KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Prof. ROBERT WITCHER (Durham University), Prof. HECTOR A. ORENGO (ICREA, Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology). 

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE: Giuseppe Ceraudo, Stefano Campana, Beatrice Fochetti, Davide Gangale Risoleo, Enrico Giorgi, Stephen Kay, Paolo Liverani, Maria Luisa Marchi, Giovanna Pizziolo, Stefania Quilici Gigli, Marcello Spanu, Jacopo Turchetto.

ORGANISING COMMITTEE: Benedetta Baleani (La Sapienza University of Rome), Giuseppe Prospero Cirigliano (IMT Lucca), Alessia Mandorlo (University of Salento), Elena Pomar (The British School at Rome/University of Pisa), Federico Ugolini (University of Siena).

SESSIONS

1. FROM CITY TO TERRITORY: ANALYSIS, EXPLOITATION, AND MANAGEMENT
The first session focuses on the complex relationships between cities and suburban landscapes by seeking to identify the systems of reciprocal influence, interconnection, and interaction between them. The session includes those themes related to the understanding of various categories of territories, the analysis of territorial social and political aspects, and the exploitation and management of natural resources and economic systems, by prioritising research on those landscapes that fit within the definition of ‘marginal’. In this regard, mountains and forests, as well as lagoons and coastal areas, may have had different physiognomies and meanings than those we apply today. This raises questions on how to examine and interpret the complex relationships between cities and suburban landscapes by exploring dynamics of interaction and mutual influence.

2. COMMUNICATION ROUTES: SECONDARY ROADS, MINOR SETTLEMENTS, AND MARGINAL LANDSCAPES
The second session explores the relationship between secondary roads and ‘marginal’ landscapes. Key attention will be paid to ‘minor’ thoroughfares owing to their important role in connecting territories and creating links between settlements and peripheral landscapes. In this session, the role of transhumance routes, short- and medium-distance trade, and maritime and lagoon routes will be explored by highlighting how these communication networks influenced the physiognomy and development of ‘marginal’ landscapes. Analysing the landscape in these terms fosters the creation of a more articulated and structured picture of the vital role of secondary communication routes.

3. UNVEILING THE INVISIBLE: APPROACHES AND METHODS FOR THE STUDY OF COMPLEX LANDSCAPES
The third session focuses on the identification and application of new approaches, methods, and instruments, including those borrowed from other disciplines, which are suitable for the analysis of highly-complex landscapes. New tools, including A.I. and remote sensing, assume great importance in the study of ancient landscape contexts, both terrestrial, and underwater. For instance, geophysical prospection represents an increasingly widespread tool in archaeological investigations. Such is the increasing popularity of these techniques that they are no longer considered auxiliary or secondary in archaeological research but rather have become essential for the identification and understanding of challenging landscapes.

4. WHEN HUMAN ACTIONS MAKE A TERRITORY INACCESSIBLE: FROM DATA COLLECTION TO CULTURAL DIPLOMACY IN WAR ZONES
The fourth session explores how archaeological heritage faces significant threats from armed conflict and terrorism, leading to the destruction and looting of important cultural sites (Palmyra and Aleppo) which span various historical periods (from the Prehistoric, Byzantine, Roman, to the Islamic periods). The violence within these conflicts is not, of course, limited to the destruction of heritage sites, but also to looting and the increasing illicit trafficking of antiquities. With traditional protections failing, documentation and public engagement have become vital for preserving knowledge of these sites. This session will focus on global strategies for documenting and monitoring archaeological objects and landscapes in conflict zones, including management and reconstruction methods. Additionally, it will explore the role of archaeology in international relations and the concept of cultural diplomacy to promote joint efforts in heritage preservation.

5. EMPTYSCAPES, MARGINAL LANDSCAPES, AND REVEALED LANDSCAPES
The fifth session investigates the transformations of landscapes in marginal contexts in order to compare these dynamics with those related to other types of territories. The session focuses on theoretical and methodological aspects by referring to the interpretation of spatial distributions and to various meanings applied to settlement hierarchies and infrastructural patterns. The discussion deepens in previous studies and understands the highly significant impact of supposed gaps by bringing out the difference in content between ‘empty scapes’ and ‘revealed landscapes’.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Prof. ROBERT WITCHER (Durham University), Prof. HECTOR A. ORENGO (ICREA, Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology).

