Articles by Pasquale Merola

This research, conducted within the framework of the In.Res.Agri project, explores the integration of advanced remote sensing and artificial intelligence techniques to investigate archaeological landscapes in the Campania region (Italy), with a focus on the regions of Irpinia and the Campanian Plain. The study utilises high- and very-high-resolution multispectral satellite imagery, processed through software such as eCognition, with the objective of identifying and analysing land divisions, including Roman centuriation, and other archaeological features. The methodology combines traditional topographical analysis with both semi-automated and fully automated deep learning approaches, notably the training of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for the automated detection of linear features. Preliminary results demonstrate the software’s capacity to validate known archaeological layouts while revealing previously unidentified structures, such as ancient road networks, in challenging terrain. The continuous enhancement of CNN models is intended to achieve fully automated detection, with the objective of accelerating landscape analysis and enabling field validation. The project under discussion demonstrates the considerable potential for the integration of geospatial analysis and AI-driven technologies to enhance our comprehension of archaeological landscapes. It is important to acknowledge, however, that such endeavours are not without their limitations, and that there is a necessity for ongoing refinement and on-site verification.

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 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.

The fortress of Ighram Aousser is located in Morocco, 10 km W of M’rirt and 120 km S of Meknés, on the so-called mines route. The lack of an organic and complete documentation and a concrete need to acquire new data about unexplored areas have required a multi-methodological research including the analysis of historical sources, archaeological surveys, topographic investigations, laser scanner modelling and geophysical prospections. All data were stored in a Geographic Information System, which allowed spatial analyses and the creation of thematic maps. The integrated geoarchaeological approach has led to a new archaeological map providing an updated view of the rich archaeological heritage in that territory. The article also offers a complete account of the valorization processes, the international promotion of the site and its long-lasting mining tradition.

The paper presents the study of Doclea by remote sensing (satellite, aerial photos, drone) and the first results of the topographic survey conducted within the urban walls. The analysis of the images has highlighted buried structures that follow the same alignment as the walls visible above ground. The same anomalies are detected on the geophysical maps. The territorial survey, conducted with the aid of a differential GPS to position the emerging structures, has allowed one to identify numerous ancient structures, sometimes preserved to some height, which have the same orientation of the buildings of the forum and a stone paved road corresponding to a cardo of the city. Analysing the archaeological findings, the geophysical results and the measurements of the principal monuments and the roads, a hypothetical reconstruction of the Doclea urban plan is presented, which, naturally, can only be verified with further research and with excavation on the spot.

The research project, carried out as part of the preliminary planning for the environmental requalification of the Barignano area (Pontelatone, CE), consists in a multidisciplinary application model for the best practice of preventive archaeology. The project started thanks to a recent agreement between the Municipality of Pontelatone (CE) and the Institute for Technologies Applied to Cultural Heritage (ITABC) of the Italian CNR, encharged of drawing up an archaeological map of the territory of Barignano and the surrounding territory. Recent surveys increased the knowledge about the exploitation of the Pontelatone district since prehistoric times and defined a more articulated settlement model of the perifluvial part of the territory, providing it with a different economic position in the ancient world. Research data, confronted with geographically and historically comparable areas, propose a new territorial and economic development model for the areas located on the Volturno river, both in Roman and in earlier periods. Starting from archive research and published scientific literature, the survey was supported by remote sensing data and new software to map land markers - both historical and archaeological - and for their 3D representation. The dataset have been organized in different topics and informative layers on a GIS platform. The survey and the interpretation of remote sensing data provided new elements for the topography of the area. Traces that suggest a different environmental model for some regions of the Volturno plain have been identified. Furthermore, today’s research supported by targeted geophysical surveys represents an actual prospect for future research.