- Department of Archaeology
Ghent University
Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 35, 9000 Gent
Belgium
Frank Vermeulen
Ghent University, Archaeology, Faculty Member
- Since 1998 Frank Vermeulen is Full Professor in Roman archaeology and archaeological methodology at Ghent University,... moreSince 1998 Frank Vermeulen is Full Professor in Roman archaeology and archaeological methodology at Ghent University, where he chairs the Department of Archaeology. Between 2008 and 2011 he was also part-time Research Professor at the research centre CIDEHUS of the University of Évora (Portugal) and he was in recent years visiting professor at UCBerkeley and Macquarie University (Sydney). In his research two major themes dominate: the archaeology of ancient Mediterranean landscapes and Roman rural and urban settlement history. He has a special interest in developing and using non-destructive survey techniques, such as aerial photography and geophysics. He currently directs field projects in Italy (Potenza Valley Survey in Marche and on several Roman urban sites in Latium). Recently he also directed fieldwork in Corsica (Roman town of Mariana) and Portugal (Roman town and territory of Ammaia).edit
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The book From the Mountains to the Sea proposes an innovative synthesis of recent archaeological research on town formation and urbanisation, and connected Roman colonisation, of the central part of Adriatic Italy. Frank Vermeulen... more
The book From the Mountains to the Sea proposes an innovative synthesis of recent archaeological research on town formation and urbanisation, and connected Roman colonisation, of the central part of Adriatic Italy. Frank Vermeulen analyses the formation and character of Roman towns in this still somewhat understudied area of central Italy, thus contributing to a better understanding of the lasting Roman impact on conquered societies in Italy as a whole. During the past decade much archaeological fieldwork has been conducted on urban sites in this area, including exciting field surveys, and it is now high time for a geographical and historical contextualisation of the more than 40 Roman urban sites known in this area, based on a careful review of the scholarly tradition and the bringing together of much new, often unpublished or preliminary published, field data. The result is the first comprehensive synthesis of the urban phenomenon in a region characterized by one of the most dense town networks of the Roman Empire. Some of the main sub-themes to discuss when dealing with Roman-inspired urbanism are present in this book, including: town formation, town planning, the structural relationship town-territory, religious aspects and urban sanctuaries, public buildings (fora, basilicae, baths, porticoes, theatres, amphitheatres, macella, etc.) and domestic architecture. But beyond the mostly archaeologically-driven investigation of architectural features of the colonies and all other towns in the study region, there is an attempt to understand the disposition and functioning of all the individual town centres in their wider context of territory, region and state. An additional important feature of the book is the gazetteer of urban sites which forms a starting point for all those working in Roman Italy.
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A landscape that reads like a history book, the one of the Potenza River valley in Marche (Italy), a major communication corridor between the Apennines and the Adriatic since Antiquity. Thanks in particular to the recent non-invasive... more
A landscape that reads like a history book, the one of the Potenza River valley in Marche (Italy), a major communication corridor between the Apennines and the Adriatic since Antiquity. Thanks in particular to the recent non-invasive investigations and intensive surveys conducted by Ghent University, there is today an extraordinary amount of information that, coupled with the results from previous and more traditional archaeological investigations, exemplify the impact of Romanization on these territories and of cultural interaction between Romans, Picenes and other populations who lived in the area. This book, written for a wider public by a group of researchers working in the region, provides an excellent status quaestionis about town and countryside during the Roman occupation of this well studied valley in central Adriatic Italy. It provides context and background information for an archaeological exhibition held First in Rome and later in Porto Recanati and Ghent. Particular attention is paid to the coastal town of Potentia, a colony founded at the beginning of the 2nd century BC which, thanks to its crucial position between the valley and the sea, was essential for the formation of this ancient Roman landscape.
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This first volume in a new series about Belgian archaeological research in Italy brings all relevant data together about the newly discovered and systematically surveyed sites in the Potenza Valley Survey project (2000-2017). The... more
This first volume in a new series about Belgian archaeological research in Italy brings all relevant data together about the newly discovered and systematically surveyed sites in the Potenza Valley Survey project (2000-2017). The well-illustrated book presents the wide array of new archaeological finds and topographic and chronological data about sites, assembled via systematic prospections by a team of Ghent University in a valley of central Adriatic Italy. The many spectacular survey data from a series of now abandoned ancient urban centres and protohistoric agglomerations, are combined here with non-invasive prospection results from sites found in their rural hinterlands. The analysis and documentation of all these discoveries, and of their relation with environmental change in the past, now provide a crucial understanding of an ideal section through the diversified central Italian landscape, linking the Apennine Mountains with the Adriatic coastal plain. In this way the survey project reveals a spectrum of settlement situations, ranging from a Roman colony on the coast and a series of pre-Roman Iron Age inland centres, to the smallest dwelling places of indigenous and immigrant communities living in this specific settlement chamber of the Mediterranean between the early Iron Age (circa 900 BC) and the end of Antiquity (circa AD 600). The intensive use of landscape survey archaeology and remote sensing approaches, of which this book is a reflection, has enabled the scholars involved in this team effort to study diachronic patterns of urban and rural habitation and land use with much greater precision than before, thus contributing to the "longue durée" landscape and settlement dynamics in this part of the ancient world.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Roman History, Landscape Archaeology, Archaeological geophysics (Archaeology), Roman Pottery, and 29 moreArchaeological Prospection, Archaeological Geophysics, Archaeological Fieldwork, Late Roman Pottery, Amphorae (Archaeology), Roman rural settlements, Rural Archaeology, Archaeological field survey, Adriatic Sea, Roman Urbanism, Non-destructive techniques of analysis of archaeological art historical materials, Geophysical Prospection, Roman Amphorae, Late Roman Amphorae, Roman Architecture and Urbanism, Roman Architecture, Roman Rural Settlement, History of the Adriatic, Roman Landscape, History of The Marches (Italy), Roman Rural Production, Roman small towns, roman cities of Central Italy, Field Walking Survey, Roman Archaeology, Archaeology of Adriatic Area, Mare Adriatico, Archaeological Geophysical Survey, and Non-destructive Archaeology
The book "Ammaia I: The Survey. A Romano-Lusitanian townscape revealed" is the first substantial output from a collaborative project initiated in 2001 and particularly of the EU-funded phase of the work begun in 2009. In the EU... more
The book "Ammaia I: The Survey. A Romano-Lusitanian townscape revealed" is the first substantial output from a collaborative project initiated in 2001 and particularly of the EU-funded phase of the work begun in 2009. In the EU Radio-Past project, Ammaia provided a field laboratory for interdisciplinary work on non-destructive approaches to complex archaeological sites. Given the near absence of large scale past excavation the results from this new intensive field effort at the Roman Imperial city site of Ammaia are spectacular and provide a whole series of new perspectives both on the site and on Roman urbanism in Iberia more broadly. The volume presents the results from the remote sensing work and as well as a discussion of their implication and is divided into three parts, the first setting the context for the work, the second detailing the survey results, and the final one offering broader interpretations as well as explaining the continuing work on visualization of the town. The book provides a very useful medium for drawing together the spectacular non-invasive work in a systematic manner. It does this in a beautifully produced volume with excellent illustrations.
