Mapping archaeological landscapes in Central and Southern Italy: the urban context of Aquinum and the ancient route of Via Traiana

The two projects presented here confirm the very fruitful experience of LabTAF (Laboratorio di Topografia Antica e Fotogrammetria) at the University of Salento within the ArchaeoLandscapes Europe Project. Both have involved a combination of aerial and ground-based survey along with small-scale excavation. The main perspective was from the air: evidence from aerial sources can help to reveal the formation processes of archaeological contexts over long periods of time, combining airphoto-interpretation of historical vertical photographs with more recent images acquired from UAV platforms or from traditional light aircraft. Experiments have also been conducted in the 3D reconstruction of Roman public buildings, using orthorectified UAV images. Intensive geophysical prospection has helped to detect features buried beneath the surface. In addition, a training school in geophysics and aerial archaeology in 2011, along with various initiatives in dissemination work, have enhanced public interest and appreciation of the shared archaeological heritage through the creation of digital content for websites and social media.