986). An exedra, in Roman buildings,
is a semi-circular structure, possibly with porticoes, that
connected diferent parts of the complex. There are several
examples of villas with similar structures: some of them
are two villas in Barcola, Italy – Villa della statua (De
Franceshini 1998) and Villa della terma (De Franceshini
1998; Lafon 2001); a villa in Anguillaria Sabazia (Mielsch
1987; Zarmakoupi 2005); and villa Giulia at Punta Eolo
Ventotene (Lafon 2001).
Figure 6.
Site of Stari Trogir – comparison between the measured foor plan
in 2004 (orange) and sketched foor plan from 2009 (green, after Živkov
2009).
Figure 7.
Maritime villas in the northeastern
Adriatic; the red dot marks the villa in the
bay of Stari Trogir (after Begović, Schrunk
2012; geographical data after NASA
Worldview).
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Novaković identifed the following features on the site:
terraces, presumably ramps, two cisterns, as well as a
balneum
and a central half-circular part that was interpreted
as an
exedra
. Some of the main features of the villa remain
to this day. First among them are the two cisterns, one on
the northern and one on the southern part of the ruins. The
most important criteria for defning the features were the
presence of hydraulic plaster on the foor and the wall, as
well as the indication of a vaulted ceiling. He defned the
rooms around the southern cistern as a
balneum
, due to the
walls covered in very characteristically-red plaster, and due
to research reports prior to the last documention in 2004,
from when the remains were still better preserved. Apart
from the group of structures that are undoubtedly connected
with the luxurious architecture –
frigidarium
, cistern, the
pool, the mosaic hallway between the
frigidarium
and the
upper part of the architectural complex – there are also six
other rooms recognizable that most probably are part of the
balneum
as well.
According to his analysis of the features of the plan and
the terrain, Živkov (2009) saw in the remains a monumental
villa, which consisted of several tracts disposed along the
coast of the bay and was connected with a promenade
(Figure 6). In his opinion, there are also indications that the
complex is probably located over a series of terraces, while
the cisterns, the thermal complex and possibly the curing
facilities are all adjacent to the main wing with the semi-
circular exedra.
Among others, he compared it to the plan of the villa in
the bay Verige on Brijuni islands, where various segments
of the complex were located along the coast of the bay and
connected with a promenade (Figure 11).
Most recently, Begović and Schrunk (2012) described
that the remains of a stone quay and a circular structure are
visible in the sea. They suggested that this circular structure
of 8m in diameter may be part of a
piscina
, a fshpond with
a central circle framed by lateral rectangular compartments.
On the beach, they saw remains of the baths and a large
cistern, divided into two compartments, and other walls.
They observed that the villa was built in two terraces. On
the aerial photos, they managed to discern further in the sea
some harbour structures and a big mole (pier or breakwater)
that protected the bay from the south wind.
Interpretation of the architectural remains as a maritime
villa seems legitimate, as it is based on: the historical
background (Sašel, Kos 2010; Wilkes 1969; Zaninović
1977); the development of such villas, their defnition and
functions (D’Arms 1970; Lafon 2001; Marzano 2007;
Matijašić 1998); and, for example, ancient sources (Pliny,
The epistles of Pliny the Younger, 2.17; Horace, Shorey,
Jennings Laing, Odes and epodes, 2.18; Varro, Storr-Best,
Varro on farming, 3.3.10); similar examples in Istria and
Dalmatia (Figure 7; Matijašić 1998; Begović, Schrunk 2003;
Begović Dvoržak, Schrunk Dvoržak 2004; Gnirs 1909 after
Matijašić 1998; Suić 2003); as well as the fact that the coast
of Dalmatia is similarly formed as the coast of the original
area in Italy where this type of villa frst appeared (D’Arms
1970; Lafon 2001). As there are three diferent interpretations
of its appearance and functionality, the visualization of the
villa will compare and evaluate multiple predicted structures
of the foor plan in 3D space.
4. Vizualization
The virtually presented archaeological interpretations
are mainly based on the functional interpretation of the
architectural remains from older sources, when the remains
were still in a better preserved state, as well as the research
of the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, at
University of Ljubljana under the guidance of Novaković
in 2004. Additionally, by projecting the measured plan from
2004 over the scientifc sketches from 1918 and 2009, it was
determined that the overall features match to a high degree.
Therefore, the combined plans could be used as a base for
reconstructed interpretations. Partially, the presentations
are also based on logical conclusions and analogies of other
similar villas along the Adriatic coast.
