Brandolini, F.

Cremaschi, M.

Mariani, G. S.

Pelfini, M.

Zerboni, A

English

Institutional Research Information System University of Turin

Geophysical Research AbstractsVol. 21, EGU2019-8280, 2019EGU General Assembly 2019© Author(s) 2019. CC Attribution 4.0 license.The Road to Canossa revised: using geoarchaeological tools to unveil theinteraction between cultural and natural landscapes in Medieval timesGuido Stefano Mariani, Filippo Brandolini, Mauro Cremaschi, Manuela Pelfini, and Andrea ZerboniDipartimento di Scienze della Terra "Ardito Desio", Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy (guido.mariani@unimi.it)Human exploitation and modification of natural landscapes do not rely exclusively on the management of rawmaterial sources. The strategic controls of the territory and/or spiritual beliefs have always played a strong role inthe development of settlements in past and present societies. In recent years, the application of Geoarchaeology toMedieval contexts has reshaped our understanding of these communities, stressing the connection between placesand their associated territories. During the Middle Ages, scattered communities located in mountain territoriesrelied heavily on the surrounding landscape, and this reflects on many aspects of their urban and rural development.In particular, strategic decisions in the construction of functional buildings not dedicated to productions, such ascastles, fortress, abbeys or sanctuaries, took strongly into consideration the immaterial services provided by thelandscape. For example, elevated areas and vantage points can offer many tactical benefits: a larger visual on theterritory, controlled accessibility, isolation, networking and easy communication with a dispersed community.In this contribution, we investigate an area of Northern Italy encompassed between the southern margin of thePo Plain up to the main watershed of the Apennine range, with a method combining historical and archaeo-logical data with geological and geomorphological tools, in order to give a clearer understanding on the useof territory of mountain communities in the Middle Ages. We produced a systematic mapping of the mostrelevant non-productive landmarks belonging to a period between the X and XII Century – the age of Matilda ofCanossa –, including details on their building. The combination of these data with the surrounding geological andgeomorphological setting and the application of GIS tools (e.g., viewshed analysis, cost of moving) uncoveredrelationships between human activity and the diversity of the mountain landscape. The presence of these landmarksis associated with elevated structural terraces (mesas, cuestas), slope deformations and relict surfaces on harderlithologies shaped by differential erosion. Our finds highlight how landforms influences human adaptation in lesstangible ways.

The Road to Canossa revised: using geoarchaeological tools to unveil the interaction between cultural and natural landscapes in Medieval times

https://iris.unito.it/bitstream/2318/1873828/1/EGU2019-8280.pdf

The Road to Canossa revised: using geoarchaeological tools to unveil the interaction between cultural and natural landscapes in Medieval times

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Institutional Research Information System University of Turin