Remote Sensing and Digital Methods in Archaeology: The Necessary Means to Uncover a Bronze Age Settlement in North-Eastern Italy

Abstract

The recent discovery of a protohistoric settlement in north-eastern Italy would have been nearly impossible without remote sensing technologies. The use of digital tools within the field of archaeology has been on the rise and is proving to be a valuable companion to traditional methods. The Karstscape Project, a campaign to explore the Karst area, started in 2020 and has used Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS), Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry and 3D Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to help reconstruct the progression of the ancient landscape. Initial data pointed towards a potential protohistoric hillfort and further investigation followed at the best-preserved sector with ALS, SfM photogrammetry, 3D GPR and thermal imaging. The data from these methods provided evidence of apparent buried features and thus, an excavation ensued in summer 2022. The findings of the excavation confirmed the remote and ground-based sensing results and revealed a Bronze Age fortification. This campaign will be used to showcase the importance of incorporating digital methods in archaeological activities. Each method will be described in detail to exemplify its importance in archaeology today. Additionally, this paper will examine the site’s chronology and discuss protohistoric pottery findings. The combined use of digital methods and more traditional ones, such as a stratigraphic excavation, help solidify results and, in this case, uncover a Bronze Age settlement.