Toward Hybrid Modeling and Automatic Planimetry for Graphic Documentation of the Archaeological Heritage: The Cortina Family Pantheon in the Cemetery of Valencia

ABSTRACT

The current trend toward the hybrid methodology of combining terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) with close-range and UAV-assisted photogrammetry is becoming the most effective method for the complete capture of archaeological sites. In this article, we consider three objectives in this regard: first, to check an integration procedure, based on different capture techniques, to obtain the best possible complete digital model in different situations related to size, lighting, and occlusions. Second, a “laser scanning with the help of photogrammetry” strategy for the operation with the different data sources, which allows to adapt the processes of photogrammetric orientation, cloud registration, and automatic texturing, to the characteristics of each capture model. Finally, to present the digital edition of these models through automatic technical projections and realistic visualizations, to show their ability to interpret their geometry or share their knowledge, respectively.     

Increasing returns to scale in the towns of early Tudor England

Abstract

Urban agglomeration economies make cities central to theories of modern economic growth. There is historical evidence for the presence of Smithian growth and agglomeration effects in English towns c.1450-1670, but seminal assessments deny the presence of agglomeration effects and productivity gains to Early Modern English towns. This study evaluates the presence of increasing returns to scale (IRS) in aggregate urban economic outputs—the empirical signature of feedbacks between Smithian growth and agglomeration effects—among the towns of 16th century England. To do so, we test a model from settlement scaling theory against the 1524/5 Lay Subsidy returns. Analysis of these data indicates that Tudor towns exhibited IRS—a finding that is robust to alternative interpretations of the data. IRS holds even for the smallest towns in our sample, suggesting the absence of town size thresholds for the emergence of agglomeration effects. Spatial patterning of scaling residuals further suggests regional demand-side interactions with Smithian-agglomeration feedbacks. These findings suggest the presence of agglomeration effects and Smithian growth in pre-industrial English towns. This begs us to reconsider the economic performance of Early Modern English towns, and suggests that the qualitative economic dynamics of contemporary cities may be applicable to premodern settlements in general.