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Integrated geophysical survey to recognize ancient Picentia’s buried walls, in the Archaeological Park of Pontecagnano – Faiano (Southern Italy)
Author(s)
Issued date
October 2008
Issue/vol(year)
5-6/51 (2008)
Language
English
Pages
867-875
Abstract
There is no information on previous geophysical prospections carried out in the Archaeological Park of Pontecagnano-
Faiano, in order to reconstruct the ancient settlement of Picentia, an Etrusco-Campanian and Roman
settlement near Salerno (Southern Italy). Therefore, an integrated geophysical survey based on magnetic, geoelectric
and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) prospections was executed in the Park. The methods provided a
basic map of buried ancient structures at depth from 0.1-0.2 to about 1.5 meters. Magnetic data were processed
analyzing the analytical signal of the vertical derivative of the measured gradient and this substantially reduced
a strong fence effect. The results of the geophysical prospections showed archaeological structures located close
to those discovered in the excavated areas. The shape of the anomalies are usually elongated with well-defined
geometrical characteristics. Many anomalies are arranged along orthogonal directions and they are very coherent
with the excavated structures, namely the quarters structures of the ancient Picentia.
Faiano, in order to reconstruct the ancient settlement of Picentia, an Etrusco-Campanian and Roman
settlement near Salerno (Southern Italy). Therefore, an integrated geophysical survey based on magnetic, geoelectric
and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) prospections was executed in the Park. The methods provided a
basic map of buried ancient structures at depth from 0.1-0.2 to about 1.5 meters. Magnetic data were processed
analyzing the analytical signal of the vertical derivative of the measured gradient and this substantially reduced
a strong fence effect. The results of the geophysical prospections showed archaeological structures located close
to those discovered in the excavated areas. The shape of the anomalies are usually elongated with well-defined
geometrical characteristics. Many anomalies are arranged along orthogonal directions and they are very coherent
with the excavated structures, namely the quarters structures of the ancient Picentia.
References
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Ciminale, M. and M. Loddo (2001): Aspects of magnetic
data processing, Archaeological Prospections, 8, 239-
246, doi: 10.1002/arp.172.
Cinquantaquattro, T. (2000): Pontecagnano (SA): saggi
stratigrafici nell’abitato antico, Bollettino di Archeologia,
28-30 (1994), 121 e 171.
Eppelbaum Lev, V., E. Khesin Boris and E. Itkis Sonya
(2001): Prompt Magnetic Investigations of Archaeological
Remains in Areas of Infrastructure Development, Israeli Experience, Archaeological Prospection,
8, 163-185, doi: 10.1002/arp. 167.
Giglio, M. (2001): Picentia, fondazione romana?, AION, 8
(n.s.), 119-131.
Hounslow, M.W. and P. Neil Chroston (2002): Structural
Layout of the Suburbs of Roman Butrint, Southern
Albania: Results from a Gradiometer and Resistivity
Survey, Archaeological. Prospection, 9, 229-242-
Loke, M.H. and R.D. Barker (1996): Rapid leastsquares
inversion of apparent resistivity pseudosections
by a quasi-Newton method, Geophysical Prospecting,
44.
Neubauer, W., A. Eder-Hinterleitner, S. Seren and P.
Melichar (1997): Georadar in the Roman Civil Town
Carnuntum, Austria: An Approach for Archaeological
Interpretation of GPR Data, Archaeological Prospection,
9, 135-156, doi: 10.1002/arp.183.
Neubauer, W. (2001): Magnetische Prospektion in der
Archaologie, Mitteilungen der Prahistorischen Kommission,
44, Osterreichische Akademie der Wissenshaften,
Wien.
Piro, S., D. Goodman and Y. Nishimura (2003): The Study
and Characterization of Emperor Traiano’s Villa (Altopiani
di Arcinazzo, Roma) using High-resolution Integrated
Geophysical Surveys, Archaeological Prospection,
10, 1-25, doi: 10.1002/arp.203.
Roest, W.R, J. Verhoef and M. Pilkington (1992): Magnetic
interpretation using the 3D analytic signal, Geophysics,
57 (1), 116-125.
Strøm, I. (1993): Pontecagnano-Picentia. A. Hellenistic
Town in the Former Etruscan Campania. The Danish
Escavation, Acta Hyperborea, 5, 107-126.
Ciminale, M. and M. Loddo (2001): Aspects of magnetic
data processing, Archaeological Prospections, 8, 239-
246, doi: 10.1002/arp.172.
Cinquantaquattro, T. (2000): Pontecagnano (SA): saggi
stratigrafici nell’abitato antico, Bollettino di Archeologia,
28-30 (1994), 121 e 171.
Eppelbaum Lev, V., E. Khesin Boris and E. Itkis Sonya
(2001): Prompt Magnetic Investigations of Archaeological
Remains in Areas of Infrastructure Development, Israeli Experience, Archaeological Prospection,
8, 163-185, doi: 10.1002/arp. 167.
Giglio, M. (2001): Picentia, fondazione romana?, AION, 8
(n.s.), 119-131.
Hounslow, M.W. and P. Neil Chroston (2002): Structural
Layout of the Suburbs of Roman Butrint, Southern
Albania: Results from a Gradiometer and Resistivity
Survey, Archaeological. Prospection, 9, 229-242-
Loke, M.H. and R.D. Barker (1996): Rapid leastsquares
inversion of apparent resistivity pseudosections
by a quasi-Newton method, Geophysical Prospecting,
44.
Neubauer, W., A. Eder-Hinterleitner, S. Seren and P.
Melichar (1997): Georadar in the Roman Civil Town
Carnuntum, Austria: An Approach for Archaeological
Interpretation of GPR Data, Archaeological Prospection,
9, 135-156, doi: 10.1002/arp.183.
Neubauer, W. (2001): Magnetische Prospektion in der
Archaologie, Mitteilungen der Prahistorischen Kommission,
44, Osterreichische Akademie der Wissenshaften,
Wien.
Piro, S., D. Goodman and Y. Nishimura (2003): The Study
and Characterization of Emperor Traiano’s Villa (Altopiani
di Arcinazzo, Roma) using High-resolution Integrated
Geophysical Surveys, Archaeological Prospection,
10, 1-25, doi: 10.1002/arp.203.
Roest, W.R, J. Verhoef and M. Pilkington (1992): Magnetic
interpretation using the 3D analytic signal, Geophysics,
57 (1), 116-125.
Strøm, I. (1993): Pontecagnano-Picentia. A. Hellenistic
Town in the Former Etruscan Campania. The Danish
Escavation, Acta Hyperborea, 5, 107-126.
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