
Miguel Carrero-PazosUniversity of Santiago de Compostela | USC
Miguel Carrero-Pazos
PhD Prehistory (University of Santiago de Compostela); Visiting Scholar Leiden University; Visiting Scholar Cambridge University; Marie Curie Research Fellow (UCL Institute of Archaeology)
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71
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Introduction
Specialist in computationally-informed landscape archaeology, my research focuses on the application of spatial statistics and GIS to model megalithic landscapes. I'm also interested in 3D imaging applied to rock art engravings. Former Marie Curie Research Fellow at the UCL Institute of Archaeology (UK), (MSCA-IF-EF-ST 2019, n. 886793). Currently Lecturer in Prehistory at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
Publications
Publications (71)
This paper proposes a methodological approach to analyse stone inscriptions with complex interpretations and unclear contexts. A workflow is proposed to characterise the origin of the objects and a methodology to improve the visualisation and characterise their carvings and symbols. As a case study that embodies all these issues, the inscription of...
El uso de técnicas de modelado tridimensional es hoy un estándar en los trabajos de documentación arqueológica de superficies grabadas, tales como petroglifos, emblemas históricos o epígrafes. La aplicación de tecnologías 3D de bajo coste y la generación de imágenes analíticas permite proponer nuevas lecturas, al tiempo que el uso de software libre...
Call for papers for the next EAA conference (Rome, Italy, August 28th)
Call for Papers for the next Landscape Archaeology Conference (Alcalá de Henares, Spain, june 2024)
El presente texto describe la curiosa combinación de estructuras que apa
recen concentradas en una pequeña loma
ubicada a casi 900 metros de altitud, en la
comarca centro-oriental asturiana, cerca de la Cordillera Cantábrica. En primer lugar, un túmulo prehistórico en la zona alta del cerro, que ya fue incluido en la carta arqueológica, y que va...
[ES] La Arqueología se encuentra hoy plenamente inserta en la era informática y digital. Este proceso, común al conjunto de las Ciencias, está suponiendo una importante renovación metodológica de la disciplina, hecho que se materializa en el surgimiento de nuevas líneas de investigación con prometedor futuro. Los métodos de computación juegan en es...
Los análisis espaciales de puntos son herramientas estadísticas con grandes posibilidades de aplicación en la Arqueología del territorio y del paisaje. En este trabajo introducimos y discutimos algunos conceptos, enfoques y métodos principales, así como ejemplificamos su aplicación en un caso de estudio particularmente conocido del Megalitismo del...
This paper investigates the landscapes of Neolithic communities found within Costa da Morte (Coast of Death), Galicia. Its goal is to uncover whether or not the megalithic monuments of a particular and coherent area of the south-eastern side of the Atlantic Façade are situated in relation to complex locational variables. In particular, in this pape...
Rock Art Research in the Digital Era covers the research presented at the 20th International Rock Art Congress (IFRAO) held in Darfo Boario Terme, Valcamonica (Italy), from 29 August - 2 September 2018. With a broad understanding of digital archaeology, a diverse range of specialists demonstrate how digital technologies can benefit the study of roc...
This paper presents an algorithm for large-scale automatic detection of burial mounds, one of the most common types of archaeological sites globally, using LiDAR and multispectral satellite data. Although previous attempts were able to detect a good proportion of the known mounds in a given area, they still presented high numbers of false positives...
Building from past EAA annual conferences (Barcelona 2018; Bern 2019; Virtual 2020), we present a follow-on session that aims to focus on the archaeological study of one of the most common archaeological remains in Europe, such as the barrow monuments are.
More than 30,000 mounds are still preserved across this territory, remnants of a much higher...
Los estudios de la visibilidad de monumentos pretéritos cuentan con larga tradición en el campo arqueológico, siendo una de las aplicaciones de los métodos SIG más importantes en la actualidad. Este trabajo analiza la visibilidad como factor locacional en las concentraciones megalíticas gallegas de Monte Penide y Serra do Galiñeiro, utilizando los...
Around 70 prehistoric barrows are now under research in the current council of Salas (Asturias, Spain), as a part of the Cobertoria’s Project. Focused on updating the archaeological data about the barrows included in the Sites and monument Record (1990), the research presented here adds new information about the structures; for instance, accurate G...
This paper investigates the dolmen landscapes of Neolithic communities found within Costa da Morte (Coast of Death), Galicia. Its goal is to uncover whether or not the megalithic monuments of a particular and coherent area of the south-eastern side of the Atlantic Façade are situated in relation to complex locational variables. In particular, in th...
