Season Director

• AIAC_1897 - Porto - 2003
  The geophysics work around Trajan’s harbour began in 1998, and has since been completed. The magnetometry results revealed: • A plan of the ‘Imperial Palace’ and its associated warehouses • A series of warehouses fronting the port • A part of the massive defensive wall circuit • The port’s major aqueduct, the location of which was previously unknown • Details of buildings to the southwest of the harbour, surrounding the basilica site and lining the canal which connects the harbour to the Fosse Traiana • More evidence for land reclaimation and property divisions at the confluence of the Tiber and Fossa Traiana.
• AIAC_1897 - Porto - 2007
  The first season took place over five weeks during September and early October 2007, and was directed by Simon Keay and Graeme Earl (Southampton), assisted by Dott.ssa Lidia Paroli (Soprintendenza per I Beni Archeologici di Ostia), and involved participants from the universities of Southampton, Cambridge, Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Aix-en-Provence, Tarragona and Seville. It built upon two earlier seasons of topographic work (March 2007) and resistance tomography (June 2007). The excavations uncovered a large (250 mq) open area at the eastern edge of the Palazzo Imperiale, a key building at the centre of the port, revealing a large rectangular dock or canal that was probably of Claudian date, defined by a spectacular series of moles on the south side of the main Claudian basin of the port. This was filled with sand in the course of the first and second centuries AD, and its central stretch subsequently covered by a large circular building in the Severan period. The whole area was extensively replanned in the later fifth and sixth centuries AD.
• AIAC_1897 - Porto - 2008
  Geophysics: The three year programme of magnetometer survey on the Isola Sacra began in the north-eastern corner of the island and has detected: • Structures to the south of the Fossa Traiana between Sant Ippolito and the Capo due Rami • that are possibly associated with the _Statio Marmorum_ • Road alignments • Field boundaries • Possible tomb structures overlooking the Tiber. Excavation: The main _focus_ of excavations remained the large open area at the eastern edge of the Palazzo Imperiale initiated in 2007. The sequence here is now clearer. Considerable emphasis was directed towards the southern side of the channel excavated in 2007. While the expected southern mole has proved elusive, the excavations uncovered the northern face and a range of rooms belonging to the large building delimiting the southern side of the channel: this runs for 250m in an east-west direction, and was c. 80 m wide. This southern wall face embodied a high complex structural sequence running from the 1st through to the later 5th centuries AD. More was learned about the circular building uncovered in 2007. It was in fact ovoid in shape (c. 42m x 35 m) and may have acted as a centre for the registration of incoming cargoes. Emphasis was also directed towards the excavation of the sequence of cisterns at its northern end. It now seems certain that these were built during the Trajanic and Hadrianic periods, undergoing an important series of modifications down into the late antique period, as well as providing evidence for limited occupation during the 11th-13th centuries AD. It is possible that these were the easternmost of a line of cisterns along the northern façade of the Palazzo Imperiale, that were fed by an aqueduct running along the south side of the channel uncovered in 2007, and which may have been used to provide freshwater for ships leaving Portus on their return journeys. Additional fieldwork included a programme of geoarchaeological coring in the excavation area (J-P Goiran, Universite de Lyons), as well as a sub-bottom profile survey of the Trajanic basin in collaboration with the Duca Sforza Cesarini.
• AIAC_3604 - Interamna Lirenas - 2014
  The total-coverage geophysical prospection (magnetometry) carried out over the whole urban area of Interamna Lirenas had made it possible to identify not only the main settlement layout, but also relevant monumental features within it. Most prominent of all, next to the forum, was a theatre. This discovery prompt a serious reconsideration of the nature and importance of the settlement, especially since the absence of any archaeological feature hinting to the presence of this kind of building had been taken by our predecessors as a sign of the secondary nature of the town. The 2013 (6x20m) test trench had already verified (a) the close correspondence between the excavated structures and the plan produced through geophysical prospection and (b) the remarkably good state of the buried archaeology (although little was preserved above floor level). The excavation of foundations also made it possible to date the building to the second half of the I century BC, a date which is fully compatible with the building technique employed. In 2014 the trench was further extended by way of another perpendicular section (23x13m) encompassing portions of the cavea, the orchestra and the scaena. The excavation yielded important details that also help appreciate the post-abandonment phases of the building and its state of preservation. First and foremost, the floor of the orchestra is yet to be uncovered, despite the fact that our trench has reached a depth of about 1.70m below the surface. Furthermore, although we have identified the wall of the scaena and one of the hospitalia, the floor of the pulpitum itself is yet to be found. All of this suggests that the structure is in fact better preserved in its lowest levels than originally assumed. As for the scaena wall, whereas the southern face was badly preserved, the northern one yielded extensive in situ remains of frescoes (two sections about 4m in length on each side of the hospitalium). These have not been excavated as it was deemed advisable to carry out this work in the presence of a conservator, something which we have already planned for the 2015 season. Especially interesting is the evidence we have uncovered for an extensive and systematic spoliation process. Large blocks of limestone, in all likelihood part of the cavea originally, are found displaced and broken up – some even stacked vertically against each other for later processing! The thick layer of debris which fills the cavea appears to have been dug trhough at some point in order to allow access to the structures, in accordance to a practice which is well-attested at the site for the whole modern period (used like an open-air quarry). A preliminary analysis of some of the finds from contexts associated with these activities suggest a medieval origin for at least some of them. The presence of a large magnetic anomaly to the NW (as revealed by earlier magnetometry) taken together with the fact that several of the limestone blocks were smashed seems to suggest the presence of a lime kiln nearby.
• AIAC_63 - Seripola - 2000
  The river port of Seripola, situated on the eastern bank of the Tiber, was discovered in 1962-63 during the construction of the Autostrada A1. The site was identified in the Tabula Peutingeriana as Castellum Amerinum and is located at the point where the ancient via Amerina crossed the Tiber. The excavations, conducted on only a part of the site, have permitted a dating of the occupation between the second century BC and Late Antique period. As part of the project of analysis of the cities, road stations and ports of the middle and lower Tiber valley, new investigations were begun with the use of the geophysical research and surface survey in the area outside the excavations of Seripola and near the via Amerina. Magnetometry revealed the presence of sepulchral structures both along the via Amerina and along the bank of the Tiber. These show an extention of the site higher than that previously imagined. Moreover, it was possible to follow the layout of the via Amerina for a length of over 140 meters beyond the excavated area; its route is delimited by tombs and mausolea. The continuation of this research will permit further clarification of the structure of this small river port.
• Site Required - 2002
  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.

