Vicus Costanziaci between land and sea: Remote Sensing applications for the detection of the lost islands in the Venetian Lagoon

“Vicus Costanziaci” is a project for the recovery, protection and evaluation of the historical and archaeological heritage of Costanziaco, an ancient small group of islands in the Lagoon north of Venice, of which currently just two emerged strips survive, namely: the abandoned islands of S. Ariano and La Cura. The project is being co-directed by D. Cottica (University Ca’ Foscari of Venice) in collaboration with the Superintendency of Archeological Heritage of Veneto. Exploring the area lying between the mainland and the lagoon represents an important opportunity for reconstructing the history of Venice before the well known medieval city arose. Through survey and excavations of the Costanziaco area, the project aims to shed new light on early patterns of occupation in the Venetian Lagoon, that is the history of ‘Venice before Venice’, to explore the communication network between the mainland and the sea and to examine the evolution of settlements along the commercial routes of the Lagoon. The particular environment of research, the Lagoon, makes necessary the close collaboration of archaeologists and scientists of differing expertise. Remote sensing (RS) in this case is critical for investigating the ancient extent of the lost islands.