In addition to sharing a common environmental background, the communities that were linked by the sea along the Atlantic Façade have repeatedly shared cultural phenomena for more than several millennia. The location of the Atlantic regions as a limit towards the vast Ocean was a vector for developing a strong social identity(ies), an anchor for lon...
As anywhere else around the world, GIS is an essential tool in Galician Archaeology (NW Spain) when examining and analysing spatial data. This is also true for the study of mounds in that area, since spatial analysis and statistics have become increasingly used for contrasting hypotheses regarding the locational preferences of these monuments, usua...
Despite the long tradition of studies on early medieval churches, little is still known about the reasons behind the selection of specific places for building churches between the fifth to tenth centuries a.d. Thanks to some rich historical documents, the region of A Mariña (Galicia, north-west Iberia) represents an exceptional case study in order...
Burial mounds are one of the most important manifestations of human ritual activity from the Neolithic to the early Middle Ages, sometimes even beyond. With the development of remote sensing techniques for detecting archaeological features, there has been a deluge of newly discovered sites in many parts of the world. For example, LiDAR has raised t...
It is well known that Neolithic megalithic landscapes are the result of complex locational logics governing where communities chose to site their funerary monuments. These logics in turn respond to broader environmental and cultural affordances, and the relationship between these has been a major topic in the megalithic archaeological literature fo...
[ESP] En las sierras septentrionales de Galicia (noroeste de la Península Ibérica) se desarrollaron diferentes trabajos arqueológicos, que tuvieron como resultado el descubrimiento de toda una serie de yacimientos, cronológicamente encuadrables entre el Paleolítico superior y el Epipaleolítico. De forma general fueron espacialmente identificados co...
In this paper, a spatial approach to the Galician megalithic complex (NW Iberian Peninsula) is presented, focusing on first instance on a study of the intensity of sites using a kernel density analysis. This aims to define particular zones with important concentration of sites. The study of five environmental variables selected from literature is c...
Having completed the »corpus« of the Galician megalithic complex using objective and scientific viable data obtained through intensive fieldwork during two decades, we now have the possibility to study it as a whole. As such, an overall view of the megalithic complex of Galicia is presented here, based on the most complete dataset, which currently...
This paper aims to analyse two traditional forms of association of the megaliths with the landscape, such as the natural mobility and the visibility of the landscape. Several analytical approaches based on Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Statistics are applied over the megalithic barrow landscape of Monte de Santa Mariña (Sarria’s region...
Este trabajo tiene por objeto dar a conocer las contribuciones del proyecto «Epigraphica 3.0: Hacia la creación y diseño de un corpus digital de inscripciones latinas de la Provincia de Ourense» en materia de documentación, estudio y difusión del patrimonio epigráfico gallego. Para ello se presenta un conjunto de experiencias y prácticas de investi...
Se propone un estudio de dos formas tradicionales de entender la relación del megalito con el paisaje, como son la movilidad natural por el territorio y la visibilidad del monumento con respecto al paisaje en el que se emplaza. Para ello, se aplican una serie de análisis fundamentados en los Sistemas de Información Geográfica y la Estadística Espac...
The study of moundscapes has been a recurrent theme in the Archaeology, due to the
fact that mounds are one of the most common remains in the World because they were
built in different periods and by different societies. They have been traditionally studied
from a chronological point of view and in Western Europe this has usually focused on the
Neo...
Since the last decade, LiDAR technology is playing an important role in the substantial changes that have taken place in the sites and monuments records of the northwest of Iberia. Hillforts, Roman camps, as well as Neolithic tombs have seen the importance of remote sensing techniques to identify sites and for updating the inventories.
The present...
Digital Image Modelling is becoming a standard approach in epigraphic studies, mostly expressed in the diffusion practice of research groups which want their materials being publicly accessible. However, there is an important lack of works which seek for the use of 3D tools to improve the epigraphic analysis and text reading. Therefore, this paper...
This paper presents the results of a non-photorealistic rendering approach to analysing Roman inscriptions, which uses line drawings to highlight the text of two epigraphs from Galicia in north-west Spain.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/back-to-basics-a-nonphotorealistic-rendering-method-for-the-analysis-of-texts-from-3d...