This is a collective publication (bilingual English-Portuguese) of the Radio-Past team directed at a wider public, presenting the main results of archaeological survey and excavations at the abandoned Roman town site of Ammaia. It... more
This is a collective publication (bilingual English-Portuguese) of the Radio-Past team directed at a wider public, presenting the main results of archaeological survey and excavations at the abandoned Roman town site of Ammaia. It includes many images, such as 3D visualisations.
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This volume represents the most important “deliverable” of the European-funded project Radio-Past (www.radiopast.eu). It is intended to disseminate the key results achieved in the form of methodological guidelines for the application of... more
This volume represents the most important “deliverable” of the European-funded project
Radio-Past (www.radiopast.eu). It is intended to disseminate the key results achieved
in the form of methodological guidelines for the application of non-destructive
approaches in order to understand, visualize and manage complex archaeological sites,
in particular large multi-period settlements whose remains are still mostly buried. The
authors were selected from among the project research “staff” but also from among
leading international specialists who served as speakers at the two international events
organized as part of the project (the Valle Giulia Colloquium of Rome – 2009 and the
Colloquium of Ghent – 2013) and at the three Specialization Fora, the high formation
training activities organized in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
As such, the book offers contributions on diverse aspects of the research process (data
capture, data management, data elaboration, data visualization and site management),
presenting the state of the art and drafting guidelines for good practice in each field.
Radio-Past (www.radiopast.eu). It is intended to disseminate the key results achieved
in the form of methodological guidelines for the application of non-destructive
approaches in order to understand, visualize and manage complex archaeological sites,
in particular large multi-period settlements whose remains are still mostly buried. The
authors were selected from among the project research “staff” but also from among
leading international specialists who served as speakers at the two international events
organized as part of the project (the Valle Giulia Colloquium of Rome – 2009 and the
Colloquium of Ghent – 2013) and at the three Specialization Fora, the high formation
training activities organized in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
As such, the book offers contributions on diverse aspects of the research process (data
capture, data management, data elaboration, data visualization and site management),
presenting the state of the art and drafting guidelines for good practice in each field.
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In recent years archaeological research has begun to reveal the advantages of integrating a range of different non-destructive techniques on (partly abandoned) urban sites, choosing those suites that are most appropriate for the nature of... more
In recent years archaeological research has begun to reveal the advantages of integrating a range of different non-destructive techniques on (partly abandoned) urban sites, choosing those suites that are most appropriate for the nature of the ancient town in question. In combination with exciting new computer-based means of data visualization, all of this work means that it is now possible to map and virtually reconstruct a buried town within a relatively short space of time, as opposed to the old and destructive excavation-centered approach that could take generations. Unsurprisingly these advances are starting to make a very important understanding to urbanism in general and the Roman Empire in particular.
This volume builds upon all these new developments and is indeed one of the first to focus exclusively upon the contribution of survey techniques to our understanding of ancient towns. It arises from two international workshops held in Rome at the British, Belgian and Dutch Schools in 2007 and 2009, whose focus was a methodology led enquiry into the nature of urban settlements primarily in Italy, but also in Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Portugal and Spain. The volume contains some 22 papers from leading specialists in the field, which focus upon two underlying themes. The first deals with the characterization of urban sites and draws upon a wide range of case studies. These range from key protohistoric centres in central and south Italy, to towns that epitomise the contradictions of cultural change under Rome, such as Paestum, Aquinum and Sagalassos, to Roman centers such as Teano, Suasa and Ammaia. The second theme focuses upon inter-urban relationships, focusing in particular upon wider urbanized landscapes in Italy.
This volume builds upon all these new developments and is indeed one of the first to focus exclusively upon the contribution of survey techniques to our understanding of ancient towns. It arises from two international workshops held in Rome at the British, Belgian and Dutch Schools in 2007 and 2009, whose focus was a methodology led enquiry into the nature of urban settlements primarily in Italy, but also in Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Portugal and Spain. The volume contains some 22 papers from leading specialists in the field, which focus upon two underlying themes. The first deals with the characterization of urban sites and draws upon a wide range of case studies. These range from key protohistoric centres in central and south Italy, to towns that epitomise the contradictions of cultural change under Rome, such as Paestum, Aquinum and Sagalassos, to Roman centers such as Teano, Suasa and Ammaia. The second theme focuses upon inter-urban relationships, focusing in particular upon wider urbanized landscapes in Italy.
In the years following the death of Commodus, a long period of transformation began that undermined the structure of the Roman Empire. These changes initially affected only aspects of succession to the Princedom, especially involving the... more
In the years following the death of Commodus, a long period of transformation began that undermined the structure of the Roman Empire. These changes initially affected only aspects of succession to the Princedom, especially involving the military sphere, but they also modified the social and structural organization of the Roman State.
