Archaeology of a Lagoon: the anthropogenic landscapes of Aquileia (Italy) between land and sea

Aquileia (Italy), once one of the largest cities of the Roman Empire, was located at the head of the Adriatic Sea, about 20 km from the modern sea coast line. Nowadays, Aquileia sits at the edge of a brackish water lagoon that largely occupies its once vast southern suburban landscape. Using sophisticated remote sensing (RS) techniques over both coastal and lagoon areas, research undertaken within the «Beyond the city walls» project has revealed a number of previously unrevealed supplementary canals connected to well known ancient features and a number of not-as-yet identified coastal settlements adjoining them, as well as a number of underwater traces that can be interpreted as preserved archaeological structures. This poster showcases some of the most recent discoveries at those sites and explores the challenges and the opportunities connected with using remote sensing techniques in a lagoon and in a semi-humid environment.