Understanding archaeological landscapes: steps towards an improved integration of survey methods in the reconstruction of subsurface sites in South Tuscany

The Department of Archaeology at Siena has been engaged for several decades in the testing of new methodologies, new approaches and new instruments for construction of the archaeological record. In relation to landscape archaeology and in particular with the South Tuscan landscapes the low level of visibility and heavy clay soils have directed us towards those techniques of remote sensing that leave a wide choice to the archaeologist in the periods for carrying out data capture. In particular we have begun to work on a systematic program of aerial survey, on Ikonos-2 and QuickBird-2 satellite imagery and on micro-digital terrain modelling using digital photogrammetry. On the ground our infra-site analysis has been improved by applying extensive magnetic survey, recently integrated with GPR survey; other gains have come from the systematic use of differential GPS and PDA devices. Along with the development of new technologies we have continued the study of historical aerial photographs and the use of field-walking survey, both of which still constitute, in our opinion, undeniably valuable sources for the archaeological study of ancient landscapes. The results that we have obtained are encouraging and show clearly the need to use integrated sources. Source-integration now represents the prime focus of our research. In an area like that of South Tuscany without this approach we foresee little possibility of obtaining results which will have a real effect on our understanding of the development of the landscape across time.