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National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences

Seeing the Unseen: Landscape Archaeology on the Northern Frontier of the Roman Empire at Porolissum (Romania).

Description

Today we are witnessing a rapid and spectacular evolution in the research methods used in archaeology. Today we are witnessing not only technological advances leading to the emergence of ever more efficient tools, but also a conceptual revolution in the philosophy of archaeology. Traditionalist archaeology has relied mainly on long-term research on sites of spotiric importance, but the scientific community requires much faster and more consistent presentation of archaeological results as time passes. With these considerations in mind, non-destructive research methods have been increasingly used recently, utilising aerial photography, geophysical prospection, but also state-of-the-art technologies based on high-resolution satellite imagery. The results obtained using these methods have been extremely spectacular. At the same time, landscape archaeology began to be increasingly used as a method of analysis. In order to better document the material remains of ancient communities, as well as to create a consistent approach model, it was necessary to approach research methods involving the natural landscape within which the analysed sites were embedded. The concept of landscape archaeology has become an increasingly utilised concept for understanding sites. This concept has led to the emergence of new methods and inter-disciplinary dialogue. The conceptual difference between the traditionalist archaeological manner and the new vision is that the emphasis has shifted from the analysis of materials to research without destructive human intervention at its core.