COMITATO SCIENTIFICO: Giuseppe Ceraudo, Stefano Campana, Beatrice Fochetti, Davide Gangale Risoleo, Enrico Giorgi, Stephen Kay, Paolo Liverani, Maria Luisa Marchi, Giovanna Pizziolo, Stefania Quilici Gigli, Marcello Spanu, Jacopo Turchetto.

COMITATO ORGANIZZATORE: Benedetta Baleani (La Sapienza University of Rome), Giuseppe Prospero Cirigliano (IMT Lucca), Alessia Mandorlo (University of Salento), Elena Pomar (The British School at Rome/University of Pisa), Federico Ugolini (University of Siena).

1. DALLA CITTÀ AL TERRITORIO: ANALISI, GESTIONE E SFRUTTAMENTO

La prima sessione intende porre l’attenzione sul complesso rapporto tra città e paesaggio extraurbano, cercando di individuare i meccanismi di reciproca influenza, interconnessione e interazione tra di loro. Le tematiche trattate sono quelle relative alla comprensione del territorio in tutte le sue forme, dall’analisi degli aspetti sociali e politici, allo sfruttamento e gestione delle risorse, fino alla ricomposizione dei sistemi economici. Particolare attenzione viene rivolta a quei paesaggi che possiamo considerare marginali, tenendo conto che ambienti montani e boschivi, aree lagunari e costiere, possono aver avuto fisionomia e significati diversi da quelli attuali. La sessione intende dunque affrontare la questione su come leggere e interpretare il rapporto complesso tra città e paesaggio extraurbano.

La seconda sessione si rivolge al rapporto tra viabilità secondaria e i paesaggi marginali. Particolare attenzione sarà riservata alle vie di comunicazione “minori”, per l’importante ruolo svolto nella gestione dei territori e nei legami tra insediamenti e paesaggi periferici. In questa sessione verranno esplorati, il ruolo delle vie di transumanza, degli scambi commerciali a breve e medio raggio e dei percorsi marittimi e lagunari, evidenziando come queste vie di comunicazione abbiano influenzato la fisionomia e lo sviluppo dei paesaggi marginali. L’importanza di analizzare il paesaggio, leggendolo anche in questi termini, favorisce la creazione di un quadro più articolato e strutturato.

La terza sessione ha l’obiettivo di aprire un dialogo riguardo l’individuazione e applicazione di nuovi metodi e strumenti, includendo quelli mutuati da diverse aree disciplinari, che possono essere utilizzati per l’analisi dei paesaggi complessi. Nuovi strumenti, tra questi AI e remote sensing, assumono grande rilievo nello studio dei contesti antichi, sia terrestri che sommersi. Le prospezioni geofisiche rappresentano uno strumento sempre più frequente nella ricerca archeologica. Queste integrazioni sono tali da non essere più ritenute ausiliari o secondarie, ma divengono invece essenziali per l’individuazione e lo studio dei paesaggi che a vario titolo si presentano difficili da investigare.

In varie aree del mondo, il patrimonio culturale è reso costantemente vulnerabile dalla presenza di conflitti armati e terrorismo, che sono la causa della distruzione e del saccheggio di importanti siti culturali, come nei più noti casi di Palmira e Aleppo. Spesso, le conseguenze dei conflitti non si limitano alla distruzione di siti archeologici, ma riguardano anche il depauperamento del contesto paesaggistico nel quale sono inseriti, e sono connessi con il saccheggio e il traffico illecito di beni culturali. Nei contesti di guerra, quando la tutela dei beni culturali e paesaggistici è purtroppo resa impossibile, la documentazione, la registrazione, e il monitoraggio diventano vitali per preservare e tramandare il patrimonio culturale. Questa sessione si concentrerà su strategie globali di documentazione e monitoraggio dei paesaggi archeologici nelle zone di conflitto, includendo metodi di mappatura, gestione dei dati e ricostruzione. Inoltre, si esplorerà il ruolo dell'archeologia nelle relazioni internazionali e il concetto di diplomazia culturale per promuovere sforzi congiunti nella preservazione del patrimonio.

