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Martin Fera

University of Vienna, Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science (VIAS), Department Member

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Archaeologist with a Master's in Prehistoric and Early Historic Archaeology from the University of Vienna. I specialize in Archaeological Prospection, Fieldwork, GIS, and Spatial Data Management for Landscape Research. Currently lecturing at the University of Vienna and part of a European team developing standards for Cultural Heritage Investigation and Management.
Phone: +43-1-4277-40304
Address: IC-ArchPro
Universität Wien
co Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science
Franz-Klein-Gasse 1/III
A-1190 Wien

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Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preussischer Kulturbesitz

Elisabeta Negrău

G. Oprescu Institute of Art History

Sergey Makhortykh

Institute of Archaeology of Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences

University of Malta

Università degli Studi di Milano - State University of Milan (Italy)

Marianne Mödlinger

University of Genoa

University of Innsbruck

Benjamin Sabatini

Ritsumeikan University

Giovanni Buccolieri

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Papers by Martin Fera

The 12th century bronze doors of Bonanno di Pisa in Monreale and Pisa: Materials and manufacture

by Judith Utz and Martin Fera

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2025

Bonanno di Pisa is, next to Barisano di Trani and Oderisius of Benevento, amongst the most renown... more Bonanno di Pisa is, next to Barisano di Trani and Oderisius of Benevento, amongst the most renowned mediaeval Italian bronze casters. Bonanno is responsible for the biggest mediaeval metal door, the almost 8 m high main door of the Cathedral of Monreale, Sicily, built in 1185/1186, and the San Ranieri door of the Cathedral of Pisa, Tuscany, finished in 1180. He was also responsible for the Porta Reale (also Cathedral of Pisa; 1179/1180), which was destroyed in the 1595 fire. Contemporary doors made of bronze or brass are rare: from the 12th century, only about 17 doors are still preserved, nevertheless being part of the biggest complex of mediaeval monumental bronzes. In this paper, the chemical composition as well as manufacturing and assembling of the two preserved doors are discussed. Both the Pisa and Monreale doors were made of leaded tin bronze. In the case of Monreale, chemical analysis confirmed the art historical suspicion that the central leaf was not from Bonanno's workshop, as indicated by a different style and chemical composition. We also identified the types of wood used for the wooden elements of the doors, mainly silver fir (Monreale) and elm (Pisa).

The 12th century bronze doors of Barisanus of Trani in Trani, Ravello and Monreale

by Judith Utz and Martin Fera

PLoS ONE 20(3), 2025

The bronze and brass doors of the 11th and 12th centuries represent the largest group of medieval... more The bronze and brass doors of the 11th and 12th centuries represent the largest group of medieval monumental bronzes still preserved today in Europe. Of the less than 30 doors that have survived, three, the doors of Trani, Ravello and Monreale, were made by Barisanus of Trani. In this work, we present, for the first time, chemical analyses of the metal parts of all the doors and an in-depth study of their production, showing how a detailed observation of the casting characteristics provides information on the chronological order of the doors studied. This paper contributes to the ongoing discussion in art history regarding the chronological order of the construction of the doors. Moreover, the paper demonstrates the potential of scaled orthometric images as a basis for art historical and production-related questions.

The 12th century bronze doors of Barisanus of Trani in Trani, Ravello and Monreale

Research Square (Research Square), Jun 20, 2024

The bronze and brass doors of the 11th and 12th centuries represent the largest group of medieval... more The bronze and brass doors of the 11th and 12th centuries represent the largest group of medieval monumental bronzes still preserved today. Of the less than 30 that have survived, three, the doors of Trani, Ravello and Monreale, were made by Barisanus of Trani. In this paper we present, for the rst time, chemical analyses of the metal parts of all the doors and an in-depth study of their production, showing how a detailed observation of the casting characteristics provides information on the chronological order of the doors studied. This paper contributes to the ongoing discussion in art history regarding the chronological order of the construction of the doors. Moreover, the paper demonstrates the potential of scaled orthometric images as a basis for art historical and production-related questions.

Large-scale high-resolution magnetic prospection of the KGAs Rechnitz, Austria

Archaeopress Publishing Ltd eBooks, Sep 30, 2017

Due to the large scale geophysical prospection in the small town of Rechnitz in Burgenland, Austr... more

Geophysikalische Prospektion und archäologische Verifikationsgrabung 2000 der prähistorischen Siedlungsstelle Platt-Reitlüsse, NÖ

