Mappe digitali per lo studio dei paesaggi medievali

During the last five years the LIAAM (Laboratory of Computer Science Applied to Medieval Archaeology) of the Siena University has worked heavily on developing and testing a wide range of digital cartography related to archaeological data. In this paper we will discuss our approach to the management of a complex cartographical data set, focusing particularly on what kind of data archaeologists need and on how to relate these maps to possible research applications and management alternatives. Another important point is represented by the requirement of data exchange with local and regional administrations; this process has to be bi-directional (archaeologists acquire basic maps and return maps of archaeological risk) in order to really let our discipline be part of landscape administration processes. The GIS platform of the Archaeological Map of the Siena Province represents a valid model for both of the main points explained above; it has produced good results in fact of historical knowledge improvement.