L’ultima sessione è dedicata a contributi e studi di sintesi finalizzati alla narrazione delle trasformazioni dei paesaggi anche nel lungo periodo di contesti marginali e al confronto con altri territori. La sessione è aperta alla discussione di aspetti teorici e metodologici riferiti all’interpretazione di distribuzioni spaziali, ai diversi significati attribuibili a gerarchizzazioni insediative e pattern infrastrutturali. La discussione permetterà di approfondire lo stato dell’arte e comprendere l’impatto a volte anche molto significativo dei presunti vuoti, facendo emergere in modo chiaro la differenza di contenuti tra emptyscapes e paesaggi rivelati.

Hector A. Orengo is an ICREA Research Professor at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, the Spanish National Supercomputing Institution (BSC). He leads the Computational Humanities Group at the BSC and co-directs the Landscape Archaeology Research Group (GIAP) at the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC). His research has mainly focused on the analysis of human-landscape dynamics in Mediterranean environments and beyond. During the last 15 years he has developed extensive research on computational archaeology that includes but is not restricted to GIS and remote sensing techniques, field survey and site detection methods. He is currently working on the application of machine learning to archaeological research using cloud computing and big data sources (mostly multisource multitemporal satellite data, drone imagery and lidar).

This keynote will present recent advancements in the large-scale computational analysis of archaeological landscapes using massive datasets. The increasing availability of remotely sensed data—ranging from high-resolution satellite imagery and LiDAR to multispectral and radar data—alongside historical archives and archaeological records, offers unprecedented opportunities for landscape archaeology. However, the inherent challenges posed by these datasets, including their heterogeneity, lack of structure, and sheer volume, have hindered until recently their meaningful integration into archaeological research.

Recent developments in machine learning, cloud computing, and geospatial data processing can enable archaeologists to efficiently structure, analyse, and interpret big multitemporal datasets. Methods such as deep learning for feature recognition, automated classification of landforms and sites, and predictive modelling of past human activity allow for more robust and scalable analyses. These approaches facilitate the transition from microregional studies to broader-scale investigations that explore long-term landscape transformations, human-environment interactions, and the persistence of cultural patterns over millennia.

Beyond technical advancements, this shift also has epistemological implications. The ability to analyse massive and complex datasets supports new research directions that move beyond traditional site-based and regional studies, enabling archaeologists to investigate macro-scale processes such as settlement dynamics, connectivity networks, land-use changes, and resilience strategies in response to environmental and climatic fluctuations. This transformation challenges existing paradigms by treating the cultural landscape not only as a contextual backdrop but as a primary source of historical and archaeological knowledge.

A series of case studies drawn from the speaker’s research portfolio will demonstrate how these methods can redefine our understanding of landscapes often considered "emptyscapes" -seemingly uninhabited or archaeologically marginal regions- by revealing previously undetectable traces of past human activity. The presentation will highlight the methodological innovations and interpretative frameworks that computational archaeology provides, fostering a more nuanced and data-driven approach to the study of past landscapes.

Dr ROBERT WITCHER 
(DURHAM UNIVERSITY)
The past and future of marginal landscapes

Globally, so-called ‘marginal’ landscapes offer some of the best-studied archaeological environments. Moreover, in the face of the climate emergency, archaeologists and palaeoscientists increasingly look to these marginal landscapes as case studies from which we can learn lessons about how society can prepare for a future of higher temperatures and more erratic weather—a future where more and more landscapes are ‘marginal’.

In this presentation, I will contextualize some of this research by reflecting on how we study the marginal landscapes of today and how we might study them in the future. First, I will address a central paradox: as global society—including archaeologists—has become more urban over the past 50 years, we have become more interested in, but less well equipped to understand, the marginal landscapes of the past. In almost every conceivable way, our post-agrarian lives are physically, cognitively and emotionally distant from those of the people and places we seek to study. How does this shape the choice of landscapes we are drawn to research and how do we research them?

Second, I will consider how our relationship with these marginal landscapes will change as they are transformed over the next 50 years. Processes such as ‘rewilding’, ‘nature recovery’ and the abandonment of agricultural land will lead to an expansion in the extent of marginal landscapes and their reallocation from the realm of Culture to that of Nature. These ‘wild’, post-human landscapes—the new ‘emptyscapes’—will be doubly marginalised: they will be expected to provide more ecosystem services for urban societies and, as they are recolonized by plants and animals, their agrarian history will become ever more remote to us. How will we relate to these past-cultural / future-natural landscapes both methodologically and cognitively, and for whom?