The road station of Baccano, cited in the Tabula Peutingeriana with the name ad Vacanas, and the remains of the ancient via Cassia, were discovered to the north-west of Rome during work on the SS. 2 Cassia in 1979. Between 1980 and 1994 a series of excavations unearthed a large part of the consular road and its associated buildings, among them _tabernae_, bath buildings, warehouses, and places of shelter for animals and people. As part of the project of analysis of the urban center, road stations and ports of the middle and lower Tiber valley, the _mansio_ of Baccano became the object of new research. Both geophysical and topographical techniques were used. The integration of the two approaches yielded important results regarding the nature of the archaeological context still buried.

Between the 3rd and 17th of May 2002, a geophysical and topographical survey covering approximately 2 hectares was undertaken in the area around the archaeological excavations at Baccanas (Campagnano di Roma, Lazio, Italy), by a team from the British School at Rome and Cambridge University. The survey formed part of the continuing work of the AHRB funded Roman Towns in the Middle and Lower Tiber Valley project, directed by Simon Keay (University of Southampton) and Martin Millett (Cambridge University). The survey benefited from the use of an integrated survey strategy since the topographical data greatly assisted in the interpretation of the magnetometry results. These were not as clear as might have been hoped due to the difficulties presented by the surface spread of material, and the depth of the archaeology around the limits of the survey area. However, the survey was deemed to be successful since it both increased knowledge of the site beyond the excavated area, and elucidated possibilities for the further extent of the settlement. The survey results suggested that the surrounding areas to the west of the archaeological zone might yield further evidence of the settlement. However, the depth of soil over the archaeological remains make it unlikely that very clear or easily interpretable results would be produced by extending the magnetometry survey area. Equally, to the east the continuation of the possible forum is hidden by the remainder of the previous modern Via Cassia and therefore geophysical survey in this area would also prove unsuccessful.