Ausgangspunkt fur vorliegende Arbeit war die Entdeckung einer neuen archaologischen Fundstelle im... more Ausgangspunkt fur vorliegende Arbeit war die Entdeckung einer neuen archaologischen Fundstelle im westlichen niederosterreichischen Weinviertel, sudlich der Ortschaft Platt. Durch Oberflachenfunde und eine geophysikalische Prospektion im Jahre 1999 waren erste Informationen zur Ausdehnung vorhanden, es bestand aber der Wunsch nach einer besseren chronologischen Einordnung und nach einem besseren Verstandnis des durch die geomagnetische erhaltenen Magnetogramms. Es wurden die Ergebnisse der Grabung prasentiert und in einer stratigraphischen Analyse versucht die Formations- und Ablagerungsprozesse, die zur Stratifikation gefuhrt haben zu identifizieren. Die in situ vorgenommen magnetischen Suszeptibilitatsmessungen und die Auswertung von Labormessungen von Proben zu deren Kalibrierung, erwiesen sich als wertvoller Zusatz zum Verstandnis archaologischer Strukturen und deren Abbildung in Magnetogrammen grosflachiger Prospektion. Das als Katalog vorgelegte keramische Fundmaterial wurde in einen chronologischen und kulturellen Rahmen eingeordnet und damit die kulturhistorische Stellung der ergrabenen Befunde definiert. Erfahrungen aus der Analyse dieser stratigraphischen Grabung konnten bereits in die Entwicklung moderner Grabungs- und Dokumentationsmethoden einfliesen und werden in der Lehre am Institut fur Ur- und Fruhgeschichte an Studenten vermittelt. Insgesamt ergaben sich neue Daten und Ansatze zum Verstandnis der Jungsteinzeit, insbesondere der hier nachgewiesenen Menschen der sog. Baalberger Gruppe der Trichterbecherkultur, die in der Zeit um 4000 vor Chr. am Ubergang zu den Metallzeiten lebten. Die Dynamik dieser Zeit bringt es mit sich, dass die zeitliche Ausdehnung und Abfolge einzelner kultureller Phanomene bisher nur schlecht verstanden werden konnte. Das Material von Platt kann, auch anhand naturwissenschaftlicher Datierungen, als herausragendes Ensemble verstanden werden, das fur die weitere Forschung einen soliden Anhaltspunkt bieten wird.

Multidisciplinary analyses on the 11th-12th century bronze doors of San Marco, Venice

PLOS ONE

Two 11th- and 12th-century entrance doors from the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, made of diffe... more Two 11th- and 12th-century entrance doors from the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, made of different copper alloys and woods, were non-invasively examined in situ. The chemical composition of the metals, the way in which different metal parts were joined together, the tree species used to construct the supporting structures and the age of the wood are determined. A portable ED-XRF instrument and optical microscopes were used. The doors were also photographed to produce high-resolution orthophotos and 3D models. The metal parts of the doors were made of leaded tin-bronze and quaternary Cu-Sn-Zn-Pb alloys and were mounted on a wooden multi-layer structure of larch and silver fir; the dendrochronological dates of some of the larch boards are 1965, teminus post quem.

Strategies for monumentalized (pre)historic landscapes in the Danube Region

The Iron-Age-Danube project (Monumentalized early iron age landscapes in the Danube river basin),... more The Iron-Age-Danube project (Monumentalized early iron age landscapes in the Danube river basin), co-financed by the Interreg Danube Transnational programme, is focused on the research, protection and sustainable touristic use of the archaeological heritage from the Early Iron Age in the Danube region. In the frame of the project two strategies, one on research and heritage protection and other on heritage promotion and touristic usage of archaeological landscapes, have been adopted. The strategies are combining a bottom-up analytical approach by incorporating the SWOT analysis from the eight micro-regions in four countries with a to-down approach by integrating the recommendations of the European Cultural Heritage Strategy for the 21st century (Strategy 21). The analysis showed 24 major challenges faced by the Iron-Age heritage, which can be tackled by 12<br> recommendations in the field of research and monument protection and 9 recommendations in the field of sustainable cul...

Eine magnetisch prospektierte Fundstelle des Ersten Weltkriegs bei Neuenkirchen-St. Arnold

3D-GIS für die taphonomische Auswertung eines wiedergeöffneten Körpergrabes

AGIT Journal Angew. Geoinformatik, 2015

In diesem Artikel präsentieren wir eine Anwendung von 3D-Modellierungen archäologischer Grabungen... more In diesem Artikel präsentieren wir eine Anwendung von 3D-Modellierungen archäologischer Grabungen für die Beantwortung archäologischer Fragestellungen. Als Fallbeispiel dienen Ausgrabungsdaten eines frühbronzezeitlichen wiedergeöffneten Körpergrabes aus Weiden am See im Burgenland. Für die durch zwei Bestattungen und eine Wiederöffnung komplexen Formationsprozesse des Grabes wurde ein Weg gesucht, der eine integrierte Darstellung und interaktive Analyse ermöglicht. Mittels bildbasierten Modellierungsverfahren wurde eine Sequenz von 3D-Oberflächen hergestellt, welche die Abfolge von Befundsituationen wiedergibt. Die Integration und Analyse der 3D-Modelle im Zusammenspiel mit weiteren archäologischen Daten wurde in einem GIS (QGIS, Esri ArcScene) vorgenommen. Eine solche Verwendung von 3D-Modellen geht über deren bisher häufigste Nutzungen als (zusätzliche) Visualisierungen oder im Bereich von Rekonstruktionen hinaus und stellt einen ersten Schritt zur Nutzung des vollen Potenzials de...