Cova Eirós is located in the province of Lugo, north-western Iberia. The cave site contains a number of Palaeolithic engravings—narrow and shallow grooves—that are dispersed on the walls of the cave. As direct contact with the panel would be extremely harmful for the rock surface, we have decided to use 3D methods to record the motifs. Thus, we app...
Cova Eirós is located in the province of Lugo, north-western Iberia. The cave site contains a number of Palaeolithic engravings—narrow and shallow grooves—that are dispersed on the walls of the cave. As direct contact with the panel would be extremely harmful for the rock surface, we have decided to use 3D methods to record the motifs. Thus, we app...
In Galicia, works that studied the megalithic locational patterns developed only fieldwork-based approaches. As a result, the locational criteria were defined using ideas through a direct analysis at field, and never have been quantified and modelled with GIS methods until nowadays.
In this work, a GIS methodology and a point pattern approach for...
Several works have highlighted the relevance of 3D modelling techniques for the study of rock art, especially in case of deteriorated state of preservation. This paper presents a methodological approach to accurate document two Bronze Age rock art panels in Galicia (Spain), using photogrammetry SfM. The main aim is to show the application of digita...
This session aims the historical and archaeological analysis of one of the most common archaeological remains in Europe, such as the barrow monuments are. The presence of similarity in monumental architecture and interchange of material culture in long-distanced territories of modern days Europe was used to indicate a common world of shared beliefs...
Vázquez‐Martínez, A.; Carrero‐Pazos, M. & Vilas‐Estévez, B. (2017) Nuevas tecnologías para la investigación de los grabados rupestres al aire libre en Galicia. IN: GARCÊS, S.; GOMES, H., MARTINS, A. & OOSTERBEEK, L., A Arte das Sociedades Pré-Históricas (Actas do IV Congresso de Doutorandos e Pós-Doutorandos, 26-29 Novembro, Mação, 2015) Techne 3 (...
The expansion of Computer Science throughout the Humanities has contributed to the application of new methodological approaches in multitude branches of historical knowledge. One of them has been the reconstruction and virtual representation (3D) of archaeological sites and other cultural remains. This is particularly clear in epigraphic studies, w...
[ES] Bajo el título "El fenómeno tumular y megalítico en Galicia. Aportaciones desde los Sistemas de Información Geográfica y la Estadística Espacial para el estudio de los patrones de localización" se presenta el corpus de datos más completo que en la actualidad poseemos para el estudio del Megalitismo gallego. Gracias al uso del SIG y las metodol...
[ES] Bajo el título "El fenómeno tumular y megalítico en Galicia. Aportaciones desde los Sistemas de Información Geográfica y la Estadística Espacial para el estudio de los patrones de localización" se presenta el corpus de datos más completo que en la actualidad poseemos para el estudio del Megalitismo gallego. Gracias al uso del SIG y las metodol...
3D modelling has become in recent years one of the main branches in the archaeological research. Some authors even regard it as the most important innovation in data acquisition and interpretation since GIS. From this perspective, many different works have been carried out focusing on the development of several techniques to implement a better visu...
Este trabajo analiza el caso particular de un nuevo petroglifo, no documentado hasta el momento, localizado en Cangas do Morrazo (Galicia, noroeste de la península ibérica), que hemos decidido denominar Forno de Anguieiro debido a su particular historia. A pesar de que este petroglifo fue descubierto recientemente, su existencia es dilatada en el t...
This work aims to present a new methodological approximation to enhance and depict details in 3D models, named AsTrend. It is based on the extraction of las points from a tridimensional model, which are processed with the most common LiDAR visualisation techniques. It is being revealed as an accurate method to study the grooves of the carvings in i...
In this chapter a revision of the traditional tracing methods over petroglyphs through the employment of three dimensional models is proposed. The different techniques suggested here are: Radiance Scaling and Algebraic Point Set Surfaces (APSS). Radiance Scaling is a shader that adjusts reflected light intensities in a way dependent on both surface...
Aerial photography has proven to be very useful for archaeologists as it helps to identify features in the terrain that are not visible when standing on the ground 1. As the use of aerial photography was introduced quite early with the invention of aeroplanes, we have at our disposal some precious material on the appearance of the terrain since the...
Carrero Pazos, M., Busto Zapico, M., Vilas Estévez, B., & Vázquez Martínez, A. (2016). Non stop revolution! Las Nuevas Tecnologías aplicadas a la Arqueología. En I. P. Coelho, J. Torres, L. Gil, & T. Ramos (Eds.), Entre ciência e cultura: da interdisciplinaridade à transversalidade da arqueologia (pp. 305-306). Lisboa: CHAM, FCSH/NOVA-UAc & IEM -FC...
