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Marta Diaz-Guardamino Uribe

I am currently Research Fellow on the project 'Making a Mark: Imagery and process in the British and Irish Neolithic', led by Dr. Andrew Meirion Jones, funded by the Leverhulme Trust. Previously, I have also been based in Archaeology at the University of Southampton, first as a visiting post-doctoral researcher with the Archaeological Computing Research Group, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education (2011-2013), and then as a part-time lecturer (2013-2014). I obtained my BA (Licenciatura), MA (Grado) and PhD (Extraordinary Doctoral Award, 2009/2010) in Prehistoric Archaeology from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain), and specialise in the archaeology of the Neolithic, Copper and Bronze Age periods in the Iberian Peninsula, especially in relation to the study of rock art, sculpture, mortuary practices, monumentality and landscape. During my PhD I carried out research stays at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität (Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany) and at the University of California, Berkeley (United States). I have been involved in varied field projects in Spain and Portugal and have served as a contract archaeologist for public institutions in Portugal, including the IPPAR (Portuguese Institute of Architectural and Archaeological Heritage).

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Late Bronze Age Stelae, Craftspeople and Digital Technologies: Some Recent Explorations

Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) is revealing itself as a very powerful tool to examine prehistoric rock art. Through the application of different filters and the manipulation of the incidence of light, RTI provides an enhanced visual experience of the micro-topography of engraved stones, enabling the detection of subtle details that are difficult, at times impossible, to be seen through other recording techniques. Continue reading →

RTI & the Late Bronze Age stela of Mirasiviene

This Late Bronze Age (LBA) stela was found many years ago in a country-estate located in the Guadalquivir Valley (South Spain). Last September David Wheatley (University of Southampton), Leonardo García Sanjuán (University of Seville) and I have conducted fieldwork on the site where it was found (see also: previous post). We have also applied advanced techniques to obtain a detailed recording of the stela: RTI and laser scanning. Continue reading →

RTI & a prehistoric pottery sherd from Mirasiviene

While fieldwalking the country-estate of Mirasiviene, where the eponymous Late Bronze Stela was found (see: RTI shedding new light on Iberian Late Bronze Age stelae and RTI & the Late Bronze Age stela of Mirasiviene), we located an exceptional settlement. This is one of the many pottery sherds found on its surface. This sherd is a piece of hand-thrown pottery with a thick wall, probably once part of a large scale container. Continue reading →

RTI & the decorated stela of Montoro

This decorated stela was found some years ago nearby the town of Montoro, in the Middle Guadalquivir Valley (Córdoba, South Spain). In September, David Wheatley (University of Southampton), Leonardo García Sanjuán (University of Seville) and I have conducted fieldwork to inspect the place where it was found and we have also applied enhanced techniques to record the stela, that is, RTI and laser scanning. Continue reading →

RTI shedding new light on Iberian Late Bronze Age stelae

During the first two weeks of September David Wheatley and myself, jointly with Leonardo García Sanjuán (University of Seville), have conducted fieldwork in Lora del Río, Seville (Spain). This fieldwork has been aimed at providing enhanced contextual data and visual recording of a Late Bronze Age decorated stela. As part of this work we have applied Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) and the results are really amazing. RTI allows us to examine the surface of the stela interactively. Continue reading →