The Utilisation of Remote Sensing Data for the Investigation of Iron Age Sites and Landscapes – a Case Study from Austria

Leben und Tod auf der Nilinsel Sai - GIS-gestützte Untersuchungen zu einer pharaonischen Tempelstadt in Obernubien

AGIT Journal Angew. Geoinformatik, 2016

Zusammenfassung: Dieser Beitrag stellt ein GIS-basiertes System vor, das im Rahmen eines Projekte... more Zusammenfassung: Dieser Beitrag stellt ein GIS-basiertes System vor, das im Rahmen eines Projektes zur Siedlungsarchäologie im Sudan entwickelt wurde. Die dreidimensionale Aufnahme von Untersuchungen in einer pharaonischen Stadt und Nekropole sowie ihrem Umfeld erforderte ein robustes und an verschiedene Umweltund Befundsituationen anpassbares Dokumentationsund Analysewerkzeug. Neben einem Zugewinn an geometrischer Genauigkeit und Zeitersparnis, konnte durch das System auch ein Mehrwert für die Forscher_innen zur Beschreibung und Interpretation der Befunde im täglichen Einsatz erreicht werden.

Automated Archiving of Archaeological Aerial Images

Remote Sensing, 2016

The main purpose of any aerial photo archive is to allow quick access to images based on content ... more The main purpose of any aerial photo archive is to allow quick access to images based on content and location. Therefore, next to a description of technical parameters and depicted content, georeferencing of every image is of vital importance. This can be done either by identifying the main photographed object (georeferencing of the image content) or by mapping the center point and/or the outline of the image footprint. The paper proposes a new image archiving workflow. The new pipeline is based on the parameters that are logged by a commercial, but cost-effective GNSS/IMU solution and processed with in-house-developed software. Together, these components allow one to automatically geolocate and rectify the (oblique) aerial images (by a simple planar rectification using the exterior orientation parameters) and to retrieve their footprints with reasonable accuracy, which is automatically stored as a vector file. The data of three test flights were used to determine the accuracy of the device, which turned out to be better than 1 ˝for roll and pitch (mean between 0.0 and 0.21 with a standard deviation of 0.17-0.46) and better than 2.5 ˝for yaw angles (mean between 0.0 and ´0.14 with a standard deviation of 0.58-0.94). This turned out to be sufficient to enable a fast and almost automatic GIS-based archiving of all of the imagery.

Geophysikalische Prospektion und archäologische Verifikationsgrabung 2000 der prähistorischen Siedlungsstelle Platt-Reitlüsse, NÖ

Ausgangspunkt fur vorliegende Arbeit war die Entdeckung einer neuen archaologischen Fundstelle im... more Ausgangspunkt fur vorliegende Arbeit war die Entdeckung einer neuen archaologischen Fundstelle im westlichen niederosterreichischen Weinviertel, sudlich der Ortschaft Platt. Durch Oberflachenfunde und eine geophysikalische Prospektion im Jahre 1999 waren erste Informationen zur Ausdehnung vorhanden, es bestand aber der Wunsch nach einer besseren chronologischen Einordnung und nach einem besseren Verstandnis des durch die geomagnetische erhaltenen Magnetogramms. Es wurden die Ergebnisse der Grabung prasentiert und in einer stratigraphischen Analyse versucht die Formations- und Ablagerungsprozesse, die zur Stratifikation gefuhrt haben zu identifizieren. Die in situ vorgenommen magnetischen Suszeptibilitatsmessungen und die Auswertung von Labormessungen von Proben zu deren Kalibrierung, erwiesen sich als wertvoller Zusatz zum Verstandnis archaologischer Strukturen und deren Abbildung in Magnetogrammen grosflachiger Prospektion. Das als Katalog vorgelegte keramische Fundmaterial wurde in einen chronologischen und kulturellen Rahmen eingeordnet und damit die kulturhistorische Stellung der ergrabenen Befunde definiert. Erfahrungen aus der Analyse dieser stratigraphischen Grabung konnten bereits in die Entwicklung moderner Grabungs- und Dokumentationsmethoden einfliesen und werden in der Lehre am Institut fur Ur- und Fruhgeschichte an Studenten vermittelt. Insgesamt ergaben sich neue Daten und Ansatze zum Verstandnis der Jungsteinzeit, insbesondere der hier nachgewiesenen Menschen der sog. Baalberger Gruppe der Trichterbecherkultur, die in der Zeit um 4000 vor Chr. am Ubergang zu den Metallzeiten lebten. Die Dynamik dieser Zeit bringt es mit sich, dass die zeitliche Ausdehnung und Abfolge einzelner kultureller Phanomene bisher nur schlecht verstanden werden konnte. Das Material von Platt kann, auch anhand naturwissenschaftlicher Datierungen, als herausragendes Ensemble verstanden werden, das fur die weitere Forschung einen soliden Anhaltspunkt bieten wird.

From Deposit to Point Cloud – a Study of Low-Cost Computer Vision Approaches for the Straightforward Documentation of Archaeological Excavations

Geoinformatics FCE CTU, 2011

Stratigraphic archaeological excavations demand high-resolution documentation techniques for 3D r... more Stratigraphic archaeological excavations demand high-resolution documentation techniques for 3D recording. Today, this is typically accomplished using total stations or terrestrial laser scanners. This paper demonstrates the potential of another technique that is low-cost and easy to execute. It takes advantage of software using Structure from Motion (SfM) algorithms, which are known for their ability to reconstruct camera pose and threedimensional scene geometry (rendered as a sparse point cloud) from a series of overlapping photographs captured by a camera moving around the scene. When complemented by stereo matching algorithms, detailed 3D surface models can be built from such relatively oriented photo collections in a fully automated way. The absolute orientation of the model can be derived by the manual measurement of control points. The approach is extremely flexible and appropriate to deal with a wide variety of imagery, because this computer vision approach can also work wit...

