Geo-archaeology of the Central Archaeological Area (CAA) of Rome

The Central Archaeological Area of Rome is one of the richest and most important archaeological park in the world. The intra-meeng workshop consists of an excursion lasting about 3 hours, with a walk along an easy city route in the center of Rome, and with 3 stops (Fig. 1): Colosseum (1), Circus Maximus (2), Roman Forum and Capitoline Hill (3). The meeng point and beginning of the excursion corresponds to the Colosseum Staon of the Metro Line B (newspaper kiosk in front of the metro exit, Piazza del Colosseo). At stop 1, located at short distance from the meeng point, between the Colosseum and the Arch of Constanne, the general aspects of the geology of the Roman Basin and of the stragraphy of the Pliocene and Quaternary filling, will be described. The local topographical, archaeological, urban features and the detail of the morphology and geology of the Labicana Valley, where the Colosseum is located, will be illustrated. A parcular emphasis will be given on the hydrogeological and hydraulic aspects - both natural and anthropic driven - and on their implicaons related to flood hazard. The stop 2, reachable in about 20 minutes walking, is located at the Romolo and Remo Belvedere, panoramic viewpoint, overlooking the Circus Maximus. From here, with a view on the SW slope of the Palane Hill and on the Murcia Valley (Fig. 1), the paleo-morphology and stragraphic architecture of the hill and the deep stragraphy of the Roman area will be illustrated. The stop 3, between via di San Teodoro and via della Consolazione, is reachable aer about 20-30 minutes walking from stop 2. At via di San Teodoro the tuffs crop out and fluvial sands along the NW slope of the Palane Hill are visible from afar. At the foot of the Capitoline Hill, in via della Consolazione, it will be possible to see in detail outcrops of the various pyroclasc units typical of the Roman Pleistocene and to discuss the interacons between deposion of distal pyroclastes and river sedimentaon.