After this period of military anarchy, interrupted by a brief phase of prosperity with the accession to the imperial throne of Septimius Severus and his successors, there followed a period of economic stability that determined a new political and institutional empire. The time of Diocletian’s reforms, however, culminated in a serious crisis after the death of Constantine the Great (337 AD). The lands bordering the Adriatic were disputed by the heirs of the Emperor, starting a period of economic and cultural changes that manifested themselves initially as a diffuse form of recession in the dynamics of occupation of the territory. Urban and rural settlements show signs of abandonment and crisis. In the following decades, waves of peoples from northern and eastern Europe disrupted the political unity of the Empire even more. The Empire was only partially rebalanced after the Gothic War, due to the devastation of many urban centers and a drop in the number of sites in the area caused by continuing military clashes.
As was demonstrated at the last conference in Ravenna (Economia e Territorio, 28 February-1 March 2014), now being published, in recent years field research has revealed new evidence that allows us to draw a more complete picture of this important historical period which has been the focus of debate in recent decades. The research area discussed in Ravenna was mainly restricted to the central Adriatic, although there was communication with some eastern Adriatic areas.
This time the focus will extend to the basin defined as Adriatic Europe, according to geographical and cultural rather than political patterns, thus considering all territories facing the Adriatic Sea. These areas are affected by similar phenomena of transformations (barbarian conquest (crossings of the territory), the formation of barbaric countries, Justinian's Reconquest), at least until the Lombard invasion of Italy and Istria in the second half of the 6th century. After this point, they follow different trajectories that are still poorly understood. Such close relations between the two sides have always suggested direct cultural influences. The handicraft productions and forms of settlement in many ways tend to follow 2 common lines, but the progress of field investigations have not been sufficiently compared, especially with regard to the Early Middle Ages.
This new meeting will analyze these transformative phenomena in the areas research has neglected, including the time span between the 2nd and 8th centuries, especially on the Eastern Adriatic coast, from the short period before the establishment of the Severan dynasty up to the end of the Carolingian period.
We thank all participants for the interest shown for Trade conference and the numerous and very compelling themes proposed. Also, we wish everyone a fruitful conference and a pleasant stay in Zadar,
the Organizing commitee
After this period of military anarchy, interrupted by a brief phase of prosperity with the accession to the imperial throne of Septimius Severus and his successors, there followed a period of economic stability that determined a new political and institutional empire. The time of Diocletian’s reforms, however, culminated in a serious crisis after the death of Constantine the Great (337 AD). The lands bordering the Adriatic were disputed by the heirs of the Emperor, starting a period of economic and cultural changes that manifested themselves initially as a diffuse form of recession in the dynamics of occupation of the territory. Urban and rural settlements show signs of abandonment and crisis. In the following decades, waves of peoples from northern and eastern Europe disrupted the political unity of the Empire even more. The Empire was only partially rebalanced after the Gothic War, due to the devastation of many urban centers and a drop in the number of sites in the area caused by continuing military clashes.
As was demonstrated at the last conference in Ravenna (Economia e Territorio, 28 February-1 March 2014), now being published, in recent years field research has revealed new evidence that allows us to draw a more complete picture of this important historical period which has been the focus of debate in recent decades. The research area discussed in Ravenna was mainly restricted to the central Adriatic, although there was communication with some eastern Adriatic areas.
This time the focus will extend to the basin defined as Adriatic Europe, according to geographical and cultural rather than political patterns, thus considering all territories facing the Adriatic Sea. These areas are affected by similar phenomena of transformations (barbarian conquest (crossings of the territory), the formation of barbaric countries, Justinian's Reconquest), at least until the Lombard invasion of Italy and Istria in the second half of the 6th century. After this point, they follow different trajectories that are still poorly understood. Such close relations between the two sides have always suggested direct cultural influences. The handicraft productions and forms of settlement in many ways tend to follow 2 common lines, but the progress of field investigations have not been sufficiently compared, especially with regard to the Early Middle Ages.
This new meeting will analyze these transformative phenomena in the areas research has neglected, including the time span between the 2nd and 8th centuries, especially on the Eastern Adriatic coast, from the short period before the establishment of the Severan dynasty up to the end of the Carolingian period.
We thank all participants for the interest shown for Trade conference and the numerous and very compelling themes proposed. Also, we wish everyone a fruitful conference and a pleasant stay in Zadar,
the Organizing commitee
Research Interests: Archaeology, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, International Trade, Late Antique Archaeology, Transformation, and 21 moreEarly Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Late Roman Empire, Urban Transformation, Late Roman Archaeology, Late Roman Pottery, Archeologia, Adriatic Sea, Archeologia medievale, Archeologie, Late Roman and early Byzantine fortifications, Archéologie, Archeologia Tardoantica E Paleocristiana, History of the Adriatic, Tarda antichità, Barbarians and Romans in Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages, Antiquite Tardive, Roman Archaeology, Archaeology of Adriatic Area, and Archeology
Cette presentation a pour but de contribuer a l‟etude, la preservation et la valorisation d‟une partie du patrimoine archeologique, c'est-a-dire les structures topographiques et architecturales de sites anciens complexes, a partir de... more
Cette presentation a pour but de contribuer a l‟etude, la preservation et la valorisation d‟une partie du patrimoine archeologique, c'est-a-dire les structures topographiques et architecturales de sites anciens complexes, a partir de methodes et techniques nondestructives. L‟utilisation de differents types d‟approches non-destructives, comme l‟etude de l‟imagerie satellitaire, la prospection aerienne a basse altitude, des methodes intensives de prospection geophysique (radar, laser, magnetique, ...), et leur application integree pour gerer et etudier le patrimoine archeologique, seront discutes et illustres par un exemple precis et actuel: le cas du site archeologique de Mariana en Corse septentrionale.
