Articles by Immacolata Ditaranto

ASH investigates the role of Andosols, i.e. volcanic-ash soils, in four case studies in central and southern Italy (Southern Etruria/Northern Latium, the Campanian Plain, the Poro highplain in Calabria, and the Ionian–Etnean area of Sicily). It studies how the distribution and properties of these soils shaped agricultural productivity, settlement systems, and longterm landscape use from Late Prehistory to Antiquity. The research combines archaeological records (new fieldwork and legacy data) with pedological and archaeobotanical studies and multi-temporal remote sensing (historical satellite images, multispectral imagery, spectral indices mapping, sampling, integrated machine-learning and deep-learning analyses). A standards-based GIS supports cross-domain integration and spatial modelling. The project advances knowledge of human-environment relations, highlighting the strategic importance – and vulnerability – of volcanic-ash soils as a crucial subsistence resource. It also establishes a basis for transdisciplinary work linking archaeology, remote sensing, pedology, and environmental research, and provides evidence to inform responsible management of soil and landscape heritage today. Newly collected datasets and GIS mapping enable reproducible analyses and open deposition to benefit future research and heritage governance.

The case study identified in Eastern Irpinia includes the territories belonging to the colony of Aeclanum, to the N, and ancient Compsa, to the S. It is a vast area bordered by the Calore River to the W, which reaches and exceeds the banks of the Ufita River to the E. It offers the opportunity to study a territory that has been little explored in relation to the topic of agrarian divisions, likely due to its decidedly complex geomorphological nature, characterized by a predominantly hilly landscape and rich hydrography, with limited plains. Furthermore, the historical interpretation of the entire territory is equally complex, for which the boundaries of each center can only be hypothesized. Following the indications of the Liber Coloniarum, which mentions divisions for both Aeclanum and Compsa, and considering the discovery of eight agrarian division stones, of which at least 6 dating to Gracchan period, an attempt is being made to reconstruct the agrarian divisions implemented in the territory through the analysis of historical cartography, aerial photographs and with the aid of machine-learning applications starting from high-resolution satellite images.

The In.Res.Agri project aims to optimize the understanding of Roman agricultural landscapes in Southern Italy by integrating topographical, archaeological, environmental, and textual data within an innovative data-science platform. It focuses on examining the resilience of Roman agrarian landscapes, specifically through elements such as centuriation, route networks, and settlement patterns. The project employs both traditional survey methods and advanced technologies to recover, interpret, and manage archaeo-topographical data related to centuriation. Key methods include using Machine Learning for the automatic detection of centuriated fields, spatial analysis of both legacy and new data, and the use of annotated epigraphic and literary sources. All collected data will be implemented into the Digital_Groma platform, which will feature a digital archive and a webGIS for data display and querying; data will be exposed adhering to FAIR principles. In.Res.Agri will focus on regions in Campania (Vesuvian Area, Irpinia) and Puglia (Tavoliere), exploring the link between contemporary landscapes and Roman centuriated agro-ecosystems. This research is crucial for understanding the impact of environmental changes on Cultural Heritage, aligning with the priorities of the European Commission and UNESCO. The Digital_Groma platform will be accessible to researchers, tourists, and public institutions involved in archaeology, urban planning, and cultural heritage protection.

Despite the impressiveness of its remains, until 2008 the city walls of Hierapolis of Phrygia (4th century AD) were one of the lesser known monuments of the city. The preserved and reconstructed remains of the fortifications are about 2.1 km long and are characterized by the systematic reuse of many blocks and architectural materials from necropolises and monuments that were demolished at the time of the construction of the walls. The study and the topographical survey (using a differential GPS) of the city walls were employed along with the analysis and centimetric positioning of all the main reused architectural elements (1142 items), i.e. those which are easier to recognize and to trace back to the buildings from which they came. The fieldwork was carried out using a Tablet PC and a specially developed computer schedule to record the characteristics of the recycled materials and their location. The data were uploaded into a dedicated and specially developed geodatabase, aimed at managing information related to the heterogeneous materials reused, integrating the intrinsic characteristics of objects and their positions. In the geodatabase, every architectural element was catalogued so that spatial queries could be made to identify the existence of homogeneous materials and determine their positions along the walls; they are also correlated with their monuments of origin when this information is available.