Anthropogenic landscape modifications

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In correspondence to the Appia route track a system of rock quarries exploitation has been acknowledged. Quarries were carved into the Cretaceous portion of the local calcareous sequence (Figs.1,2). Some quarries were distinguished in previous studies (Quilici L, 1999: La via Appia attraverso la gola di Itri, Atlante Tematico di Topografia Antica 8, 51-94), whereas others were discovered during the FIRB project through joined aerial photo interpretation and photogrammetric restitution. Successively, filed observation confirmed the anthropogenic origin of slope cuts (Figs.3,4,5,6). Location of rock quarries and exploitation techniques are associated to the tectonic setting of the area and conditions imposed by the territory on road construction. In particular, the geometric features of rock masses as well as the intensity and style of fragile rock deformation (Figs.7,8,9) determined types of extracted rock material and the application of different quarrying techniques.

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  Part of the Appia route track towards the Fondi Plain; the carbonate slope on the SW edge show evidence of slope cuts which cannot be referred to erosive or tectonic processes but originated from quarrying activity supplying the need for raw material.
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  Evidence of quarries having different shapes and dimensions nearby the Sant' Andrea stronghold.
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  Front surface of a quarry carved within the lower Cretaceous carbonate ridge flanking the SW edge of the route track.
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  Remnant of an isolated, intact rock pillar.
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  Squared rock block found at the base of a quarry front surface.
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  Zoom on the quarry front surface shown in Fig. 3: some regular cuts can be observed at distances of 2-3 roman feet on the right side, being a clear evidence of quarrying activities.
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  Quarry carved into a cataclastic rock zone which is due to intense fracturing along a fault within the lower Cretaceous carbonates. Rock debris having decimetric dimensions were carved and used for wall building and covering.
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  Detailed view of wedge-shaped debris featuring the cataclastic zone.
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  Rectangular-shaped quarry carved into lower Cretaceous limestone and affected by a main joint system with a mean spacing of 0.7 meters. Joint field characteristics determined shape and dimension of extracted rock blocks.

Apart the quarry system, landscape analysis allowed to recognize both known and unknown evidence of other kind of landscape modifications. Linear elements such as slope cuts, terrace borders and slope modifications as well as polygonal features as levelled surfaces, landfill areas, and cataclastic rock zones, were distinguished. All information were reported on the Geoarchaeological Map of the St. Andrea Valley.

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