Archaeology and nature: hyblean cultural landscape and territorial ...

Fig. 3: Roman time, a. satellite image, b. the reconstruction hypothesis by Paget, b. overlap Paget hypothesis\present
The reconstruction does not represent the unique final result but the aim is to define an open system which
can be further developed or improved.
The area of representation can play a key role especially in matters relating to the visualization of 3D models
and the design of communication systems.
We have to address two fundamental issues: the first is related to the definition of a communication code
appropriate to the receiver and the second, no less important question, is how to make clear in visualization
of the 3D model the reconstruction hypothesis.
The concept of communication requires the transfer of information from a transmitter to a receiver, to do that
we have to use a code an a medium.
We mean for code all the signs that make possible a communication and it is important to use signs that are
able to send the meaning correctly.
The communication must respect the cognitive process which occurs by incorporating the sign with the
knowledge previously acquired or deemed necessary. In the case of Archaeology the sign is always an
iconic one, and additional information needed to understand this sign has traditionally been transmitted using
a verbal language into written form (pannel) or oral (audio guides or guides) [5]. In the first case we obtain a
communicative stress because we have to decode either the iconic sing and the verbal one, and so we force
the viewer to "read" or to "look". In fact the viewer has to switch between modes based on a cognitive
analytic process to another one of gestalt kind. The result is that the viewer has to leave one of the two
cognitive system. Of course, the conflict is less if verbal information are transmitted orally in a conversational
way. This conflict can be eliminated by using a visual language an minimizing the verbal comment that
"separetes" us from the sign.
So, an efficient communication system for archaeological heritage is based on using of an iconic code.
Regard on this question we are involved in discussion about the kind of representation, when we have to use
a realistic image and when we have to use a conceptual one.
In fact a lot of communication projects are based on the simulation of reality but we think that the main aim is
not only Virtual Reality, rather than the representation of knowledge and the Reality is just a part of it.
So, we think that is very important to define a code to communicate "uncertainty", to emphasize the
difference between real finds or landscape and the hypothesis of reconstruction and so full range of 3D
visualizations options must be considered, photo-realism or structural visualizations.
In any case, a winning strategy is to simplify: to give a clear message, and then universally readable, it
doesn't mean to make obvious what is complex but it means to remove everything is not necessary to give
accurate information rather than complicating with adding information.
The use of 3D digital models is one of the best way to show the reconstruction hypothesis.
We can use 3D models to produce:
- images
- animations
- 3D PDF
- 3D database
- virtual reality
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