GIS Monitoring System for the Protection and Restoration of Frescoed Plasterwork

Design and Implementation of a GIS Monitoring System for the Protection and Restoration of the Frescoed Plasters of Ancient Pompeii

Planning, analysis and development of a Geographic Information System for the conservation of the frescoed surfaces in Pompeii’s domus. The application comprises two modules: the first is intended for managing and monitoring the Pompeii archaeological site, while the second is designed for visitors.
The management module includes tools for risk analysis, protection, conservation and cost management. It is closely integrated with data from climate-monitoring instruments (temperature, humidity, etc.) and with data from the access-control system for entry to and exit from the domus. The system is also integrated with the Cataloguing Directorate and with the data-entry system for MA maps, USM maps, USR maps, etc., as well as conservation and restoration records.
The application was developed using a customised ArcGIS/MS Access geodatabase. The graphical data-entry interface for alphanumeric attributes was developed in VB. The ArcGIS user interface was customised using tools developed with ArcObjects and VBA.
The visitor module was developed with MapObjects. It provides tools for searching and geographically navigating the archaeological site and the services available in the surrounding area, including infrastructure, accommodation and transport.
Surveying, investigation and cartographic restitution activities were also carried out, including orthophotos of the frescoes, on which their state of conservation was mapped.

Client: CST Srl / COVAR Consortium – Ministry of Scientific Research, 2003–2004