As already mentioned, no excavations were executed for
the villa in the bay of Stari Trogir. There was only surface
research conducted, with documentation of the remains
with a total station in the year 2004. Furthermore, there are
neither contemporary descriptions of the villa, nor any other
sources that would allow a construction of a scientifcally
evaluated model. Therefore, the visualization must be
counted as a speculative one. In this light, it is important
to present multiple reconstruction possibilities in order to
convey a comprehensive understanding.
The remains of the villa, although relatively very well
preserved, are very limited in comparison to research on other
bay-enclosing Roman villas, as there are only a few rooms
left. The majority of the villa has been evidently lost through
time, demolished or engulfed by the sea. To reconstruct a
detailed visualization of the whole villa therefore does not
make sense, as too much of the data is missing. But even
for the remaining architectural elements there are too many
gaps in the knowledge to fll in the details for a precise
reconstruction. Consequently, the form of non-photorealistic
visualization seems the most appropriate to implement for
such scarce data.
This technique focuses on a wide range of expressive
styles based on painting and drawing. Its advantage is that the
viewer is immediately confronted with an abstraction, which
emphasizes the hypothetical aspect of the reconstruction
(Roussou, Drettakis 2003). It can also direct the viewer’s
attention towards the most important information, while
omitting secondary features (Klein
et al.
2000). In addition,
non-photorealistic computer graphics ofer control over
expressivity, clarity, and aesthetics; hence the resulting
pictures can be more efective at conveying information and
can express a specifc mood (Buchholz
et al.
2005).
In the case of the present work, simple volume-like
structures were made upon the measured walls in order
to represent the function of the preserved architectural
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elements. Complementary to this representation, textures
are kept simple and monochrome. In this style, the wider
terrestrial area is obtained from the Primošten geographical
map, which is at the same time its texture. All is rendered
in an ink style that emphasizes the speculative nature of
the models. To show levels of certainty, a colour-coded
scale was also applied, where, in this particular case: red
symbolizes the most certain features, whilst blue represents
uncertain features; the certainty of yellow-coloured objects
is understood to lie somewhere in between (Figures 8–10).
In the visualization of the Stari Trogir maritime villa, three
possibilities of its former appearance are presented. The
frst interpretation shows its central semi-circular part as a
piscinia vivaria
(Figure 8), where circular
piscinae vivariae
from other maritime villas has been reconstructed. Such
fshponds are known from maritime villas north and south
of Rome, illustrated by Lafon (2001); most of them date
from the Augustan period (Lafon 2001; Begović, Schrunk
2012). The plan for the
piscina
is taken after the plan of Jelić
(1918/1997). Though similarly shaped
piscinae
are known
from the literature, the visualization reveals that a
piscina
of
this size would have disrupted the smooth path along the bay
in this particular location.
In the second interpretation, the central part is coarsely
presented as an
exedra
, an open semi-circular space
(Figure 9, Novaković 2004). The third visualization is built
after the interpretation of Živkov (2009), which is based on
the foor plan of Jelić (1918/1997) and also interprets the
semi-circular feature as an
exedra
(Figure 10). These two
interpretations are very similar, with the third one mainly
extending the second. Indeed, it seems reasonable that an
exedra
like this would be surrounded by other structures.
However, even the extended interpretation could be refned,
since it seems that the inner rooms above the
balneum
area
would not have had access to light.
In summary, all three interpretations are possible; among
them, the third interpretation seems the most probable at this
point despite the abovementioned concern.
5. Implementation
The virtual archaeological model of the villa in the bay of
Stari Trogir is not precise enough to serve as a detailed model
for archaeological research, due to the source data that was
primarily collected for the purpose of simple documentation
of the remains. For precise research, the model is too crude
and cannot supplement the inspection of the remains
in situ
.
Nonetheless, it does provide a valuable gateway to discussion
of the appearance and function of the architecture.
Non-photorealistic visualization leaves room for
individual interpretation and is therefore appropriate for
Figure 8.
Visualization of the villa with the central semi-circular structure represented as a piscina vivaria (plan of the piscina after Jelić 1918/1997).
Illustration in monochrome with levels of certainty superimposed in diferent colours (red representing very certain, yellow distinguishing likely, and blue
marking out uncertain structures).
Figure 9.
Visualization of the villa with the central semi-circular structure represented as an exedra, after Novaković (2004). Illustration in monochrome
with levels of certainty superimposed in diferent colours (red representing very certain, yellow distinguishing likely, and blue marking out uncertain
structures).
