Airborne and ground remote sensing for archaeological applications: landscape and mines in Gargano area (Italy)

This paper illustrates some results of an Italian National Research Project "PRIN2005", devoted to study both features of a prehistorical mining landscape and underground mines - not evident, or partial1y evident, on surface. The context of the project is the Promontory of Gargano (South-Eastern ltaly, Foggia), where the extraordinary availability of flint is associated with evidence of numerous extraction complexes (underground mines). According to the available data, the mines cover a time-span of almost three thousand years; among them, the most important is the Defensola, a mine- the most ancient in Europe- active from roughly 5.800 b.C. Differently from other European prehistoric mining complexes, in Gargano, mines generally open onto slopes with a convex morphology and have often produced extremely large conoidal spoil heaps outside. Two different methods of investigation have been used. The first method was based on digital aerial photogrammetry in order to find natural and archaeological features of prehistorical landscape. Starting from present and historical geo-morphological evidences, thanks to the stereo and photo interpretation that have shown earthworks and soilmarks, it was possible to recognize geological features interpreted as evidence of palaeodrainage and ancient coastline. The integration with historical references and geological researches through a GIS allowed to join different dataset in a way to highlight the spatial and temporal variations and to produce thematic cartography. The second level of investigation moves by geophysical surveys. These latter allowed to determine the internal layout of each mining structure, where only the entrance is known. Moreover, geophysical prospecting allowed to verify the presence of new mining structures, in presence of one or few vertical shafts, general1y as a part of larger mining complexes.