From documents to the ground. The early medieval landscape of Comacchio

Starting from the results of the archaeological excavations lead by the Ca' Foscari University of Venice between 2006 and 2010, this paper offers a reconstruction of the landscape of Comacchio in the Early Middle Ages (VII-X Century). The emporium of Comacchio was founded in a lagoon area not far from important tributaries of the Po river. The research was based on traditional topographic methods (study of historical cartography and place names, analysis of aerial photography); it also turned to geoarcheology in order to investigate the site of St. Maria in Padovetere.

Starting from the results of the archaeological excavations lead by Università Ca' Foscari di Venezia between 2006 and 2010, this paper offers a reconstruction of the landscape of Comacchio in the Early Middle Ages (VIIth-Xth century). The emporium of Comacchio was founded in a lagoon area not far from important tributaries of the Po river. The research was based on traditional topographic methods (study of historical cartography and place names, analysis of aerial photography); it also turned to geoarchaeology in order to investigate the site of St. Maria in Padovetere.