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representation of reconstructed objects and monuments. Even
though the public may be more accustomed to photorealistic
visualizations produced by the game and flm industries,
non-photorealistic presentations are still suitable for public
interpretation of the site. In our specifc case, the visualization
can be complemented by visualizations of better-preserved
sites to give a better impression of the former grandeur of
the villa. The most luxurious villa in the vicinity is the one
on Brioni islands, which was ideally reconstructed in the
form of a drawing (Begović 1990; Begović Dvoržak 1994;
Begović Dvoržak, Schrunk Dvoržak 2004; Figure 11).
There are not many other examples of 3D virtual
visualizations of maritime villas in the vicinity that could
be an adequate comparison, but an insightful example of a
photorealistic visualization is the Roman villa of Minori,
Campania, Italy. It was reconstructed during the project
Colori nella Storia and especially focuses on the various
colours that were used on architectural structures. The
reconstruction resulted in a short video called
la villa
romana di Minori ieri e oggi
(Campanelli, Pacetti, 2012;
GiuntiScuola 2015).
Nonetheless, the current visualization of Stari Trogir is
efective for a presentation of the remains to the broader public,
as it combines the remaining walls in a uniform model of this
part of the villa. In this way, the visualization also makes sense
to untrained observers, who often face difculties combining
them into one unit and envisioning the complex on the site.
In this sense, it is intended that further heritage interpretation
will be implemented into the presentation of the site. Such
interpretation has no precise defnition, but all explanations of
the term agree that it should seek to describe the broader context
of the presented objects and to fnd their own specifc story: if
the information provides facts, a good interpretation provides a
story and connects the facts with the wider context (Colquhoun
2005). The main function of heritage interpretation should
be to create personal connections between the people and the
places of heritage, in order to preserve them. Though the goal
to conserve must not come only from the feld of interpretation
– due to the continuous degradation of the natural and cultural
heritage all related sciences have to establish a procedure for the
preservation of heritage, where the interpretation is only part of
the complete system (Kohl, Eubanks 2008).
Figure 10.
Visualization of the villa with the central semi-circular structure represented as an exedra with additional structures, after Živkov (2009).
Illustration in monochrome with levels of certainty superimposed in diferent colours (red representing very certain, yellow distinguishing likely, and blue
marking out uncertain structures).
Figure 11.
Image of an ideal reconstruction
of the villa in the bay Verige, Brijuni islands,
Croatia (reconstruction by V. Begović
Dvoržak in Begović Dvoržak, Schrunk
Dvoržak 2004, Figure 3).
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153
At the archaeological site, the frst interpretation of
archaeological fnds is defnitely a subjective interpretation
based on the experience, knowledge and expectations of
the archaeologist who implements it in time and space and
attributes it its importance. Similarly, Copeland (2004) states
that there is a diference between the primary interpretation,
which is given at the moment of confrontation with the ruins
and only seeks to give a reasonable explanation, and the
secondary, which can be equated with a presentation that is
meant to transfer these explanations – or at least the parts of
general interest – to the target audience. In this subsequent
demonstration phase, which is greatly infuenced by its
purpose and the expected audience, the interpretation and its
presentation are carefully planned. For the transparency of
interpretation itself, multi-interpretation plays an important
role, as it shows that there are several equivalent interpretive
truths. Indeed, the notion that a collection of artefacts or
other heritage should be subjected to only one story has been
strongly refuted by Howard (2003).
The importance of interpretation is, after Tilden (Tilden,
Craig 2007), that it allows the kind of understanding that elicits
sympathy and desire to protect heritage, and consequently
he wishes to include it wherever possible.
“through
interpretation, understanding; through understanding,
appreciation; through appreciation, protection.”
(Tilden,
Craig 2007). It is important to realize that for an understanding,
it is not necessary that the interpretation includes plenty of
data or deep thoughts. Most often it is better if the insights
that are conveyed to the visitors are quite simple, but touch
them and strengthen or inspire a new understanding of how
to appreciate the heritage (Carter 2001). Research has shown
that the more we communicate with the intention to provoke
thinking, the more personal the meanings created in the
particular subject. And the more important the presentation
is to us personally, the greater is the likelihood that we will
develop further thoughts on the topic. An important message
provokes thinking, which leads to the accomplishment of
personal understanding. It is important to recognize that
understanding and behaviour do not always go hand in hand.
