LANDARCHETR · Landscape archaeology in southern Etruria

Landscape archaeology in southern Etruria

Introduction The objectives of this research project were the development and testing of new techniques for archaeological surveys in some key-contexts of Central Tyrrhenian Italy and southern Etruria. These aims were achieved primarily through a series of fieldworks. a) The surveys of the Etruscan city of Civita di Grotte di Castro. This area began to be investigated systematically on 2006 and 2007 during the Marie Curie fellowship at the University of Cambridge. In the summer of 2009 the survey was completed and all the finds collected were catalogued and drawn. Then, the Geographic Information System (GIS) of the area was updated with archive research data. b) Surveys in the ager Faliscus In the ager Faliscus small scale surveys were carried out, largely in forested areas, in order to check and to compare the data of previous surveys, among them the Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey done by the University of Cambridge in 2005. The new set of data, which was integrated with bibliographic and archive research, produced up-to-date knowledge of the archaeological heritage of this territory. The survey results were discussed on 16th April 2009 at Rome during a conference about aerial photography for archaeology and on 19th May 2011 at the British School at Rome during a specific workshop on the faliscan area, organised by the grant holder. c) Other fieldwork The research sample was integrated with the survey results of two pre-roman settlements in the central Tyrrhenian area: an Etruscan fortified site in the Tiber Valley (Col di Marzo) and the survey of a multiphase nucleated settlement 40 km south of Rome (Colle Rotondo). In both cases the field research was duly integrated with detailed bibliographic and archive research as well as museum surveys of objects in Italy and in other European countries. 3) Main scientific results The various scientific results are described into a series of published papers and they can be summarised as follows: a) Survey and archive research on the site of an Etruscan city (Grotte di Castro); b) Implementation and testing for accuracy of LiDAR (in the ager Faliscus); c) Survey of a multiphase coastal nucleated settlement (Colle Rotondo); d) Survey of a frontier landscape nearby the Etruscan fortress of Col di Marzo (Perugia). 4) Social and economic use, impact and potential. a) Providing archives and archaeological maps for local authorities The scientific data of the surveys, integrated by bibliographic and archive research are already available to town councils, local agencies and institutions for cultural heritage management. b) Creating research methodologiesThe experience of survey of ancient settlements achieved in the research project has been shared and discussed also in some specific workshops organised at L'Aquila by the Ministero dei Beni Culturali, to plan methodologies of survey and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) of the damage to the archaeological sites in the suburb of the medieval city, after the earthquake of 6th April 2009. c) Training students and volunteersThe execution of the research project from 2009 to 2011 involved about 20 undergraduate students, 10 graduate students mainly from the universities of Rome; last but not least the fieldwork carried out at Grotte di Castro involved local volunteers who received training in archaeological heritage recording and preservation. d) Internationalisation of research methodologies.The research project has been carried out in collaboration with many institutions: the University of Rome "La Sapienza", the University of Roma Tre. Further collaboration was conducted with the Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge primarily for the surveys of Civita di Grotte di Castro and Col di Marzo. The research methodologies were debated in a series of international workshops and seminars held in Italy, France and UK. Gabriele CIFANI: cfngrl00[at]uniroma2. it http://www.dipartimentodistoria. uniroma2. it/Ricercaeuropea. html

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