Landscape changes and site discovery potential: predictive criteria and field survey strategies for prehistoric contexts

This paper offers a brief introduction to the archaeological framework of prehistoric contexts in Grosseto district focusing on the relationship between landscape dynamics and archaeological potentialities of this territory. Particular attention is dedicated to the southern area of Grosseto taking into considerations alluvial plain and the coastal belt of Uccellina Mountains. The illustration/presentation of our case study gives us the opportunity to discuss our methodological approach and to highlight the importance of activating virtuous cycle between predicting analysis and field survey test /feedback. One of the aims of this paper is to examine different type of archaeological potentialities which can be explored through the help of predicting assessment. Thus the prehistoric investigations carried out in our study area needs to be related to landscape changes which strongly affected coastal transformation since Palaeolithic period generating different types of “archaeological visibility constrains” that cause low visibility of prehistoric evidence on landscape surface.