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Research Interests: Computer Science, Computer Vision, Aerial Archaeology, Biomass, Archaeological Prospection, and 15 moreDigital Photogrammetry applied to Archaeology, Canopy, Aerial Photographic Interpretation, Aerial Photogrammetry, Aerial Photography, Chlorophyll, Airborne Remote sensing, Aerial Archeology, Crop mark, Aerial Photos, Airborne LiDAR, Agisoft PhotoScan, Digital terrain modelling, Canopy height model, and Crop Surface Model
ABSTRACT 15 years after the resumption of research and fieldwork at the archaeological site of Mariana in the Département de Haute-Corse, and in conjunction with the publication of the proceedings of the international colloquium « Mariana... more
ABSTRACT 15 years after the resumption of research and fieldwork at the archaeological site of Mariana in the Département de Haute-Corse, and in conjunction with the publication of the proceedings of the international colloquium « Mariana et la vallée du Golo » we present here a synthesis of the finds recovered through excavations and surveys of various types (topographic, geomorphologic, aerial and geophysical) on and around the Roman city. This paper analyses and situates all the material collected to date in the archives and on the ground, reviewing the findings of old and recent excavations and rescue interventions conducted in the 1990s and 2010s. These data, spatially reorganized within a GIS environment, provide the perfect opportunity for new observations on Roman urbanism in a provincial context, which, in view of the exceptional nature of especially the geophysical prospection results, provide extremely promising insights and avenues for further research of this second town of Roman Corsica.
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nrpages: 110status: publishe
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The European project, “RADIO-PAST” was launched in 2009 within the Marie Curie framework “Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways”. The project aims to join resources and different skills to tackle each possible aspect connected with... more
The European project, “RADIO-PAST” was launched in 2009 within the Marie Curie framework “Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways”. The project aims to join resources and different skills to tackle each possible aspect connected with “non-destructive” approaches to understand and reconstruct complex archaeological sites. The consortium of 7 partners has chosen an “open laboratory for research and experimentation” in and around the abandoned Roman site of Ammaia in central Portugal, but some research activities are carried out by the partner institutions in different areas of the Mediterranean and continental Europe. This paper describes the various methods and procedures which were used to undertake the three dimensional reconstruction of this Roman urban site in Lusitania.
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Summary. This paper presents the results of an integrated survey project aiming to achieve the diachro-nic reconstruction of changes in river beds during historical times in the PotenzaValley, in mid-Adriatic Italy. Here intensive surveys... more
Summary. This paper presents the results of an integrated survey project aiming to achieve the diachro-nic reconstruction of changes in river beds during historical times in the PotenzaValley, in mid-Adriatic Italy. Here intensive surveys are being carried out by a ...
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ABSTRACT In this paper, the impact of spatial sample density and three-dimensional migration processing on the interpretation of archaeological ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data is assessed. First, the question of how to determine the... more
ABSTRACT In this paper, the impact of spatial sample density and three-dimensional migration processing on the interpretation of archaeological ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data is assessed. First, the question of how to determine the sample interval required to take full advantage of the spatial resolution capabilities of GPR without oversampling is addressed. To this end, we transform a test profile into the frequency–wavenumber (f–k) domain and estimate the required sample interval from the wavenumber values. For the presented data set, collected at the Roman town Ammaia (Portugal), this resulted in a transect spacing approximately three times the distance prescribed by the λmin/4 criterion (where λmin is the minimum observed wavelength). Second, the effect of three-dimensional migration is assessed. The data set, sampled as prescribed by the analysis of the f–k plot, is migrated with two- and three-dimensional phase-shift algorithms, and the migrated results are compared with non-migrated data. It is shown that certain subtle features are better resolved by three-dimensional migration. Third, it is investigated whether three-dimensional migration following the application of an interpolation algorithm such as Delaunay triangulation or interpolation based on τ-p transform, can further relax spatial sampling requirements. For the GPR data shown in this article, it is demonstrated that interpolation and three-dimensional migration of slightly aliased data, collected with a transect spacing equal to five times the outcome of the λmin/4 criterion, still allow a faithful reconstruction of the original, non-aliased time-slices. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Abstract In 2000 a new phase of archaeological field activities started on the abandoned city site of Mariana, located south of Bastia (NE-Corsica). Within the on-going international research project Projet Collectif de Recherche:... more
Abstract In 2000 a new phase of archaeological field activities started on the abandoned city site of Mariana, located south of Bastia (NE-Corsica). Within the on-going international research project Projet Collectif de Recherche: Mariana et la vallée du Golo a joint team of the ...
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POTENTIA: UNA RICOGNIZIONE INTEGRATA DI UNA COLONIA ROMANA SULLA COSTA ADRIATICALa ricerca presentata in questa sede integra i risultati di una ricognizione archeologica intensiva nell'area urbana della colonia romana di Potentia... more
POTENTIA: UNA RICOGNIZIONE INTEGRATA DI UNA COLONIA ROMANA SULLA COSTA ADRIATICALa ricerca presentata in questa sede integra i risultati di una ricognizione archeologica intensiva nell'area urbana della colonia romana di Potentia (regione Marche). Di recente per la ricerca sono stati impiegati vari metodi non distruttivi di ricognizione, come la fotografia aerea obliqua, la ricognizione geofisica, la ricognizione geomorfologica e quella intensiva. I risultati di un precederte lavoro di scavo, lo studio delle fonti antiche e dei manufatti trovati sono integrati in un nuovo appioccio all'urbanizzazione di questa colonia dell'Adriatico. In questa sede viene presentata una pianta completamente nuova e molto più dettagliata del tessuto urbano di Potentia, comprendente l'intero sistema stradale e le difese urbane, il Foro, vari complessi monumentali e molti elementi dell'edilizia domestica e delle strutture funerarie. Questo lavoro è parte del Potenza Valley Survey, ch...
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Our researchcontributes to the study ofRoman urbanization in the Italian peninsula) both in the central Adriatic area and beyond. It ftcuses on the integrated use of archaeolog-icalfield methods and non-destructive techniques. The study... more
Our researchcontributes to the study ofRoman urbanization in the Italian peninsula) both in the central Adriatic area and beyond. It ftcuses on the integrated use of archaeolog-icalfield methods and non-destructive techniques. The study of the urban layout of the city of Potentia is an ...