The better we can relate to a message on a personal level,
and the fewer facts we have to memorize, the easier it will
be for us to think about what the message actually meant to
convey, rather than the facts it contained. Our understanding
of something is simply what we think of it; the sum of our
beliefs and opinions. When interpretation provokes a person
to think, it leads to a development process that creates or
otherwise afects the understanding; that is, it creates,
strengthens or changes existing convictions (Ham 2009). In
this way, the proper interpretation has a signifcant infuence
on the emotional perception of cultural archaeological
heritage and its importance in today’s fast paced consumer
society; and it can encourage the desire for its protection and
preservation.
On the north-eastern Adriatic coast, there are already sites
that try to engage the local public with similar historical
villas. There are several diferent approaches. On some sites,
there are archaeological parks, either planned or already
present. For example, at Simonov zaliv, Istria, Slovenia, an
archaeological park includes permanent exhibition space
with an interactive digital map of the area, as well as guided
tours of the site and diferent workshops being carried out
(Lazar 2016). Similarly in Umag Katoro – Sepomaja, Istria,
Croatia, a permanent exhibition is located in the local
museum, and guided tours and workshops are organized to
present the villa. They also plan to open an archaeological
park (Muzej grada Umaga, n.d.). An archaeological park
is also planned in Vižula, Croatia (Općina Medulin 2017).
On other sites of Roman maritime villas, there are Roman-
themed festivals each year to promote Roman cultural
heritage, for example in Umag Katoro – Sepomaja, Istria,
Croatia (Muzej grada Umaga, n.d.) and Valbandon, Istria,
Croatia (Nacinović 2013). A diferent way of connecting to
local communities are Roman-themed dramatic plays that
have been carried out on the site of the ruins at Colentum,
Murter island, Dalmatia, Croatia during the summer of 2017
(Udruga za zaštitu prirode i okoliša te promicanje održivog
razvoja Argonauta 2017) and are performed annually at
the maritime villa of Vižula, Istria, Croatia (Girardi-Jurkić
2011). In the example of the villa in the bay of Stari Trogir,
a logical conclusion might be to show the villa as a place of
retreat for the wealthy Romans from the hustle and bustle
of their everyday life in the city, taking advantage of the
health benefts of the seaside and enjoying a short period of
relaxation; much like people today also take a vacation and
relax on the seashore in the same bay of Stari Trogir.
With the intention of sharing the knowledge about the site,
the visualization of the villa can be implemented in various
multimedia presentations on- or of-site. For example, these
could vary from a linear representation like an animation
movie, to incorporation of the built model into augmented or
virtual-reality applications. In these applications, interactive
features could be included,
e.g.
interchanging of diferent
interpretations of the central semi-circular structure. The
application could be implemented on diferent platforms such
as Android, Windows or the World Wide Web. At the moment,
the three presented models from this article are implemented
on a web platform, where the whole geographical situation
can be inspected from all sides and on diferent platforms;
the viewer supports inspection of the models in virtual
reality (Lužnik Jancsary 2017). Furthermore, it could also be
printed or plotted, and as such be the fnal product – or serve
as the foundation of an augmented reality application.
6. Conclusion
In this research, the main goal is to show that the distribution
of archaeological information through virtual environments
and multimedia is of huge signifcance in the process
of democratization of knowledge. It provides important
assistance in the process of transferring archaeological
information to the wider public, and consequently helps
recognize the value of archaeological heritage. The role of
archaeologists is not only to document, collect and organize
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the obtained data, but also to interpret and create cognitive
models of the past. Our research demonstrates that not only
extensive and very well-preserved sites, but also fairly
fragmented sites, can be presented in a satisfactory manner.
The established workfow can be efectively transferred to
other existing sites with minor adaptations specifc to each
unique site.
Despite their limitations, this and similar examples of
visualizations also enable insightful impressions of the
appearance of a site from afar, over the internet. Information
is provided both for the scientifc and general public, allowing
everybody to harvest knowledge based on their capabilities
and interests, gaining a more thorough experience of the site
along the way.
In this particular case, the local people are interested in the
historical remains in their vicinity. The plan is to properly
present the interpretations made, preferably more than one,
in the near future – in order to tell a story about their place
of living. I hope this will encourage an emotional connection
between the residents and the remains and induce respect and
love towards the history of this place, as well as the desire to
preserve and protect our cultural heritage.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by Marie Curie Action
IAPP project: Contributing the preventive archaeology:
Innovativeness, development and presentation no. 324508.
We also acknowledge the use of imagery from the NASA
Worldview application (https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.
gov/) operated by the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) project.
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