Geo- and Landscape Αrchaeological Ιnvestigations in central Italy
Geo- and Landscape Αrchaeological Ιnvestigations in central Italy
Towards an identification of man-made landscape transformation processes in combination with GIS based approaches to settlement dynamics in Roman Republican and Imperial Times in southwestern Lazio.
Michael Teichmann
(University of Kiel, Graduate School "Human Development in Landscapes" / Germany)
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The relation of man to his surrounding environment and the diachronic, dynamic changes of settlement patterns on a regional scale are key aspects for the understanding of past landscapes. These aspects are central issues on the agenda of a PhD project conducted within the framework of the interdisciplinary graduate school "Human Development in Landscapes" at the University of Kiel. The research focuses on the Roman Republican and Imperial Era in central Italy, for which geo-archaeological field research is combined with GIS based analysis of settlement site preference factors. The study area is situated in the immediate hinterland of Rome, comprising parts of the metropolis´ former suburbs as well as more marginal areas distributed over several landscape types. The area was of particular importance for the development of the Roman concept of spatial organization, which proved efficient in later stages of Roman expansion.
This presentation is meant to give a brief introduction into the archaeology and history of the study area and will outline the research agenda of the project. First results of the geo-archaeological field campaign, which was conducted in 2009, will be presented and some methodological considerations regarding the analysis of settlement patterns, which is still in progress, will be discussed.