A geophysical survey was carried out as part of the “Vulci Cityscape” Project in the area of the Archaeological and Naturalistic Park of Vulci. The field work was undertaken in collaboration with Eastern Atlas GmbH & Co. KG (Berlin), the aim being to explore the northern sector of the plateau occupied by the ancient city, in order to gather more evidence and make a wide-ranging reconstruction of Vulci’s urban structure, and the layout of several functional areas. In addition, the survey served to evaluate the expediency of more in-depth investigations, both invasive and not. It also forms the basis for a wider-ranging analysis aimed at re-evaluating the urban and topographical organisation of Vulci with a view to reconsidering the functional definition of specific public and private spaces and the major junctions in the city’s internal and external road network from a diachronic perspective, in addition to their reciprocal correlation and interaction. This will make it possible to further our understanding of the development of the urban planning models and strategies during the course of time, which also needs to be assessed in comparison and in relation to other sites, providing a new contribution to the study of Etruscan urban planning.

The geophysical survey covered an area of 22.5 hectares and includes the sector that from the decumanus extends to the edge of the acropolis. The wide-ranging geo-magnetic survey thus ensured the complete coverage of the entire area and acquired a vast panorama of the territory in question. Based on these results, Ground Penetrating Radar was used in two specific areas.

The investigations provided a good overall picture of the urban stratigraphy and identified functional sectors with various characteristics. The phases of this urban palimpsest are present simultaneously in the two-dimensional picture resulting from the geo-magnetic survey. Some disturbances, highlighted by unusual magnetic responses, were caused by the geological situation, others by lightning strikes on the plateau. As regards the archaeological evidence, in addition to a large sacred area next to the great temple, to which a new monumental temple and a smaller building can now be added, residential and production areas were identified and further information about the city’s internal fortification system was obtained.
Evidence of scattered settlement throughout the investigated territory was also recorded and further evidence for the layout of the road network was also picked up. In this regard, different systems were identified within the urban fabric, which flanked or overlaid each other, visible in building interferences and in the different alignment of some roads and structures, which may reflect the chronological development. The new sacred area and one of the zones occupied by production structures were further investigated using GPR, which made it possible to evaluate the structures at different depths.
In coming years, geophysical survey will be flanked by excavation; the excavation of the new temple began in 2021.