Season Team

• AIAC_136 - Fregellae - 2004
  Il sito di Fregelle è ben noto dalle fonti storiche, come città romana repubblicana distrutta nel tardo I secolo a.C. Essa è stata indagata tramite scavi in aree precise scelte in base alla scoperta sia di edifici pubblici, sia privati. La ricognizione geofisica e topografica condotta per questo progetto è stata concepita per fornire un più ampio quadro del sito da integrare con i precedenti rinvenimenti. I risultati finora sono stati promettenti, avendo individuato il foro, il comizio e la curia (già in parte conosciuti dallo scavo), come edifici che circondano il foro e che si trovano verso l’area in cui si è pensato fossero situate le mura della città. Future indagini saranno finalizzate ad ampliare la conoscenza della pianta e dell’organizzazione della città.
• AIAC_137 - Teano - 2005
  Il progetto si avvale di ricognizioni geofisiche per indagare la natura dei resti archeologici nei pressi del cosiddetto “Santuario di Loreto”. Fondata nel IV secolo a.C. Teano costituiva il principale punto di comunicazione tra le valli del Lazio meridionale e le pianure della Campania. I resti archeologici più imponenti della città pre-romana e romana sono il teatro e l’anfiteatro, situati dietro l’area della città moderna. Ricognizioni condotte negli ultimi tre anni hanno restituito una gran quantità di informazioni circa la pianta e il tessuto della città, tra cui la scoperta di un secondo anfiteatro e di un tempio. Vd. anche http://www.fastionline.org/micro_view.php?)item_key=fst_cd&fst_cd=AIAC_1868.
• AIAC_1897 - Porto - 2009
  The third and final season of excavations at Portus were undertaken for two weeks in the first half of July, and between the 26th August and the 23rd October. This involved the continuation of excavation on the western side of the side at the foot of the late antique walls, within the large building at the southern end of the site (Building 5), on the western side of the cistern block (Buildings 1 and 3) and on the western side of the path in the direction of the main body of the “Palazzo Imperiale.” Overall an area of c. 3000 square metres has now been excavated with an international team of c 50 people, resulting in the identification of seven main periods of structural development along the eastern side of the “Palazzo Imperiale.” One of the highlights of the season included the discovery of the western side of the amphitheatre, which was found to be inscribed within a monumental hemicycle, a seriously of luxuriously appointed rooms lying immediately to the west which formed the eastern edge of a garden complex. The rooms generated large quantities of imported marble, including a very fine head, possibly representing Ulysses, and environmental material. Another was the discovery of the Claudian mole and an associated series of beach deposits. In addition to the excavation, there was an intensive programme of Ground Penetrating Radar survey covering the whole of the “Palazzo Imperiale,” further environmental coring (with the Université de Lyon) and a first programme of helicopter-based infra-red photography of the whole of Portus and the Isola Sacra (with the University of Ghent).