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Crete is well known as a possessor of one of the most ancient cultural layers of Ancient Greece. At the same time the oldest cultural stages at Crete are quite different. These differences are most often identified in the outstanding archaeological cultures of the Bronze Age, complemented by a large number of high value historical monuments. In contrast, the historical period between Prehistoric Crete and Minoan Civilization is studied only fragmentary. The evidence and ruins of monuments of this final stage of th...

There are several thousand stone-shaped megalithic stone piles in Europe that have been built between the late Stone Age and the Middle Ages. Their cultural and historical significance has been deliberately studied only in a small number of cases. It is not surprising, therefore, that different stories about such megalithic sites are more widely known than the results of archaeological research. This is particularly true for impressive prehistoric complexes, which today are transformed into tourist attractions. On...

There are many ancient cultures in the world where there are no written sources and material evidence as artefacts preserved. Their identification or even revealing of signs is an important impetus for the initiation of further systematic research. In this sense, Indonesia, including the island of Bali, is a very typical example, where the earliest reliable evidence can be dated not earlier than the 4th century CE. Due to the natural conditions, there are few opportunities for the artefacts of natural origin and e...

Graphic signs and fragments of images on the walls of megalithic buildings and individual stone blocks are not so common. However, their presence greatly enhances the value of ancient monuments of material culture in order to understand the way of thinking of ancient people much better. Portugal is a land where the density of megalithic monuments identified is one of the largest in Europe, but in Portugal itself, in the environs of Evora and Elva the number of such monuments is one of the largest. One of the most ...

Nazca lines in Peru are well known for their geometric precision and ancient images. It is assumed that these lines were created by ancient Nazca civilization almost 2,000 years ago, mainly motivated by religious considerations. Satellite images and publicly available images from airplanes and air balloons were studies, as well as on-site observations performed. The orientation, interconnectedness and quality of geoglyphs were evaluated. The results suggest that only a small portion of geoglyphs may indeed be very...

Mallorca is the largest of Balearic Islands in the Western Mediterranean Sea and is a rapidly growing international tourism destination. The sustainability of this island is highly dependent on critical resources пїЅ availability of potable water, the amount of which is limited due to natural conditions. The pre-historic Stone and Bronze Age cultures in the Eastern part of Mallorca were studied, mainly in the surroundings of Artas and Porto Crist. It was established that the number of the monumentsпїЅ remains is m...

The Step Pyramid complex of Djoser in Saqqara visible today is a reconstruction performed by the main excavator, a French architect Jean-Philippe Lauer, who reconstructed key portions of the complex in the area of 15 ha. However, reconstructed walls, columns and other structures substantially differ in contrast from the Step pyramid itself, its architecture and system of underground tunnels. The existing structure is also not indicating the necessity of numerous attempts to rebuild the pyramid and most likely repr...

The continuous deterioration of historical stone monuments mainly due to weathering is a growing concern. Precise documentation of the monument becomes very important for elaboration of sustainable monument re medy and preservation plan. The method elaborated by the authors allows to create a 3D model of the object with the further possibility to supplement and integrate into this model various visual and data information and systematically update it. This method was developed for the stone material surface weathe...