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Research Interests: Archaeology and Geology
Ancient quarries are intriguing archaeological sites, but their detailed recording is complex. This paper presents a cost-effective approach to mapping of the Roman quarry site of Pitaranha (Portugal–Spain). First, aerial photographs were... more
Ancient quarries are intriguing archaeological sites, but their detailed recording is complex. This paper presents a cost-effective approach to mapping of the Roman quarry site of Pitaranha (Portugal–Spain). First, aerial photographs were acquired using a radio-controlled digital reflex camera attached to a Helikite, which allowed the acquisition of the necessary low-altitude aerial footage in the very unstable wind conditions above the quarry. Using computer vision algorithms, the resulting set of photographs was semi-automatically ...
Research Interests: Archaeology, Geochemistry, Computer Science, Computer Vision, Aerial Archaeology, and 15 moreArchaeometry, Digital Photogrammetry applied to Archaeology, RF Design and Applications, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ancient Quarrying, Portugal, Archaeological survey, Aerial Photogrammetry, Aerial Photography, Kite Aerial Photography, SfM, Roman Quarry, Balloon Aerial Photography, Helikite Aerial Photography, and Orthophoto
ABSTRACT A multimethod approach using petrography and strontium (Sr) isotopic analysis was applied to determine the geological source of 17 marble artefacts from the Roman town of Ammaia (Portugal). All samples are calcitic, with... more
ABSTRACT A multimethod approach using petrography and strontium (Sr) isotopic analysis was applied to determine the geological source of 17 marble artefacts from the Roman town of Ammaia (Portugal). All samples are calcitic, with dolomite, quartz and muscovite as accessory minerals. The marbles are characteristically medium-grained with a maximum grain size (MGS) between 0.98 mm and 1.82 mm, have a heteroblastic texture, and have curved to embayed calcite grain boundaries. 87Sr/86Sr values of marble leachates range from 0.708488 to 0.708639. Comparison with Hispanic and Mediterranean marbles suggests the Estremoz Anticline as the most likely source for the Ammaia marble, especially for architectural marble. This hypothesis is supported by the geographical proximity of the Estremoz marble district and the long and expensive overland transport required for other marbles to reach Ammaia.
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Taelman Devi(1), Vermeulen Frank(2), Deprez Sarah(3), De Dapper Morgan(4), De Paepe Paul(5), Vandenabeele Peter(6) ... (1) Department of Archaeology and Ancient History of Europe, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium;... more
Taelman Devi(1), Vermeulen Frank(2), Deprez Sarah(3), De Dapper Morgan(4), De Paepe Paul(5), Vandenabeele Peter(6) ... (1) Department of Archaeology and Ancient History of Europe, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium; Devi.Taelman@UGent.be
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Research Interests: Archaeology and Geology
Starting with a regional case study, we aim to provide an overview of the transformation dynamics following the disruption of the Roman landscape in the Italian Marche region. We then focus on the local processes of settlement shifts and... more
Starting with a regional case study, we aim to provide an overview of the transformation dynamics following the disruption of the Roman landscape in the Italian Marche region. We then focus on the local processes of settlement shifts and the new nucleation that occurred in a specific coastal zone bounded by two extremely fluctuating rivers. The application of advanced geoarchaeological techniques and historical analyses conducted through a long, diachronic approach have highlighted how, in the Middle Ages, the human interaction with the landscape and the population development of this area were particularly connected to the crucial relevance of establishing a fluvian landing post for maritime trade.
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This article deals with a relatively new form of archaeological research in the Mediterranean region – intensive surface survey, coverage of the landscape by teams walking in close order, recording patterns of human activity visible on... more
This article deals with a relatively new form of archaeological research in the Mediterranean region – intensive surface survey, coverage of the landscape by teams walking in close order, recording patterns of human activity visible on the landsurface as scatters of pottery and lithics, or building remains. Since 2000, archaeologists from Dutch and Belgian universities working on Mediterranean survey projects have gathered annually to discuss methodological issues in workshops that gradually attracted landscape archaeologists from other European countries and Turkey. On the basis of these discussions, this paper, written by regular workshop contributors and other invited authors with wider Mediterranean experience, aims to evaluate the potential of various approaches to the archaeological surface record in the Mediterranean and provide guidelines for standards of good practice in Mediterranean survey.
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We present new research of protohistoric communities in Central-Adriatic Italy through non-invasive prospection of pre-Roman settlements and their catchments. We look beyond the well-known burial record of the indigenous Piceni groups in... more
We present new research of protohistoric communities in Central-Adriatic Italy through non-invasive prospection of pre-Roman settlements and their catchments. We look beyond the well-known burial record of the indigenous Piceni groups in the present-day region of Marche, instead investigating the much less studied settlement patterns in the Bronze and Iron Age. We seek to place habitations and territorial behavior in the archaeological continuum, in both a diachronic and a spatial context. The diachronic aspect concerns adding time depth to the until now predominantly Roman and Late Antique research themes of the Potenza Valley Survey project (PVS, 2000-2017). The spatial continuum concerns our aim to fill in the blanks in the known protohistoric record through detailed research of habitation zones and productive catchments. We do this using mainly non-invasive prospection techniques. In this paper, we discuss our approach and its
challenges, and present preliminary results and considerations of the fieldwork that was carried out at the site of Monte Franco (Pollenza). Keywords: archaeological prospection, protohistory, micro-regional analysis, Italy
challenges, and present preliminary results and considerations of the fieldwork that was carried out at the site of Monte Franco (Pollenza). Keywords: archaeological prospection, protohistory, micro-regional analysis, Italy
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Using Montarice in central Adriatic Italy as a case study, this paper focuses on the extraction of the spectral (i.e., plant colour) and geometrical (i.e., plant height) components of a crop canopy from archived aerial photographs,... more
Using Montarice in central Adriatic Italy as a case study, this paper focuses on the extraction of the spectral (i.e., plant colour) and geometrical (i.e., plant height) components of a crop canopy from archived aerial photographs, treating both parameters as proxies for archaeological prospection. After the creation of orthophotographs and a canopy height model using image-based modelling, new archaeological information is extracted from this vegetation model by applying relief-enhancing visualisation techniques. Through interpretation of the resulting data, a combination of the co-registered spectral and geometrical vegetation dimensions clearly add new depth to interpretative mapping, which is typically based solely on colour differences in orthophotographs.
