Defrag Memories: The 3D Spatial Analysis of the Remains of Commemorative Gestures in the Necropolis of Porta Nocera at Pompeii

Abstract

AbstractThe archaeological excavation carried out in 2018 by W. Van Andringa, T. Creissen and H. Duday at Porta Nocera, Pompeii, brought to light a new funerary enclosure. During the excavation, a homogeneous layer was unearthed right below the eruptive deposit layers of 79 AD. This stratum revealed several traces of occupation linked to the funerary enclosure. As the fine excavation of the artifacts proceeded, the position and form of every single fragment unearthed was methodically recorded in situ as a supplement to the multidisciplinary studies realised by specialists. This exceptional context of preservation enabled us to implement an innovative 3D spatial analysis of the objects and their fragmentation, in order to understand the nature and frequency of commemorative gestures at the human space-time scale. The use of digital 3D visualisation thus permits us to analyse and demonstrate the existence of certain ephemeral human acts that would otherwise not be perceived. Here, I present the method and first results, which will be integrated into a thesis directed by Prof. W. Van Andringa.