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In this work, we present a case history relative to ground penetrating radar measurements performed close to the Roman amphitheatre of Lecce, Italy. We have performed a classical data elaboration with focusing of the data and slicing putting into evidence hidden details of the structure of the monument. It will be shown that the interpretation of the ground penetrating radar data is meaningfully helped by the consultation of ancient documents, which makes the final result multidisciplinary. Finally, we have georeferenced the data matching the shape of the depth slices with the shape of the investigated roads. In fact, we did not have at disposal any differential global satellite navigation systems. Indeed, this can be a method exploitable in cases when satellite data are not available, either because the area is shadowed or because the user does not have a differential global satellite navigation system. The proposed geographical matching is achieved by means of the matching between the shape of the slices and those of the physical obstacles present in the field. Therefore, it is essentially based on a continuous of points, and so it is probably more precise than a method based on the only vertexes. In particular, the proposed procedure does not require any deformation of the shape of the slice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cathedral of St John in Valetta, Malta, represents a unique monument of historical importance. In this paper, we present the results of a detailed ground penetrating radar campaign performed in this Cathedral. The campaign was aimed at investigating the distribution of buried tombs under the mosaic floor of the main nave and of the lateral chapels of the Co‐Cathedral. The floor of the church shows a continuity of grave inscriptions in the main nave as well as in all lateral chapels. It was suspected, based on available historical documents, that only a part of the present‐day inscriptions corresponds to the original sepultures or tombs. The ground penetrating radar results presented here further highlight this conjecture and offer additional information regarding this important monument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents ground penetrating radar (GPR) results joined with and back-upped by endoscopic tests performed in two churches. The aim of this work is to show how the endoscopic tests can help the interpretation of the achieved GPR images, and this will be shown with respect to two case histories in southern Italy. The usefulness of the endoscopic tests depends on the kind of targets, but is expected to be particularly useful in cases of buried cavities, where information about the volume and the possible past use of the cavity can be retrieved. In the examined cases, the endoscopic tests allowed the presence of three cavities to be established, helping also in the interpretation of their possible nature and use, even if the endoscopic probe was not gyroscopic nor equipped with a laser for the precise measure of the distances. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most monuments and historical buildings in the Maltese Islands are made of the local Globigerina Limestone (GL). This type of stone, however, is very delicate and prone to degradation caused by the environmental conditions of the islands. Hence, for the preservation of the Cultural Heritage monuments, it is necessary to promptly assess the health status of these structures and, in particular, their water content (which represents one of the major causes of degradation). Starting from these considerations, in this work, a time domain reflectometry (TDR)-based method for estimating water content of GL is presented. More specifically, the proposed method relies on estimating the water content value of the GL structure from TDR-based dielectric permittivity measurements. To verify the suitability of this system, experimental tests were carried out on a GL sample. In addition to this, also the dielectric characterization of GL was carried out. The results anticipate the strong potential of the proposed method for practical applications in the Cultural Heritage diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]