A combination of ground-penetrating radar and satellite imagery has enabled scientists to create a 3D map of the buried Roman city of Falerii Novi in the Tiber Valley without turning a single spadeful of earth.
The town, near Rome, was founded about 240 BC and abandoned almost a thousand years later. Remarkably, it has lain undisturbed since then, gradually 'falling through the earth' as land subsided around it. Because modern buildings were never built on it, it has been studied repeatedly, but never before with tools that provide a layered and three-dimensional view.
Researchers, writing in the journal Antiquity, say they expect to learn a lot more about Roman urban design and other issues. It's the first time the combination of GPR and satellites has been used to map an entire city. They hope to use the technique on other, larger sites as well.
Comments (1)