High resolution satellite imagery: a new source of information to the archaeological study of italian landscapes? Case study of Tuscany

The experience of the Department of Medieval Archaeology at the University of Siena in high resolution satellite imagery (HRSI) has concentrated on five sample areas, chosen for their differing geo-morphological characteristics, landscapes and cultural complexity. They have a combined extent of about 670 km2. In recent years all five areas have been subjected to multi-temporal analysis of vertical aerial photographs, to intensive field survey and to aerial survey. They therefore present an excellent opportunity for testing the potential of HSRI in comparison with “traditional” methodologies for landscape analysis. Ikonos-2 imagery has proved interesting in allowing us to identify features in the order of 40-50 m in diameter, along with alignments relating to ancient road systems. The work with Quickbird-2 imagery has only just begun but the higher ground resolution and above all the possibility for the first time of choosing the capture time make us optimistic about a variety of possible applications in Tuscany and more generally in Italian landscape archaeology.