Geo-archaeology of the Roman palaeosurface of Sena Gallica (Senigallia, Italy)

Abstract

Sena Gallica (Senigallia), in the northern Marche region, was the first Roman colony on the Adriatic coast founded at the beginning of the third century BC. This research adopted an integrated approach to different information sources that combines old and new data, archaeological excavations, topographic and geophysical surveys, and geological and geomorphological analyses. The data are managed within a GIS and supported by 3D modelling. One of the results of this work is a map which represents the geomorphological setting of the Roman colony, close to the mouth of the Misa river. The settlement exploited the top-surface of the uppermost Pleistocene-early Holocene coastal fan of the Misa river, now only preserved at the apex sector truncated seaward by wave erosion. The top-surface of the fan apex, in turn, was partly re-incised by stream erosion producing a series of slight topographic mounds, which were selected for the earliest human settlement (V-IV c. BC). Some of the mounds resulted in a protected, slightly elevated, area enclosed by the meandering course of the Misa River and the Sant'Angelo/Penna streams, where the Romans decided to found their colony (284 BC). The tight interaction between human activities and the natural environment has always influenced the development of the town, from the earliest phases to the modern age. This map focuses on the time when the Roman colony was founded, but the combined study in progress allows understanding of the main transformations that occurred during the following centuries. ARTICLE HISTORY

The modeling of archaeological and geomorphic surfaces in a multistratified urban site in Padua, Italy

“…This opens to the possibility that these surfaces act as reflectors/markers for geophysical prospection, for example, magnetic gradiometer, resistivity profile, frequency‐domain electromagnetics, or ground‐penetrating radar. Such methods provided good results in complex multistratified sites, such as Altinum in the Venice Lagoon (Mozzi et al., ), Classe (Boschi, ), and Sena Gallica (Silani et al., ) along the Adriatic Coast. Geophysical survey in an urban environment can be very complicated due to possible disturbance by present infrastructure, electricity lines, pipes, etc.…”

“…The modeling of large, buried archaeological surfaces in alluvial and coastal plains, through a comprehensive geoarchaeological and geographic information systems (GISs) approach has been tested in several sites in Italy (e.g., Naples: Cinque et al., ; Sarno River Plain: Vogel, Märker, and Seiler, ; Grosseto: Citter and Arnoldus, ; Pisa: Bini et al., ; Como: Ferrario et al., ; Adria: Corrò, and Mozzi, ; Senigallia: Silani et al., ; Isernia: Amato et al., ). In this research, we attempted the reconstruction of buried geomorphic and archaeological surfaces in a large, multistratified urban site, through the spatial interpolation of elevation points representing specific archaeological occupation periods.…”

Geomorphological and Anthropic Control of the Development of Some Adriatic Historical Towns (Italy) Since the Roman Age

“…The settlement took advantage of the geomorphology of the site (Silani et al 2016). It exploited the Misa River fan, truncated seawards by a rather low wave-erosion scarp today concealed by recent sediment and buildings.…”

“…The configuration of the Roman buried paleosurface of Sena Gallica has been attested by the identification, characterization (archaeological excavations) and reconstruction (historical sources, geophysical prospection and probings) of a buried stratigraphic level consisting of dark brown clay (paleosoil) lying above late Pleistocene-early Holocene alluvial sediment (Silani et al 2016). Sena Gallica, which covers the entire surface between the Misa and the S. Angelo/Penna streams (Fig.…”

“…Specifically, peculiar archeological elements, such as port facilities, specific stems or shrines, bridges, urban walls, etc., were valuable indicators for the physiographic arrangement of the territory during the life stages of settlements (e.g., Luni 1992, Morigi 1999. Finally, geophysical surveys (by means of ground penetrating radar, resistivity meter, seismograph) combined with excavation and survey data revealed of the uttermost importance in Senigallia, where a detailed 3D reconstruction of the Roman buried surface was realized (Silani et al 2016). …”