Time-series studies of drainage pattern and morphological features along the Leitha river (Eastern Austria)

Paleochannel evolution of the Leitha River (eastern Austria)–a bird's eye view

Deconstructing Barisanus’ medieval casting technology based on digital twins

by Bastian Asmus and Martin Fera

Scientific Reports, 2025

The Italian 12th-century copper alloy doors of Barisanus have long been the subject of art histor... more The Italian 12th-century copper alloy doors of Barisanus have long been the subject of art historical studies and have recently been fully documented photogrammetrically and archaeometrically. In addition, digital twins of the three Barisanus doors in Ravello, Trani and Monreale have been produced and made available in open access for further research. These digital twins, together with the orthophotos produced, allow precise and repeatable measurements of the different metal parts of the doors, such as panels and frieze elements. This, and by taking into account the solid shrinkage of metals during the casting process, allowed for the reconstruction of the production sequence for each of the 20 single motif panels present on all three doors, and, finally, also for the establishment of the production sequence of the three doors as a whole—heavily discussed in art history research—with rather astonishing results. Moreover, bronze casting techniques used and the use of moulds and models are discussed, painting a more detailed picture that goes beyond the often purported dichotomy of lost wax vs. sand casting.

Chemical analysis of the 5th and 12th century metal doors in the Lateran, Rome

by Judith Utz and Martin Fera

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2025

For the first time, the three bronze doors of the Lateran Baptistery and Cloister of the Archbasi... more For the first time, the three bronze doors of the Lateran Baptistery and Cloister of the Archbasilica of St John Lateran in Rome have been studied to determine their chemical composition and to obtain further information about their manufacture. The doors studied include two made at the end of the twelfth century by Pietro and Uberto from Piacenza, Italy, and one made by an unknown master in the fifth century. This door now leads to the Oratory of St John the Baptist in the Lateran Baptistery. One of the 12th-century doors is now in the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, and the second 12th-century door is in the cloister of the Archbasilica. High-resolution photographic documentation and a 3D model of one of the door wings complete the detailed documentation of the three medieval doors. The chemical analysis of the doors permits a detailed reconstruction of the alloys used in their manufacture. All doors were made of leaded tin bronze, and the resulting data provides a valuable contribution to the history of their construction and the processes employed in their manufacture.

Eine magnetisch prospektierte Fundstelle des Ersten Weltkriegs bei Neuenkirchen-St. Arnold

by Jakob Kainz and Martin Fera

Multidisciplinary analyses on the 11 th -12 th century bronze doors of San Marco, Venice

by Judith Utz and Martin Fera

PLoS ONE 18,7 , 2023

Two 11th-and 12th-century entrance doors from the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, made of differ... more Two 11th-and 12th-century entrance doors from the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, made of different copper alloys and woods, were non-invasively examined in situ. The chemical composition of the metals, the way in which different metal parts were joined together, the tree species used to construct the supporting structures and the age of the wood are determined. A portable ED-XRF instrument and optical microscopes were used. The doors were also photographed to produce high-resolution orthophotos and 3D models. The metal parts of the doors were made of leaded tin-bronze and quaternary Cu-Sn-Zn-Pb alloys and were mounted on a wooden multi-layer structure of larch and silver fir; the dendrochronological dates of some of the larch boards are 1965, teminus post quem.

The 12th century bronze doors of Bonanno di Pisa in Monreale and Pisa: Materials and manufacture

by Judith Utz and Martin Fera

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2025

Bonanno di Pisa is, next to Barisano di Trani and Oderisius of Benevento, amongst the most renown... more Bonanno di Pisa is, next to Barisano di Trani and Oderisius of Benevento, amongst the most renowned mediaeval Italian bronze casters. Bonanno is responsible for the biggest mediaeval metal door, the almost 8 m high main door of the Cathedral of Monreale, Sicily, built in 1185/1186, and the San Ranieri door of the Cathedral of Pisa, Tuscany, finished in 1180. He was also responsible for the Porta Reale (also Cathedral of Pisa; 1179/1180), which was destroyed in the 1595 fire. Contemporary doors made of bronze or brass are rare: from the 12th century, only about 17 doors are still preserved, nevertheless being part of the biggest complex of mediaeval monumental bronzes. In this paper, the chemical composition as well as manufacturing and assembling of the two preserved doors are discussed. Both the Pisa and Monreale doors were made of leaded tin bronze. In the case of Monreale, chemical analysis confirmed the art historical suspicion that the central leaf was not from Bonanno's workshop, as indicated by a different style and chemical composition. We also identified the types of wood used for the wooden elements of the doors, mainly silver fir (Monreale) and elm (Pisa).

