The Department of Ancient History at the University of Pisa has a research programme centred on _Firmum Picenum_ and its territory. The problems relating to the development of the urban layout (acropolis, forum, walls, theatre, cuniculi, cisterns, fountains, areas with private structures etc,) and the study of the numerous buildings have been discussed in a specific monograph (Agostini et al. 1987).
The Department of Ancient History at the University of Pisa has a research programme centred on _Firmum Picenum_ and its territory. The problems relating to the development of the urban layout (acropolis, forum, walls, theatre, cuniculi, cisterns, fountains, areas with private structures etc,) and the study of the numerous buildings have been discussed in a specific monograph (Agostini et al. 1987).
The territory belonging to _Firmum Picenum_, situated between the rivers Tenna and Aso, is currently being studied through a programme divided as follows:
- palaeographic studies;
- analysis of literary, archival and toponomastic sources;
- field work (archaeological and topographical survey);
- the morphological-archeometric study of the materials found.
A campaign of aerial photography is being conducted in collaboration with F. Vermeulen of the University of Ghent, which has so far completed the study of the Tenna valley.
The surveys focused on sectors with diverse geomorphological and environmental characteristics. The aim was to document the different ancient landscapes (coastal strip, hilly areas, valley bottoms) as thoroughly as possible.
So far 780 ancient settlements have been identified. The diverse landscapes that are stratified within the territory, and the relative settlement systems, have been defined: prehistoric sites, situated on river terraces; Piceni villages densely scattered across the hills; large Roman villas built from the 1st century B.C. onwards; farms connected to the agricultural reorganisation of the late Republican/early imperial period.
The research results on the ground are managed using GIS Archview 9. The results so far are published in a series of articles.
Funding Body
- Comune di Fermo
- Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Fermo
- Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica
- Università degli Studi di Pisa
Research Institution
Università degli Studi di Pisa, Dipartimento di Scienze Storiche del Mondo Antico
Director
Director
FOLD&R
Simonetta Menchelli
Eleonora Iacopini
. 2016. Novana, its territory and the Pisa South Picenum Survey Project II.. FOLD&R Archaeological Survey: 3.
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