Over the last decade, the aerial Lidar has been constituted as one of the most interesting tools for the archaeological survey, because it allows, among other things, to analyse the field in detail, specially obviating the vegetation. Thus, we propose an example of the possibilities that Lidar technology could provide in the case of Megalithic cult...
Busto Zapico, M., & Carrero Pazos, M. (2016). 3D Technology Applied to Quantification Studies of Pottery: EVE 2.0. En S. Campana, R. Scopigno, G. Carpentiero, & M. Cirillo (Eds.), Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (Vol. 1, pp. 377-382). Oxford: Archaeopress Archaeology.
In ar...
[ES] Desde la década de los años setenta del siglo pasado, la disciplina arqueológica ha adoptado un variado elenco de herramientas informáticas, tanto a nivel teórico como práctico. Entre ellas, el LiDAR aéreo (Light Detection and Ranging) se ha constituido en los últimos años como una de las herramientas más interesantes en el campo de la prospec...
Nowadays computer tools are a fundamental part in the training of an archaeologist, on both personal and academic levels. Indeed, Archaeology has been gradually incorporating the benefits of informatics since the 1960’s. In this sense, Archaeology has adopted a wide range of computer tools into its daily practice at both theoretical-methodological...
In any archaeological excavation the pottery fragments are the most frequent quantitative remains. As a consequence, it seems right to propose a methodology that can help in their study. Therefore, we intend to expose a method that will lead us to know from a fragment of pottery the percentage of the pottery piece with respect to the total vessel w...
Se presenta una primera aproximación al estudio del emplazamiento megalítico de Galicia, tomando como modelo la necrópolis del Monte de Santa Mariña en la provincia de Lugo, prestando atención a dos factores, a saber la localización topográfica a partir de su clasificación geomorfométrica mediante la metodología SIG y, en segundo lugar, la visibili...
Se presenta una aproximación a la geografía del Megalitismo gallego, definiendo áreas de afinidad geomorfológica con presencia común de monumentos megalíticos, intentando delimitar las principales zonas de distribución de los yacimientos megalíticos. La metodología se centra en el análisis cartográfico, a partir de los Sistemas de Información Geogr...
The aim of this paper is to compare the tracing made at the Bronze Age petroglyph of “Barreira” in Verdoejo (Portugal) (Novoa and Costas 2004) with two different and new methodologies based on photogrammetry. This technique is oriented to reduce the different problems of subjectivity that are present in the old systems of registry, and furthermore...
There exists so many different methodologies to record the open-air rock art carving. In Galicia researches have used traditionally systems of registry such as night lighting or frottage to try to reproduce the rock art-carving present at the stones, methods that although being very effective are subject to a great subjectivity (Seoane Veiga Yoland...
O Sistema de Información Patrimonial (SIP) da cidade de Santiago de Compostela que aquí se describe , é unha plataforma xeodocumental en formato aberto, dende o ano 2010, creada e sustentada polo Consorcio de Santiago de Compostela coa fin de lle dar difusión á súa historia urbana en senso amplo, mediante soporte textual e gráfico (cartografía e fo...
Over the last decade, the aerial Lidar has been
constituted as one of the most interesting tools for the
archaeological survey, because it allows, among other
things, to analyze the field in detail, specially obviating
the vegetation. Thus, we propose an example of the
possibilities that Lidar technology could provide in the
case of Megalithic cult...
Busto Zapico, M., & Carrero Pazos, M. (2013). Por una arqueología en lucha. Reflexiones en torno al papel de la Arqueología en la sociedad. En G. Compañy, J. Fonte, B. Gómez-Arribas, L. Moragón Martínez, & J. M. Señorán Martín (Eds.), Arqueología para el siglo XXI: Actas de las V Jornadas de Jóvenes en Investigación Arqueológica (pp. 280-285). Madr...
Carrero Pazos, M., & Busto Zapico, M. (2013). Dar y recibir. Rastreando la necesidad de intercambio en las primeras sociedades. En J. M. Aldea Celada, C. López San Segundo, P. Ortega Martínez, M. d. l. Reyes de Soto García, & F. J. Vicente Santos (Eds.), Los lugares de la Historia (pp. 615-633). Salamanca: Hergar Ediciones Antema.
Con la presente...