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Computer Vision, Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry, Aerial Archaeology, and 30 moreBronze Age Europe (Archaeology), 3D Reconstruction, Remote sensing and GIS, Digital Photogrammetry applied to Archaeology, Prehistory, Protohistory, Iron Age, Canopy, Italy, Aerial Photographic Interpretation, Digital Terrain Models, Prehistoric Archeology, Aerial Photogrammetry, Aerial Photography, Airborne Remote sensing, Laser Scanning, Digital Terrain and Surface Modeling, Digital Photogrammetry, Aerial Archeology, Surveying, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Digital Mapping, Image Based Modeling, Crop mark, Vegetation stress, Photoscan, Agisoft PhotoScan, Digital terrain modelling, Image Based Modelling, Structre from Motion, Orthophotography, Canopy height model, Vegetation mark, and Crop Surface Model
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Ghent University Ghent University Academic Bibliography. ...
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To date, aerial archaeologists generally apply simple rectification procedures or more expensive and time-consuming orthorectification algorithms to correct their aerial photographs in varying degrees for geometrical deformations induced... more
To date, aerial archaeologists generally apply simple rectification procedures or more expensive and time-consuming orthorectification algorithms to correct their aerial photographs in varying degrees for geometrical deformations induced by the topographical relief, the tilt of the camera axis and the distortion of the optics. Irrespective of the method applied, the georeferencing of the images is commonly determined with ground control points, whose measurement and identification is a time-consuming operation and often limits certain images from being accurately georeferenced. Moreover, specialised software, certain photogrammetric skills, and experience are required. Thanks to the recent advances in the fields of computer vision and photogrammetry as well as the improvements in processing power, it is currently possible to generate orthophotos of large, almost randomly collected aerial photographs in a straightforward and nearly automatic way. This paper presents a computer vision-based approach that is complemented by proven photogrammetric principles to generate orthophotos from a range of uncalibrated oblique and vertical aerial frame images. In a first phase, the method uses algorithms that automatically compute the viewpoint of each photograph as well as a sparse 3D geometric representation of the scene that is imaged. Afterwards, dense reconstruction algorithms are applied to yield a three-dimensional surface model. After georeferencing this model, it can be used to create any kind of orthophoto out of the initial aerial views. To prove the benefits of this approach in comparison to the most common ways of georeferencing aerial imagery, several archaeological case studies are presented. Not only will they showcase the easy workflow and accuracy of the results, but they will also prove that this approach moves beyond current restrictions due to its applicability to datasets that were previously thought to be unsuited for convenient georeferencing.
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During the past 100 years, various devices have been developed and applied in order to acquire archaeologically useful aerial imagery from low altitudes (e.g. balloons, kites, poles).This paper introduces Helikite aerial photography... more
During the past 100 years, various devices have been developed and applied in order to acquire archaeologically useful aerial imagery from low altitudes (e.g. balloons, kites, poles).This paper introduces Helikite aerial photography (HAP), a new form of close-range aerial photography suitable for site or defined area photography, based on a camera suspended from a Helikite: a combination of both a helium balloon and kite wings. By largely overcoming the drawbacks of conventional kite- and balloon-based photography, HAP allows for a very versatile, remotely controlled approach to low-altitude aerial photography (LAAP). In addition to a detailed outline of the whole HAP system, its working procedure and possible improvements, some of the resulting imagery is shown to demonstrate the usefulness of HAP for several archaeological applications.
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Scholars using still cameras to take (mostly) oblique imagery from a low-flying aircraft of various possible archaeologically related anomalies can be defined as aerial archaeologists. At present, as well as in the past, aerial/air... more
Scholars using still cameras to take (mostly) oblique imagery from a low-flying aircraft of various possible archaeologically related anomalies can be defined as aerial archaeologists. At present, as well as in the past, aerial/air archaeology has been acquiring data almost exclusively in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. This phenomenon can largely be attributed to the critical imaging process and sometimes unconvincing results related to the film-based approach of near-infrared (NIR) photography. To overcome the constraints of detecting and interpreting only the varying visible colors in vegetation (the so-called crop marks), while still maintaining the flexible and low-cost approach characteristic for aerial archaeology, a consumer digital still camera was modified to capture NIR radiation. By its spectral characterization, more insight was gained into its imaging properties and necessary guidelines for data processing, and future improvements could be formulated, all in an attempt to better capture the archaeologically induced anomalous growth stresses in crops.
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This contribution presents the third report about the on-going survey project of Ghent University in the Adriatic valley of the River Potenza (Marches, Italy). The project investigates the settlement history of the valley, essentially... more
This contribution presents the third report about the on-going survey project of Ghent University in the Adriatic valley of the River Potenza (Marches, Italy). The project investigates the settlement history of the valley, essentially between 1000 BC and AD 1000. In 2002 substantial results in the whole valley have been obtained with the help of remote sensing techniques, while the field surveys and study of surface finds have focussed on the protohistoric and Roman occupation of the coastal area. The article comprises also an introduction to geo-archaeological investigations and the use of an original GIS and presents some results concerning Stone Age finds.
This contribution presents the fourth report about the on-going survey project of Ghent University in the Adriatic valley of the River Potenza (Marches, Italy). The project investigates the settlement history of the valley, essentially... more
This contribution presents the fourth report about the on-going survey project of Ghent University in the Adriatic valley of the River Potenza (Marches, Italy). The project investigates the settlement history of the valley, essentially between 1000 BC and AD 1000. In 2003 substantial results in the middle and lower valley have been obtained with the help of remote sensing techniques, while the field surveys, geo-archaeological operations and study of surface finds have focussed on the protohistoric and Roman occupation of the coastal area. Quite spectacular were survey results on and around three Roman towns in the valley, contributing to the topographical knowledge of urbanisation in this part of Italy.
