A Decision Making Tool for Supporting Strategies of Archaeological Restoration Case Study of Ostia, Maritime ‘Portus’ of the Imperial Rome

Abstract

Computer aided examination methods for remains of previous human societies support the study of past human behaviour, thus enriching the understanding of our culture. With mostly limited budgets, finding the most effective use for the limited resources for archaeological restoration is highly relevant for many existing sites all over the world. Sites, that need to allow visitors to safely experience archaeological heritage, even within natural landscapes. This paper illustrates an innovative method, technically using Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Virtual Reality (VR), for integrating the domain specific parameters - at all various scales - of the historical asset into one shared digital twin. To provide an effective platform for all project participants to share their knowledge, and to jointly develop the best design decision. The information is collected and displayed within the digital twin of the archaeological site, both for the communication between the specialists, and facilitating practice of the archaeological investigation, further analysis, conservative restoration and reconstruction. The case study aims at implementing this tool into the ongoing Portus project of Imperial Rome.