UNEARTHING THE ROOTS OF VENICE: FROM RELICS TO DNA AN INTERACTIVE QUALIFYING PROJECT REPORT WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Submitted to: Project Advisor: Fabio Carrera, WPI Professor Project Co-Advisor: Daniel Gibson, WPI Professor Submitted by: Debora Afezolli Benjamin Allen Jaclyn Hepworth Andrew J. Kazanovicz Date: December 18, 2009 http://ve09orig.wordpress.org [email protected] i ABSTRACT This project sought to contribute to the comprehension of the origins of Venice and its people through archaeology, ancient documents, and genetic genealogy. ArchEasy, a web-based management system for Venetian archaeologists was evaluated and promoted. A promotional website was established for uScript, a web-based application that will create a repository of manuscript transcriptions. One hundred Venetian DNA samples were collected in collaboration with the Genographic Project to contribute to the determination of the origins of the first inhabitants of Venetians. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank the following people and organizations for help with our project: Dr. Marco Bortoletto and Dr. Alberto Zandinella, for taking the time to show us a Venetian archaeology site and explain the intense processes associated with them. Dr. Giovanni Caniato, for the wonderful tour of the Venice State Archive and support for uScript. Dr. David Comas, for facilitating our collaboration with Universitat de Pompeu Fabra and the Genographic Project, and for giving us a tour of your beautiful biotechnology lab in Barcelona, Spain. Alberto Gallo, for organizing our apartment and securing our boat passes. Christine Friesea, for your six-week crash course in Italian. Grazie mille! John Brunelli (from the Venice 4.0 team), for your technical assistance in developing the uScript website, as well as your extensive music and movie libraries that kept us entertained throughout the seven weeks. Matteo Secchi, Pierluigi Tamburrini, and Venessia.com, for your warm welcome to join the Funeral for Venice theatrics for the collection of DNA samples. The Settemari, for giving us the opportunity to collect DNA samples during a regatta. Caffé Brasilia, for allowing us to collect DNA samples in your shop . President Dennis Berkey, for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit the Venice Project Center. Professor Fabio Carrera, for selecting each of us for the Venice Project Center for an unforgettable experience, and for your guidance throughout the project. Professor Daniel Gibson, for your biology expertise, valuable comments on our report, and for assuming the role of photographer at times. A special thanks to Mrs. Gibson for a delicious dinner. Thanks to the residents of Ca’ Mori, Ca’ Corte, and Arco I for letting us invade your apartments for internet. And a special thanks to all of the Genographic participants! iii AUTHORSHIP Each team member contributed equally towards the completion of this project. Without the full participation of each member and extensive teamwork the following project would not have been successful. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................................... iii Authorship ................................................................................................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................................................................... v Table of Tables ........................................................................................................................................................................ vii Table of Figures ...................................................................................................................................................................... vii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................................... ix 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................... 1 2 Archaeology in Venice .................................................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Background ........................................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1.1 Contributions of Archaeology in Venice .............................................................................................. 5 2.1.2 Current Archaeological Process in Venice .......................................................................................... 8 2.1.3 State-of-the-Art in Archaeology Management ................................................................................ 10 2.2 Methodology and Results .............................................................................................................................. 12 2.2.1 Digitized Murano Archaeology Site Documentation .................................................................... 12 2.2.2 Redesigned ArchEasy Application ....................................................................................................... 13 2.2.3 Designed a Promotional Website for ArchEasy .............................................................................. 15 2.2.4 Drafted ArchEasy Grant Proposal ........................................................................................................ 18 2.3 Conclusions and Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 19 3 Ancient Documents in Venice ................................................................................................................................. 21 3.1 Background ......................................................................................................................................................... 21 3.1.1 Contributions of Ancient Documents in Venice .............................................................................. 22 3.1.2 Current Manuscript Consultation Process in Venice .................................................................... 24 3.1.3 State-of-the-Art in Manuscript Consultation ................................................................................... 25 3.2 Methodology and Results .............................................................................................................................. 28 3.2.1 Redesigned the uScript Website ............................................................................................................ 28 3.2.2 Researched Funding for the Development of uScript .................................................................. 30 3.3 Conclusions and Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 31 4 Genetic Genealogy in Venice ................................................................................................................................... 32 4.1 Background ......................................................................................................................................................... 32 4.1.1 Early History of the Veneto ..................................................................................................................... 33 4.1.2 Venetian Origins Theories ....................................................................................................................... 34 4.1.3 Contributions of Genetic Genealogy in Venice ................................................................................ 39 v 4.1.4 Using Genetics to Solve Origins Mysteries ........................................................................................ 46 4.2 Methodology and Results .............................................................................................................................. 47 4.2.1 Completed the Venetian Pilot Study .................................................................................................... 48 4.2.2 Identified Future Testing Locations to Validate Origins Theories .......................................... 49 4.2.3 Established Future Collaboration with the Genographic Project ............................................ 50 4.3 Conclusions and Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 50 5 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................................... 52 Glossary ......................................................................................................................................................................................... I Appendix A: ArchEasy Grant Proposal ........................................................................................................................