How was the ancient Roman economy organized and how can our understanding be enhanced by new theoretical and methodological approaches? Recent work on model building, complex network analysis and computer simulation technologies has... more
How was the ancient Roman economy organized and how can our understanding be enhanced by new theoretical and methodological approaches? Recent work on model building, complex network analysis and computer simulation technologies has integrated and analysed diverse data sets – literary sources, settlement evidence, ceramics, amphorae, epigraphy, ethnographical data – in order to reassess production, marketing and consumption across the Roman world. Examples include the Monte Testaccio Project (Baetican oil), the Cella Vinaria Project (Laetanian wine) and the Riparia Project (Baetican wine), as well as many other collaborative research initiatives around the Mediterranean and wider Roman world.
The principal objective of this session is to explore how quantitative methods and semantic-based data management techniques can improve our ability to define, validate or refute economic theories about the organisation of large-scale production and long-distance exchange of foodstuffs. We wish, in particular, to facilitate interdisciplinary discussion about how we can evaluate the role of the state versus the free market in food supply and to assess how the multiple production strategies of a mixed agricultural economy (fruits, vegetables, wheat, olive oil, wine, salted fish, garum, etc.) were integrated within specific territories and largely peasant-based economies. We are also interested in the interactions between economy and environmental variables, the theoretical limits imposed on production and productivity by arable and pastoral regimes, labour and production costs, etc. and on the relationship between production and consumption in the context of growing population.
The session will use the presentation of case studies to demonstrate various multidisciplinary methods and techniques for the analysis of complex economic systems, integrating conventional archaeological methods and landscape archaeology with econometrics and computational modelling.
We would like to invite papers that develop case studies addressing some of following:
Datasets: the representation of archaeological data; database management; ontology and semantic markers
Quantitative methods: GIS and spatial analysis of settlement patterns, production strategies, microeconomic studies, demand and supply, trade routes, markets, and consumption trends
Model building and computer simulation: the use of Agent Based Models, Complex Networks Analysis, Predictive Modelling, Spatial Econometrics and Regression Analysis
The principal objective of this session is to explore how quantitative methods and semantic-based data management techniques can improve our ability to define, validate or refute economic theories about the organisation of large-scale production and long-distance exchange of foodstuffs. We wish, in particular, to facilitate interdisciplinary discussion about how we can evaluate the role of the state versus the free market in food supply and to assess how the multiple production strategies of a mixed agricultural economy (fruits, vegetables, wheat, olive oil, wine, salted fish, garum, etc.) were integrated within specific territories and largely peasant-based economies. We are also interested in the interactions between economy and environmental variables, the theoretical limits imposed on production and productivity by arable and pastoral regimes, labour and production costs, etc. and on the relationship between production and consumption in the context of growing population.
The session will use the presentation of case studies to demonstrate various multidisciplinary methods and techniques for the analysis of complex economic systems, integrating conventional archaeological methods and landscape archaeology with econometrics and computational modelling.
We would like to invite papers that develop case studies addressing some of following:
Datasets: the representation of archaeological data; database management; ontology and semantic markers
Quantitative methods: GIS and spatial analysis of settlement patterns, production strategies, microeconomic studies, demand and supply, trade routes, markets, and consumption trends
Model building and computer simulation: the use of Agent Based Models, Complex Networks Analysis, Predictive Modelling, Spatial Econometrics and Regression Analysis
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This workshop combined historical and archaeological approaches on processes of integration, disintegration and transformation in the Roman world. Specific focus was given to: - Integration and disintegration of the urban model in rural... more
This workshop combined historical and archaeological approaches on processes of integration, disintegration and transformation in the Roman world.
Specific focus was given to:
- Integration and disintegration of the urban model in rural and urban societies
- Markets and economic integration as imperial and regional inclusive systems
- Interpretative models on aspects of transformation in Roman society
Specific focus was given to:
- Integration and disintegration of the urban model in rural and urban societies
- Markets and economic integration as imperial and regional inclusive systems
- Interpretative models on aspects of transformation in Roman society
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Research Interests: Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Roman History, Landscape Archaeology, Urbanism (Archaeology), and 40 moreRoman Law, Roman Republic, Roman Empire, Roman Economy, Urban archaeology, Roman Trade Networks, Amphorae (Archaeology), Late Roman Republic, Early Roman Empire, Roman Italy, Adriatic Sea, Roman agriculture, Roman Urbanism, Roman trade, commerce and the economy, Ancient Urbanism, Viticulture & Enology, Roman Amphorae, Roman Architecture, History of the Adriatic, Roman land use and the agrarian economy, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, Archaeology of Roman Wine, Early Roman Amphorae, History of The Marches (Italy), Roman History. Roman Republican History. Roman economy. Roman Law. Roman Prosopography. Livy, Northern Adriatic, Roman small towns, Archaelogy of Central Italy, Eastern Adriatic, Roman trade in wine, History of Roman town (1st-3rd centuries), The Adriatic Sea in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Roman wine production, Roman Agriculture and Extraurban Economy, Roman Archaeology, Archaeology of Adriatic Area, Mare Adriatico, Ancient Roman Viticulture, Especially the City of Rome and West Central Italy, and roman peasants
A gazetteer of Roman urban sites in central Adriatic Italy (Marche, northern Abruzzo) that offers a fundamental starting point for all those working on Late Republican and Early Imperial town development in (this area of) Italy.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Geophysics, Roman History, Urban History, and 47 moreRoman Economy, Adriatic Sea, Roman agriculture, Roman Urbanism, Roman Architecture and Urbanism, Roman Architecture, Ancient Demography, History of the Adriatic, Roman land use and the agrarian economy, Archeologia Romana, Roman Landscape, Picenum, Ancient Greek and Roman Town, History of The Marches (Italy), Roman Forums, Roman Demography, Roman History. Roman census figures. Roman Demography. Early Rome, Roman Geography, Roman small towns, Urbanistica romana, Archaelogy of Central Italy, Roman topography, Ager Gallicus, Ancient Roman Topography, Archeologia romana, Archeologia funeraria romana, Arquitectura, urbanismo y reconstrucción 3D de ciudades romanas, History of Roman town (1st-3rd centuries), The Adriatic Sea in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Senigallia, Roman Archaeology, Archeologia romana, Topografia antica, Archaeology of Adriatic Area, Suasa, Pisaurum (Archaeology), Roman Demographic History, Picenum Wine, Roman Towns, Ancona, Senigallia Urban Archaeological Project, Progetto archeologia urbana a Senigallia, Urbs Salvia, Cesano Valley (Marches), Potenza Picena, Pollentia - Urbs Salvia, Fanum Fortunae, Asculum Picenum, and Archeologia Romana, Topografia ed Urbanistica
This presentation ponders the aerial archaeology part of the Potenza Valley Survey (PVS). Since the project start in 2000, the main aim of the PVS has been the study of the settlement dynamics along circa 400 km² of the Potenza river... more
This presentation ponders the aerial archaeology part of the Potenza Valley Survey (PVS). Since the project start in 2000, the main aim of the PVS has been the study of the settlement dynamics along circa 400 km² of the Potenza river valley in central Adriatic Italy (Marche).