The 12th century bronze doors of Barisanus of Trani in Trani, Ravello and Monreale

by Judith Utz and Martin Fera

PLoS ONE 20(3), 2025

The bronze and brass doors of the 11th and 12th centuries represent the largest group of medieval... more The bronze and brass doors of the 11th and 12th centuries represent the largest group of medieval monumental bronzes still preserved today in Europe. Of the less than 30 doors that have survived, three, the doors of Trani, Ravello and Monreale, were made by Barisanus of Trani. In this work, we present, for the first time, chemical analyses of the metal parts of all the doors and an in-depth study of their production, showing how a detailed observation of the casting characteristics provides information on the chronological order of the doors studied. This paper contributes to the ongoing discussion in art history regarding the chronological order of the construction of the doors. Moreover, the paper demonstrates the potential of scaled orthometric images as a basis for art historical and production-related questions.

The 12th century bronze doors of Barisanus of Trani in Trani, Ravello and Monreale

Research Square (Research Square), Jun 20, 2024

The bronze and brass doors of the 11th and 12th centuries represent the largest group of medieval... more The bronze and brass doors of the 11th and 12th centuries represent the largest group of medieval monumental bronzes still preserved today. Of the less than 30 that have survived, three, the doors of Trani, Ravello and Monreale, were made by Barisanus of Trani. In this paper we present, for the rst time, chemical analyses of the metal parts of all the doors and an in-depth study of their production, showing how a detailed observation of the casting characteristics provides information on the chronological order of the doors studied. This paper contributes to the ongoing discussion in art history regarding the chronological order of the construction of the doors. Moreover, the paper demonstrates the potential of scaled orthometric images as a basis for art historical and production-related questions.

Large-scale high-resolution magnetic prospection of the KGAs Rechnitz, Austria

Archaeopress Publishing Ltd eBooks, Sep 30, 2017

Due to the large scale geophysical prospection in the small town of Rechnitz in Burgenland, Austr... more

Geophysikalische Prospektion und archäologische Verifikationsgrabung 2000 der prähistorischen Siedlungsstelle Platt-Reitlüsse, NÖ

Ausgangspunkt fur vorliegende Arbeit war die Entdeckung einer neuen archaologischen Fundstelle im... more Ausgangspunkt fur vorliegende Arbeit war die Entdeckung einer neuen archaologischen Fundstelle im westlichen niederosterreichischen Weinviertel, sudlich der Ortschaft Platt. Durch Oberflachenfunde und eine geophysikalische Prospektion im Jahre 1999 waren erste Informationen zur Ausdehnung vorhanden, es bestand aber der Wunsch nach einer besseren chronologischen Einordnung und nach einem besseren Verstandnis des durch die geomagnetische erhaltenen Magnetogramms. Es wurden die Ergebnisse der Grabung prasentiert und in einer stratigraphischen Analyse versucht die Formations- und Ablagerungsprozesse, die zur Stratifikation gefuhrt haben zu identifizieren. Die in situ vorgenommen magnetischen Suszeptibilitatsmessungen und die Auswertung von Labormessungen von Proben zu deren Kalibrierung, erwiesen sich als wertvoller Zusatz zum Verstandnis archaologischer Strukturen und deren Abbildung in Magnetogrammen grosflachiger Prospektion. Das als Katalog vorgelegte keramische Fundmaterial wurde in einen chronologischen und kulturellen Rahmen eingeordnet und damit die kulturhistorische Stellung der ergrabenen Befunde definiert. Erfahrungen aus der Analyse dieser stratigraphischen Grabung konnten bereits in die Entwicklung moderner Grabungs- und Dokumentationsmethoden einfliesen und werden in der Lehre am Institut fur Ur- und Fruhgeschichte an Studenten vermittelt. Insgesamt ergaben sich neue Daten und Ansatze zum Verstandnis der Jungsteinzeit, insbesondere der hier nachgewiesenen Menschen der sog. Baalberger Gruppe der Trichterbecherkultur, die in der Zeit um 4000 vor Chr. am Ubergang zu den Metallzeiten lebten. Die Dynamik dieser Zeit bringt es mit sich, dass die zeitliche Ausdehnung und Abfolge einzelner kultureller Phanomene bisher nur schlecht verstanden werden konnte. Das Material von Platt kann, auch anhand naturwissenschaftlicher Datierungen, als herausragendes Ensemble verstanden werden, das fur die weitere Forschung einen soliden Anhaltspunkt bieten wird.

Multidisciplinary analyses on the 11th-12th century bronze doors of San Marco, Venice

PLOS ONE

Two 11th- and 12th-century entrance doors from the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, made of diffe... more Two 11th- and 12th-century entrance doors from the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, made of different copper alloys and woods, were non-invasively examined in situ. The chemical composition of the metals, the way in which different metal parts were joined together, the tree species used to construct the supporting structures and the age of the wood are determined. A portable ED-XRF instrument and optical microscopes were used. The doors were also photographed to produce high-resolution orthophotos and 3D models. The metal parts of the doors were made of leaded tin-bronze and quaternary Cu-Sn-Zn-Pb alloys and were mounted on a wooden multi-layer structure of larch and silver fir; the dendrochronological dates of some of the larch boards are 1965, teminus post quem.

