Computation of modern anthropogenic-deposit thicknesses in urban areas: A case study in Rome, Italy

Abstract

In comparison with naturally stratified deposits, anthropogenic strata often have large variability in physical and chemical characteristics, which can be determined only through field surveys and laboratory tests. The estimation of their spatial distribution, based on the modelling of their basal surface, may output imprecise results, since the interpolation process is often affected by insufficient input data, which are provided by available borehole-log data. This paper reports the results of a multitemporal-analysis methodology, which is supported by historical maps that are generally available for urban centres. The methodology allows the spatial characterization of major portions of anthropogenic deposits, which were mainly produced after the Industrial Revolution, worldwide. The first tests seemed to be satisfactory, although the selected area, which has been greatly urbanized since the end of the 19th century, is part of a city in which humans have made important modifications since ancient times.

Paleotopography and anthropogenic deposition thickness of the city of Aachen, Germany

“…Therefore, reconstruction of the paleo-topography of urban areas has to rely mainly on existing data, which are often obtained during archeological surveys and geological drilling in relation to construction activities. Archeological data have occasionally been used in the past to reconstruct the urban stratigraphy for certain ancient European cities and their surroundings, such as Carcassonne, Bourges, Pompeii, Padua, Rome, and Vienna (Carver, 1983(Carver, , 1987Edgeworth, Mackert, & Petritsch, 2016;Luberti, 2018;Mozzi et al, 2018;Vogel, Märker, & Seiler, 2011). A map was drawn for the city of Cologne, Germany, showing anthropogenic sediments that have existed since Roman colonization (Brunotte, Immendorf, & Schlimm, 1994), and such mapping was also conducted in a small area of the inner part of the city of Aachen (Keller, 2004).…”

Geomorphology of the historic centre of theUrbs(Rome, Italy)

“…This is mainly made of clayey and sandy sediments much more exposed to weathering and erosion, being often not covered by the pyroclastic rocks and less urbanised than on the other side of the Tevere river. There, structural and fluvial landforms present a wider variety of types that have deeply been modified only during the last 150 years (Del Monte et al, 2016;Luberti, 2018).…”

Urban flooding in Britain: an approach to comparing ancient and contemporary flood exposure

“…Thus, in the Nene valley, over 2 m of alluvial clays overlie Late Saxon or medieval ridge-and-furrow (Robinson 1992), whilst at York 9 m of sediment provide a record of flood sedimentation from the second century CE (Hudson-Edwards et al 1999). Ground levels in cities themselves have become elevated as they have been repeatedly rebuilt on top of 'anthropogenic deposits', especially their wastes and remains of earlier buildings (Luberti 2018).…”