The talk contains three parts (past, present and future), of which the first deals with the airborne data acquisition approaches employed in the PVS during the first decade. Although the gathering of aerial imagery predominantly relied on standard photography from small Cessna’s using observer-based sorties, non-visible imaging and unmanned platforms were also part of the toolkit the PVS came to rely upon.
The second part will offer some present-day technological-methodological-theoretical reflection on these airborne imaging solutions. Using “what-if” scenarios, the effectiveness and suitability of the past PVS approach for “doing landscape archaeology” at the scale of a river valley will be called into question. Could we have employed strategies to decrease the subjectivity and bias when collecting airborne imagery?
In the third and final part, the presentation will discuss some future challenges and opportunities for interpretative mapping. Irrespective of the possible data acquisition issues tackled in part two, most forms of aerial photography can deliver meaningful insight about the past if proper post-acquisition pipelines are in place. Two recent PVS mapping projects will illustrate this. Mapping of the Montarice shows how to avoid slow single-image workflows and extract new topographical clues. The Monte Primo case study illustrates how to obtain a full 3D interpretative map.
The talk contains three parts (past, present and future), of which the first deals with the airborne data acquisition approaches employed in the PVS during the first decade. Although the gathering of aerial imagery predominantly relied on standard photography from small Cessna’s using observer-based sorties, non-visible imaging and unmanned platforms were also part of the toolkit the PVS came to rely upon.
The second part will offer some present-day technological-methodological-theoretical reflection on these airborne imaging solutions. Using “what-if” scenarios, the effectiveness and suitability of the past PVS approach for “doing landscape archaeology” at the scale of a river valley will be called into question. Could we have employed strategies to decrease the subjectivity and bias when collecting airborne imagery?
In the third and final part, the presentation will discuss some future challenges and opportunities for interpretative mapping. Irrespective of the possible data acquisition issues tackled in part two, most forms of aerial photography can deliver meaningful insight about the past if proper post-acquisition pipelines are in place. Two recent PVS mapping projects will illustrate this. Mapping of the Montarice shows how to avoid slow single-image workflows and extract new topographical clues. The Monte Primo case study illustrates how to obtain a full 3D interpretative map.
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This article deals with a relatively new form of archaeological research in the Mediterranean region – intensive surface survey, coverage of the landscape by teams walking in close order, recording patterns of human activity visible on... more
This article deals with a relatively new form of archaeological research in the Mediterranean
region – intensive surface survey, coverage of the landscape by teams walking in close order,
recording patterns of human activity visible on the landsurface as scatters of pottery and lithics,
or building remains. Since 2000, archaeologists from Dutch and Belgian universities working
on Mediterranean survey projects have gathered annually to discuss methodological issues in
workshops that gradually attracted landscape archaeologists from other European countries and
Turkey. On the basis of these discussions, this paper, written by regular workshop contributors
and other invited authors with wider Mediterranean experience, aims to evaluate the potential
of various approaches to the archaeological surface record in the Mediterranean and provide
guidelines for standards of good practice in Mediterranean survey.
region – intensive surface survey, coverage of the landscape by teams walking in close order,
recording patterns of human activity visible on the landsurface as scatters of pottery and lithics,
or building remains. Since 2000, archaeologists from Dutch and Belgian universities working
on Mediterranean survey projects have gathered annually to discuss methodological issues in
workshops that gradually attracted landscape archaeologists from other European countries and
Turkey. On the basis of these discussions, this paper, written by regular workshop contributors
and other invited authors with wider Mediterranean experience, aims to evaluate the potential
of various approaches to the archaeological surface record in the Mediterranean and provide
guidelines for standards of good practice in Mediterranean survey.
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The processing of aerial imagery acquired over Montarice hill (central Adriatic Italy) during the Potenza Valley Survey will form the key focus of this paper. Since this site has repeatedly revealed itself in terms of interesting... more
The processing of aerial imagery acquired over Montarice hill (central Adriatic Italy) during the Potenza Valley Survey will form the key focus of this paper. Since this site has repeatedly revealed itself in terms of interesting vegetation and soil marks, the most interesting footage, acquired during two observer-directed sorties more than a decade ago, will be examined. First, the potential of state-of-the-art image-based modelling (IBM) techniques is explored to create high-resolution orthophotographs from these analogue frame images. Since dense image matching-as a part of IBM-allows to model the vegetation surface at the moment of the photographic survey, a geometrical three-dimensional representation of the plant canopy is possible. This contribution shows how the latter can be the focus of its own information extraction process, using techniques mainly developed in the field of airborne laser scanning. However, the true interpretative power lies in the combination of the co-registered spectral and geometrical dimensions of the vegetation. Using Montarice as a case study, it will become clear that crop height data allows for powerful visualisations that can aid and even alter interpretative mapping that is solely based on colour differences in orthophotographs.