Strategies for monumentalized (pre)historic landscapes in the Danube Region

The Iron-Age-Danube project (Monumentalized early iron age landscapes in the Danube river basin),... more The Iron-Age-Danube project (Monumentalized early iron age landscapes in the Danube river basin), co-financed by the Interreg Danube Transnational programme, is focused on the research, protection and sustainable touristic use of the archaeological heritage from the Early Iron Age in the Danube region. In the frame of the project two strategies, one on research and heritage protection and other on heritage promotion and touristic usage of archaeological landscapes, have been adopted. The strategies are combining a bottom-up analytical approach by incorporating the SWOT analysis from the eight micro-regions in four countries with a to-down approach by integrating the recommendations of the European Cultural Heritage Strategy for the 21st century (Strategy 21). The analysis showed 24 major challenges faced by the Iron-Age heritage, which can be tackled by 12<br> recommendations in the field of research and monument protection and 9 recommendations in the field of sustainable cul...

Eine magnetisch prospektierte Fundstelle des Ersten Weltkriegs bei Neuenkirchen-St. Arnold

3D-GIS für die taphonomische Auswertung eines wiedergeöffneten Körpergrabes

AGIT Journal Angew. Geoinformatik, 2015

In diesem Artikel präsentieren wir eine Anwendung von 3D-Modellierungen archäologischer Grabungen... more In diesem Artikel präsentieren wir eine Anwendung von 3D-Modellierungen archäologischer Grabungen für die Beantwortung archäologischer Fragestellungen. Als Fallbeispiel dienen Ausgrabungsdaten eines frühbronzezeitlichen wiedergeöffneten Körpergrabes aus Weiden am See im Burgenland. Für die durch zwei Bestattungen und eine Wiederöffnung komplexen Formationsprozesse des Grabes wurde ein Weg gesucht, der eine integrierte Darstellung und interaktive Analyse ermöglicht. Mittels bildbasierten Modellierungsverfahren wurde eine Sequenz von 3D-Oberflächen hergestellt, welche die Abfolge von Befundsituationen wiedergibt. Die Integration und Analyse der 3D-Modelle im Zusammenspiel mit weiteren archäologischen Daten wurde in einem GIS (QGIS, Esri ArcScene) vorgenommen. Eine solche Verwendung von 3D-Modellen geht über deren bisher häufigste Nutzungen als (zusätzliche) Visualisierungen oder im Bereich von Rekonstruktionen hinaus und stellt einen ersten Schritt zur Nutzung des vollen Potenzials de...

The Utilisation of Remote Sensing Data for the Investigation of Iron Age Sites and Landscapes – a Case Study from Austria

Leben und Tod auf der Nilinsel Sai - GIS-gestützte Untersuchungen zu einer pharaonischen Tempelstadt in Obernubien

AGIT Journal Angew. Geoinformatik, 2016

Zusammenfassung: Dieser Beitrag stellt ein GIS-basiertes System vor, das im Rahmen eines Projekte... more Zusammenfassung: Dieser Beitrag stellt ein GIS-basiertes System vor, das im Rahmen eines Projektes zur Siedlungsarchäologie im Sudan entwickelt wurde. Die dreidimensionale Aufnahme von Untersuchungen in einer pharaonischen Stadt und Nekropole sowie ihrem Umfeld erforderte ein robustes und an verschiedene Umweltund Befundsituationen anpassbares Dokumentationsund Analysewerkzeug. Neben einem Zugewinn an geometrischer Genauigkeit und Zeitersparnis, konnte durch das System auch ein Mehrwert für die Forscher_innen zur Beschreibung und Interpretation der Befunde im täglichen Einsatz erreicht werden.

Automated Archiving of Archaeological Aerial Images

Remote Sensing, 2016

The main purpose of any aerial photo archive is to allow quick access to images based on content ... more The main purpose of any aerial photo archive is to allow quick access to images based on content and location. Therefore, next to a description of technical parameters and depicted content, georeferencing of every image is of vital importance. This can be done either by identifying the main photographed object (georeferencing of the image content) or by mapping the center point and/or the outline of the image footprint. The paper proposes a new image archiving workflow. The new pipeline is based on the parameters that are logged by a commercial, but cost-effective GNSS/IMU solution and processed with in-house-developed software. Together, these components allow one to automatically geolocate and rectify the (oblique) aerial images (by a simple planar rectification using the exterior orientation parameters) and to retrieve their footprints with reasonable accuracy, which is automatically stored as a vector file. The data of three test flights were used to determine the accuracy of the device, which turned out to be better than 1 ˝for roll and pitch (mean between 0.0 and 0.21 with a standard deviation of 0.17-0.46) and better than 2.5 ˝for yaw angles (mean between 0.0 and ´0.14 with a standard deviation of 0.58-0.94). This turned out to be sufficient to enable a fast and almost automatic GIS-based archiving of all of the imagery.

