The Roman Hinterland Project: Integrating Archaeological Field Surveys around Rome and Beyond

This article presents the background to and prospects for a new initiative in archaeological field survey and database integration. The Roman Hinterland Project combines data from the Tiber Valley Project, Roman Suburbium Project, and the Pontine Region Project into a single database, which the authors believe to be one of the most complete repositories of data for the hinterland of a major ancient metropolis, covering nearly 2000 years of history. The logic of combining these databases in the context of studying the Roman landscape is explained and illustrated with analyses that show their capacity to contribute to major debates in Roman economy, demography, and the longue durée of the human condition in a globalizing world.

ROMAN PORTS IN THE LOWER TIBER VALLEY: COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES TO REASSESS ROME'S PORT SYSTEM

This paper presents an innovative study of the port system of Rome in Imperial times through the application of an integrated approach to both archaeological analysis and material evidence. Specifically, it seeks to provide a more complete contextualization and understanding of the port system of Rome by focusing on the exploration of the physical geography of the river Tiber and its transformations in connection with the organization of the port system between the late first century BC and early third century AD. Methodologically, this study is based on the compilation, re-evaluation and analysis of published archaeological and geoarchaeological data and on the application of modelling and simulations techniques within a GIS environment. These foundations and means allow us to reconstruct the development of the river Tiber's historical course in antiquity and its impact on specific organizational aspects of Rome's port system. In this sense, this study provides new insights and avenues of research (applicable to other geographical areas and periods of time) to evaluate the system's changing capacity for transport and the potential existence of a signalling system, in contrast to previous hypotheses on the organization of river traffic along the Tiber.

Tectonics and fluvial dynamism affecting the Tiber River in Prehistoric Rome

Geomorphological investigations in Rome’s river valley are revealing the dynamism of the prehistoric landscape. It is becoming increasingly apparent that paleogeographic conditions that defined Rome in the historical era are the product of changes since the Bronze Age, which may be the result of local fault activity in addition to fluvial dynamism. Through a dedicated borehole chronostratigraphic study, integrated by 14C and archaeological dates, and paleomagnetic investigations, we offer here new evidence for fault displacement since ca. 4500 years/BP. We present the failure of the sedimentary fabric of a clay horizon caused by liquefaction processes commonly linked with seismic shaking, interpreting an (ca. 4 m) offset to signify the existence of a fault line located at the foot of the Capitoline Hill. In addition, we show evidence for another (ca. 1 m) offset affecting a stratigraphic horizon in the river channel, occurring along another hypothesized fault line crossing through the Tiber Valley. Movement along this fault may have contributed to a documented phase of fast overflooding dated to the sixth century BCE which eventually led to the birth of the Tiber Island. The most plausible scenario implies progressive deformation, with an average tectonic rate of 2 mm/year, along these inferred fault lines. This process was likely punctuated with moderate earthquakes, but no large event necessarily occurred. Together, the available evidence suggests that during the early centuries of sedentary habitation at the site of Rome, active fault lines contributed to significant changes to the Tiber River valley, capable of challenging lowland activities.

Hydrogeology of the southern Middle Tiber Valley (Central Italy)

The aim of this work is to contribute to the hydrogeological knowledge regarding the southern Middle Tiber Valley focusing on the continental and marine units that fill the Paglia-Tiber graben in the northern Latium Region (central Italy). An important hydrogeological survey was performed in the summer of 2008, and a considerable quantity of piezometric, physio-chemical and flow data were collected. Four geological cross sections were realized, and a hydrogeological map and a groundwater quality map of the area were produced to obtain a conceptual groundwater flow model.

Cropmarks in het Tiberdal: onderzoek naar gebruik en bewoning van de Tibervallei nabij Crustumerium in de Romeinse tijd

Cropmarks in the Tiber valley: research into the use and occupation of the Tiber valley near Crustumerium in Roman times. This paper reports on a short field campaign aimed at investigating an extensive crop-mark identified in aerial photography by the first author. The cropmark is situated in the Tiber floodplain near the ancient settlement of Crustumerium, north of the centre of Rome and close to old riverbanks of the river Tiber. Surface finds, coring and geophysical mapping suggest that the cropmark indicates the buried remains of a substantial building complex of probably Roman Imperial date. This is an important discovery, which contributes to our understanding of the palaeogeography, sedimentation regime and settlement history of the Tiber floodplain. In this paper we limit ourselves to an initial (and speculative) interpretation of the cropmark in terms of its extent and individual components. The fieldwork was carried out in the framework of the Crustumerium project of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology, in collaboration with the Archaeological Superintendency of Rome.

VIRTUAL MUSEUMS FOR LANDSCAPE VALORIZATION AND COMMUNICATION

Research in the domain of landscape virtual reconstructions has been mainly focused on digitization and recording inside GIS systems, or real time visualization, paying a minor attention to the development of a methodological approach for the landscape narration, combing different registers, conceptual, emotional incitements and, thus, able to arouse in the public a feeling of emotional “sensing” and self- identification. The landscape reflects also the human activities in the territory and the communities’ cultural patterns, their sense of “belonging”. In a virtual museum of landscapes, the multidisciplinary approach, the multiplication of perspectives and voices, storytelling, acquire primary importance. A Virtual Museum of landscapes should integrate both holistic and delimited visions. The holistic vision requires a diachronic approach, including both present and past phases of life. On the other side, delimited, or “monographic”, representations are useful to go deeper into specific and exemplar stories, regarding specific groups of people.<br><br> Beside, the emergence of new social media enhancing cultural interactions among people induce the creation of specific social platforms for Cultural Heritage for the active participation of a large number of stakeholders. Co-creation scenarios and tools can be particularly promising. <i>Aton</i> is an example of <i>front-end</i> VR social platform in the web end, for the efficient streaming of medium/large landscape, their exploration and characterization.<br><br> The <i>Tiber Valley Virtual Museum</i> is an example of sensorial cultural landscape. Starting from the acquisition of topographical data through integrated technologies, several multi-sensory scenarios have been created, inside which visitors can feel embodied and involved.