Carlos Carpetudo

A iniciativa Simpósio de Arqueologia Virtual, de escala ibérica desde os primeiros passos, assume na sua filosofia o conceito inovador de “maratona” de Arqueologia Virtual e onde está inerente um espírito corporativo, interdisciplinar e de desenvolvimento de projetos em equipa, onde os objetivos são simultaneamente as ferramentas de trabalho, a fusão de técnicas, a troca e a partilha de ideias e experiências. Com efeito, não se entende a maratona como meta de um trabalho de valorização patrimonial, mas como uma ferramenta de capacitação de um sítio arqueológico de uma compreensão mais alargada e mais democrática. Procura-se a simplicidade na maneira de transmitir os conteúdos científicos que proporciona cada disciplina, permitindo depois desenvolver conteúdo interativo capaz de mostrar arquiteturas e vivências da antiguidade, sem perder as referências fundamentais que a arqueologia exige na atualidade.

La iniciativa Simposio de Arqueologia Virtual, de escala ibérica desde los primeros pasos, asume en su filosofía el concepto innovador de "maratón" de Arqueologia Virtual. En él es inherente un espíritu corporativo, interdisciplinario y de desarrollo de proyectos en equipo, donde los objetivos son al mismo tiempo las herramientas de trabajo, la fusión de la técnica, el intercambio y el compartir de ideas y experiencias. La maratón no persigue como objetivo único un trabajo de valorización patrimonial, se trata además de  una herramienta de capacitación para la comprensión de un sitio arqueológico de manera más amplia y más democrática. Se procura la sencillez en la manera de transmitir los contenidos del conocimiento científico que proporciona cada disciplina, permitiendo desarrollar un contenido interactivo capaz de mostrar arquitecturas y vivencias de la antigüedad sin por ello perder los referentes paramétricos que la arqueología exige en la actualidad.

This project aims to rebuild virtually the small town of Muge (Salvaterra de Magos, Portugal) at the end of the 17th century, concretely in 1692 when the Duke of Cadaval becomes its jurisdictional owner. For this purpose, all written information, including notarial and parochial records and the most varied documentation in public or private archives, were collected. At the same time, all buildings, vestiges of them, constructive
techniques and archaeological elements that could be applied in the recreation were registered as exhaustively as possible.

Apesar de comumente aceite a atribuição de uma cronologia paleolítica aos vestígios de pintura descobertos há meio século na Gruta do Escoural, o seu estudo arqueológico nunca fora além de considerações estilístico‑‑formais, dificultadas pela ausência de contextos arqueológicos seguros. No âmbito de uma abordagem mais alargada de observações e registos analíticos recorrendo a novas tecnologias disponíveis, foi pela primeira vez possível proceder a um conjunto de análises físico‑químicas aos pigmentos pré‑históricos usados no Escoural, cujos resultados agora se apresentam e discutem.

In this roundtable we discuss recent methodological strategies for computer-based archaeological and cultural heritage visualization with and without archaeological and historical narratives. Moreover to examine the qualitative and emotional factors often essential in order to communicate facts deriving from a scientific research. We have welcomed recent projects that made use of CGI techniques in order to communicate to the public the constructed stories, after an archaeological research has been pursued. The final purpose of this session was therefore to open a discussion on the current situation of digital CGI visuali-zation in Cultural Heritage and archaeological practice. The intention was to put together investigators with different background experience in order to approach the issue at various levels and with different perspectives. This has been achieved by inviting to present the work of researchers involved in the study, the construction and the divulgation of different cultural heritage contents. The themes discussed were both theoretical and real project examples, this is because it was necessary to maintain not only a vivid discussion on the principle of past and modern visualization techniques but also on the new accurate surveys and digital reconstruction methodologies that make these final outputs more appreciable by the general public.

By resorting to the new technologies, through the virtualization of our cultural heritage, project Montemor-o-Novo 1534 – which began in 2015 with the virtual reconstruction of the church of Santa Maria do Bispo – aims to virtually rebuild both the intramural space and context of Montemor-o-Novo in the 16th century, now extending to the ancient area of the Alcáçova and Paço dos Alcaides. Once an iconic
area of this imposing medieval town, so full of life and buzzing with commercial activities, it is now in a state of ruin at the top of the Castle of Montemor-o-Novo, defying the sands of time.

Revealed for the first time in early May 2015 on the 1st  Symposium of Virtual Archaeology that happened in Portugal, this is still a work in progress of our 3D virtual reconstruction
project for Morbase. For this project a study of the existing ruins was made based on the methodology established by the Archaeology of Architecture. We also took into account two paintings on which the Igreja de Santa Maria do Bispo is represented: one of Pier Maria Baldi in 1669 and another of 1679, author unknown, but present in the current parish church. There are also key documental references in the book of construction works, dated 1534, and in the parish memories of 1758, made by order of the king after the earthquake of Lisbon in 1755, both thoroughly describing the entire
building.

Located nowadays in the west zone of the Montemor-o-Novo’s Castle, the Igreja de Santa Maria do Bispo was established there in the first years of the 14th century. The first documented reference to it dates from 1321, when most of the village was still located inside the fortified walls. Once a magnificent building of three naves sustained on fourteen stone columns, today only the ruins of its majestic manuelino style portal and its chapels at the head of the church remain. Around 1524, centuries after the conclusion of the initial architectural works, a new campaign was started on a time when the outskirts of the village of Montemor-o-Novo became more and more its economical epicenter. During the reign of king D. João III of
Portugal, this construction campaign implied an almost complete reconstruction under the manuelino renovador style. It is precisely this phase that we are bringing back, via 3D scan and 3D modeling and through a reading of the Archaeology of
Architecture of the existing ruins of the Igreja de Santa Maria do
Bispo, in Montemor-o-Novo.

Em completo estado de ruína em meados do século XX, o mosteiro de Santo António de Lisboa em Montemor-o-Novo escondia nas suas abóbadas, antes da sua reconstrução arquitectónica, uma colecção de olaria ímpar no panorama nacional do século XVI. Pela sua especificidade e quantidade, esta colecção do Museu de Arqueologia de Montemor-o-Novo é um exemplo único para a compreensão do seu contexto histórico, não só pela representatividade das peças enquanto objectos utilitários mas também pela sua reutilização enquanto elemento de construção arquitectónica.

Durante a década de 70, esta colecção seria alvo de um profundo estudo por Margarida Ribeiro que lhe garantiria também a sua salvaguarda e preservação. Graças aos meios tecnológicos hoje disponíveis e ao avanço do método em arqueologia, acreditamos ser possível aprofundar ainda mais o conhecimento público acerca deste espólio quinhentista fundamental para o estudo da época.