Geophysikalische Prospektion und archäologische Verifikationsgrabung 2000 der prähistorischen Siedlungsstelle Platt-Reitlüsse, NÖ

Ausgangspunkt fur vorliegende Arbeit war die Entdeckung einer neuen archaologischen Fundstelle im... more Ausgangspunkt fur vorliegende Arbeit war die Entdeckung einer neuen archaologischen Fundstelle im westlichen niederosterreichischen Weinviertel, sudlich der Ortschaft Platt. Durch Oberflachenfunde und eine geophysikalische Prospektion im Jahre 1999 waren erste Informationen zur Ausdehnung vorhanden, es bestand aber der Wunsch nach einer besseren chronologischen Einordnung und nach einem besseren Verstandnis des durch die geomagnetische erhaltenen Magnetogramms. Es wurden die Ergebnisse der Grabung prasentiert und in einer stratigraphischen Analyse versucht die Formations- und Ablagerungsprozesse, die zur Stratifikation gefuhrt haben zu identifizieren. Die in situ vorgenommen magnetischen Suszeptibilitatsmessungen und die Auswertung von Labormessungen von Proben zu deren Kalibrierung, erwiesen sich als wertvoller Zusatz zum Verstandnis archaologischer Strukturen und deren Abbildung in Magnetogrammen grosflachiger Prospektion. Das als Katalog vorgelegte keramische Fundmaterial wurde in einen chronologischen und kulturellen Rahmen eingeordnet und damit die kulturhistorische Stellung der ergrabenen Befunde definiert. Erfahrungen aus der Analyse dieser stratigraphischen Grabung konnten bereits in die Entwicklung moderner Grabungs- und Dokumentationsmethoden einfliesen und werden in der Lehre am Institut fur Ur- und Fruhgeschichte an Studenten vermittelt. Insgesamt ergaben sich neue Daten und Ansatze zum Verstandnis der Jungsteinzeit, insbesondere der hier nachgewiesenen Menschen der sog. Baalberger Gruppe der Trichterbecherkultur, die in der Zeit um 4000 vor Chr. am Ubergang zu den Metallzeiten lebten. Die Dynamik dieser Zeit bringt es mit sich, dass die zeitliche Ausdehnung und Abfolge einzelner kultureller Phanomene bisher nur schlecht verstanden werden konnte. Das Material von Platt kann, auch anhand naturwissenschaftlicher Datierungen, als herausragendes Ensemble verstanden werden, das fur die weitere Forschung einen soliden Anhaltspunkt bieten wird.

From Deposit to Point Cloud – a Study of Low-Cost Computer Vision Approaches for the Straightforward Documentation of Archaeological Excavations

Geoinformatics FCE CTU, 2011

Stratigraphic archaeological excavations demand high-resolution documentation techniques for 3D r... more Stratigraphic archaeological excavations demand high-resolution documentation techniques for 3D recording. Today, this is typically accomplished using total stations or terrestrial laser scanners. This paper demonstrates the potential of another technique that is low-cost and easy to execute. It takes advantage of software using Structure from Motion (SfM) algorithms, which are known for their ability to reconstruct camera pose and threedimensional scene geometry (rendered as a sparse point cloud) from a series of overlapping photographs captured by a camera moving around the scene. When complemented by stereo matching algorithms, detailed 3D surface models can be built from such relatively oriented photo collections in a fully automated way. The absolute orientation of the model can be derived by the manual measurement of control points. The approach is extremely flexible and appropriate to deal with a wide variety of imagery, because this computer vision approach can also work wit...

Time-series studies of drainage pattern and morphological features along the Leitha river (Eastern Austria)

Paleochannel evolution of the Leitha River (eastern Austria)–a bird's eye view

Deconstructing Barisanus’ medieval casting technology based on digital twins

by Bastian Asmus and Martin Fera

Scientific Reports, 2025

The Italian 12th-century copper alloy doors of Barisanus have long been the subject of art histor... more The Italian 12th-century copper alloy doors of Barisanus have long been the subject of art historical studies and have recently been fully documented photogrammetrically and archaeometrically. In addition, digital twins of the three Barisanus doors in Ravello, Trani and Monreale have been produced and made available in open access for further research. These digital twins, together with the orthophotos produced, allow precise and repeatable measurements of the different metal parts of the doors, such as panels and frieze elements. This, and by taking into account the solid shrinkage of metals during the casting process, allowed for the reconstruction of the production sequence for each of the 20 single motif panels present on all three doors, and, finally, also for the establishment of the production sequence of the three doors as a whole—heavily discussed in art history research—with rather astonishing results. Moreover, bronze casting techniques used and the use of moulds and models are discussed, painting a more detailed picture that goes beyond the often purported dichotomy of lost wax vs. sand casting.

Chemical analysis of the 5th and 12th century metal doors in the Lateran, Rome

by Judith Utz and Martin Fera

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2025

For the first time, the three bronze doors of the Lateran Baptistery and Cloister of the Archbasi... more For the first time, the three bronze doors of the Lateran Baptistery and Cloister of the Archbasilica of St John Lateran in Rome have been studied to determine their chemical composition and to obtain further information about their manufacture. The doors studied include two made at the end of the twelfth century by Pietro and Uberto from Piacenza, Italy, and one made by an unknown master in the fifth century. This door now leads to the Oratory of St John the Baptist in the Lateran Baptistery. One of the 12th-century doors is now in the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, and the second 12th-century door is in the cloister of the Archbasilica. High-resolution photographic documentation and a 3D model of one of the door wings complete the detailed documentation of the three medieval doors. The chemical analysis of the doors permits a detailed reconstruction of the alloys used in their manufacture. All doors were made of leaded tin bronze, and the resulting data provides a valuable contribution to the history of their construction and the processes employed in their manufacture.

