Figure 3. The archaeological site before the excavation 
The entrance path of the city complex rises from the outside to 
the inside of the city to an elevation of more than 4 m a.s.l. 
Three different doors block a bayonet path controlled by a 
central tower and protected towards the outside by a solid 
isolated wall. The city walls were built first, houses and stores 
were added later. They are adjacent to it and use the city walls 
as one of their internal walls. The most important buildings in 
the city are: the palace-temple and the gate complex (Figure 4), 
located on the Northern side where the majority of defensive 
structures were concentrated. There were turrets connected to 
the walls and placed on the Eastern and Western corner of the 
above mentioned side and external turrets that were not 
connected to the city wall. Inside the palace-temple there was 
also the only know well of drinkable water. 
  
Figure 4. The gate complex and the palace-temple 
The Italian Expedition in Dhofar (Italian Mission to Oman 
(IMTO)) has been working in the area of Khor Rori since 1996, 
it is coordinated by the University of Pisa directed by prof. 
Alessandra Avanzini with the collaboration with ITABC of 
CNR in Rome (Orazi, 1997). This scientific project aims at the 
knowledge, preservation and fruition of the monumental 
complex of Khor Rori and the surrounding territory by means of 
the study of the historical, architectonic and archaeological 
aspects. 
In 1952 an American archaeological expedition led by W. 
Phillips and with the archaeologist F. Albright as a field director 
started the excavation works on the site of Khor Rori. At the 
end of the works, about one year later, more than half of the 
monumental structures of the site had been brought to light. 
Fifty years of almost complete abandonment of the site had 
disastruous consequences on the preservation of the wall 
structures. 
Two archaeological campaigns has been carried out: October- 
December 1999 and January -March 2000. 
During the last IMTO's archaeological expedition (October- 
November 2000 and February — April 2001) researches were 
carried out principally in three different areas of the city (Figure 
5): 
e 
the city gate; 
2. the area connecting the gate complex and the palace- 
temple, which revealed various and interesting 
construction phases, with notable and recurrent 
structural changes; 
3. the housing area situated in the north-western corner 
of the city, which revealed an important section of the 
city planning, with some private houses, a big square, 
some streets and the entrance of a monumental 
building. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Figure 5. The three areas of the city carried out recently 
2. THE QUANTITATIVE NATURE OF 
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA 
The quantitative nature of archaeological data requires different 
techniques for several representations. Different approaches to 
data acquisition (topographical survey, photogrammetry, 3D 
scanning, and so on) can be used. The reconstruction was 
carefully generated using data captured by archaeologists 
working in the field, team surveyors equipped with a total 
station and other technical tools of field data acquisition such as 
photogrammetry. 
Due to the morphology of the area, the analysis of Khor Rori 
fortifications requires a difficult topographical survey, since the 
remains may be accessed with difficulty due to erosion and 
landslide of the hillsides. In order to obtain the data in such 
-408— 
condi 
reflec 
Once 
are ei 
urban 
gate t 
In ort 
the m 
the p 
data, 
We FI 
mapp 
visua 
Virtu 
for ar 
ancie 
globa 
gener 
We h 
(vect 
the p 
mode 
first | 
differ 
data; 
(Grue 
point 
neces 
inter] 
and n