Since 2009 the University of Messina and the Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the Italian National Research Council, in Lecce, have carried out a research project aimed at the reconstruction of the ancient urban layout of the Greek and Roman city of Taormina, along the eastern coast of Sicily. In Taormina many monumental remains from both the Hellenistic and Roman imperial periods are preserved or were found during excavations. There is a long tradition of archaeological studies on the city, but these are essentially focused on individual monuments, such as the theatre. Moreover, the previous reconstructions of the urban layout are based on schematic maps that are not detailed. The recent research is based on a systematic study of the archive documentation and of the previous bibliography. A systematic archaeological survey was performed in the ancient urban area and surrounding necropolises; during the field works, topographical surveys of the ancient remains were conducted using differential GPS and total station. Moreover, very important data were acquired from historical air-photos taken between the years 1920s and 1940s; in fact, they show some areas of the ancient that are not covered by the extension of the modern town. All the collected data were georeferenced in a digital archaeological map, that is in large-scale and up-to-date; in the map there is also the location of all the structures brought to light during small-scale excavations conducted by Superintendence during the last 50 years and applied in response to fortuitous discoveries made during the execution of public or private works. The map is integrated in a web-oriented GIS platform developed using open source software, with the aim to constitute an important tool both for the historical reconstruction and the conservation and management of the archaeological features. In fact, the integration and precise location of the collected data on a detailed base-map allowed the acquisition of new information for the reconstruction of the ancient topography of Tauromenion/Tauromenium, which had an urban layout strictly integrated to the morphology of the site; moreover, the vector archaeological map can became part of a wider plan for a sustainable urban development that respects the existing ancient remains and for policies aimed at the enhancement of value of the archaeological heritage in Taormina.

The Archaeological Map for the Reconstruction of the Ancient Topography of the Greek and Roman City of Taormina

CAMPAGNA, Lorenzo;
2016-01-01

Abstract

Since 2009 the University of Messina and the Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the Italian National Research Council, in Lecce, have carried out a research project aimed at the reconstruction of the ancient urban layout of the Greek and Roman city of Taormina, along the eastern coast of Sicily. In Taormina many monumental remains from both the Hellenistic and Roman imperial periods are preserved or were found during excavations. There is a long tradition of archaeological studies on the city, but these are essentially focused on individual monuments, such as the theatre. Moreover, the previous reconstructions of the urban layout are based on schematic maps that are not detailed. The recent research is based on a systematic study of the archive documentation and of the previous bibliography. A systematic archaeological survey was performed in the ancient urban area and surrounding necropolises; during the field works, topographical surveys of the ancient remains were conducted using differential GPS and total station. Moreover, very important data were acquired from historical air-photos taken between the years 1920s and 1940s; in fact, they show some areas of the ancient that are not covered by the extension of the modern town. All the collected data were georeferenced in a digital archaeological map, that is in large-scale and up-to-date; in the map there is also the location of all the structures brought to light during small-scale excavations conducted by Superintendence during the last 50 years and applied in response to fortuitous discoveries made during the execution of public or private works. The map is integrated in a web-oriented GIS platform developed using open source software, with the aim to constitute an important tool both for the historical reconstruction and the conservation and management of the archaeological features. In fact, the integration and precise location of the collected data on a detailed base-map allowed the acquisition of new information for the reconstruction of the ancient topography of Tauromenion/Tauromenium, which had an urban layout strictly integrated to the morphology of the site; moreover, the vector archaeological map can became part of a wider plan for a sustainable urban development that respects the existing ancient remains and for policies aimed at the enhancement of value of the archaeological heritage in Taormina.
2016
978-90-825296-0-9
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11570/3107196
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