Eine magnetisch prospektierte Fundstelle des Ersten Weltkriegs bei Neuenkirchen-St. Arnold

by Jakob Kainz and Martin Fera

Multidisciplinary analyses on the 11 th -12 th century bronze doors of San Marco, Venice

by Judith Utz and Martin Fera

PLoS ONE 18,7 , 2023

Two 11th-and 12th-century entrance doors from the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, made of differ... more Two 11th-and 12th-century entrance doors from the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, made of different copper alloys and woods, were non-invasively examined in situ. The chemical composition of the metals, the way in which different metal parts were joined together, the tree species used to construct the supporting structures and the age of the wood are determined. A portable ED-XRF instrument and optical microscopes were used. The doors were also photographed to produce high-resolution orthophotos and 3D models. The metal parts of the doors were made of leaded tin-bronze and quaternary Cu-Sn-Zn-Pb alloys and were mounted on a wooden multi-layer structure of larch and silver fir; the dendrochronological dates of some of the larch boards are 1965, teminus post quem.

From Awareness to Strategies Across Borders - Contributions to the Management and Protection of Cultural Heritage in Archaeological Landscapes in the Danube Region

by Martin Fera, Matija Črešnar, Seta Štuhec, Patricia Raggam, Anja Hellmuth Kramberger, and Marko Mele

LBI ArchPro Symposium in cooperation with the Danube University Krems, Austria 2. – 3. April 2019... more LBI ArchPro Symposium in cooperation with the Danube University Krems, Austria 2. – 3. April 2019 at Danube University Krems
The main objective of the symposium is to offer a multidisciplinary forum to discuss relevant topics and specific issues in cultural heritage protection and management and the application of digital methods for this purpose. The program shall encourage the scientific exchange and strengthen collaborative ties between participating institutions as well as increase the awareness of non-invasive methods in cultural heritage protection among stakeholders and the interested public.
Session 3: Raising Awareness for digital methods for cultural property protection and cultural heritage management

SUSTAINABLE TOURISTIC VALUE FROM DIGITIZATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE

by Marko Mele, Jacqueline Balen, Matija Črešnar, Martin Fera, and Sarah Scoppie

Strategy, 2021

Virtual archaeological landscapes of the Danube region (Danube´s Archaeological eLandscapes) is a... more Virtual archaeological landscapes of the Danube region (Danube´s Archaeological eLandscapes) is a project co-financed by the Interreg Danube Transnational programme. The project´s major goal is to regionally, nationally and internationally increase the visibility of the cultural heritage, and in particular the archaeological landscapes of the Danube region, making them more attractive for an integration into the region’s tourism offers. In order to achieve this goal, new technologies are employed throughout the project.
Within the framework of the project, a strategy has been adopted by the partners from 10 countries of the Danube region. The strategy approaches the topic of archaeological heritage from an archaeological, social and a technological standpoint. By using SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analyses conducted by the
working groups, major challenges in the sector were defined, leading to two main strategy units. The first unit focuses on working processes from the archaeological discovery to a virtual visualisation, and the second on the potential of archaeological heritage in the digital world. To support the
further adaptation and development of new technologies for the archaeological sector, the strategy concludes with 12 recommendations for heritage stakeholders. Priority lists are adopted for the implementation of the recommendations at national level for each participating country.

Routes4U - Feasibility study on an Iron Age cultural route in the Danube Region

The present study has been developed in the framework of Routes4U, the Joint Programme between th... more The present study has been developed in the framework of Routes4U, the Joint Programme between the Council of Europe and the European Commission (DG REGIO). Routes4U aims to foster regional development through the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme in the four EU macro-regions: the Adriatic and Ionian, Alpine, Baltic Sea and Danube Regions. A special thank you goes to the author Martin Fera, and to the numerous partners and stakeholders who supported the study. The opinions expressed in this work are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe

Zoltán Czajlik, Matija Črešnar, Michael Doneus, Martin Fera, Anja Hellmuth Kramberger and Marko Mele (eds.): Researching Archaeological Landscapes Across Borders. Strategies, Methods and Decisions for the 21st Century. Budapest - Graz, 2019.

by Zoltán Czajlik and Martin Fera

Z. Czajlik, M. Črešnar, M. Doneus, M. Fera, A. Hellmuth Kramberger and M. Mele (ed.), Researching Archaeological Landscapes Across Borders. Strategies, Methods and Decisions for the 21st Century (Graz – Budapest 2019).

by Iron-Age-Danube - Monumentalized Early Iron Age Landscapes in the Danube river basin, Matija Črešnar, Martin Fera, Anja Hellmuth Kramberger, and Marko Mele

Gates to Paradise. Medieval Bronze Doors and Their Making

by Judith Utz and Martin Fera

25–26.09.2023, Verona