Multi-technique surveys and GIS analysis for the Roman palaeo-landscape reconstruction of Campi Flegrei volcanic area

Campi Flegrei volcanic active system is an example of a coastal sector scattered with numerous emerged and submerged archaeological remains testifying the ancient coastal conformation. The aim of this research is to obtain an extensive GIS-based mapping of the ancient Roman coastal landscape by using data from direct geoarchaeological surveys and indirect geophysical and stratigraphical analysis. The combination of this multi-technique approach allowed the realization of a detailed paleo-landscape reconstruction of Campi Flegrei area between the 1st century BC and 1st century AD, allowing assessing the overall coastal retreat/progradation trend affecting the area. Data showed that while the low coast sectors were affected by a prevailing progradation, so intense to overcome the general subsidence affecting the study area, all the high coast sectors were affected by a prevailing retreating trend also testified by the presence of the numerous shore platforms detected at the foot of the seacliffs.