Archaeological database

Fig.1 Areal distribution of  archaelogical data

Since 1996, the Emilia-Romagna Region stipulated conventions of collaboration with the Emilia Romagna Soprintendenza for the Archeological Goods in order to realize a Database of particular relevance archeological sites for the geological cartography of the plain.

The Database goal is to make accurate datings available on regional scale to better characterize the superficial stratigraphic Units mapped on the Geological Map and to better correlate them to each other. Even though the areal distribution of the points is not homogeneous, site datings provide a good support to identify some limits between units, making easier their interpretation within the regional territory of plain.

Both data collection and classification have been entrusted with the Town Civic Museums or with Archeological Societies, coordinated by the Emilia-Romagna Geological Office and the Soprintendenza for the Archeological Goods.

The considered findings are of two kinds: sites where studies are in progress and sites described with a reasonable precision about specific bibliographic documentation. All sites thought as worthy have been localized on the Regional Technical Maps either at 1:10.000 or 1:25.000 scales. Because of the high density of points, the use of detailed maps, especially within the main cities downtowns of the region, has been necessary. For map representation some expedients have been adopted:

- site localization either as point element or area according to the areal extension of the finding (choice of areal representation when the surfaces are larger than 62.500 sq. meters that is side of polygons greater than 250 m);

- in the case of multilayered sites, map representation on a single point of XY coordinates and logic link to n lines of the relational database including the attributes.

All sites have been digitized with georeference system in UTM coordinates, time zone 32.  To each site, the characterizing attributes have been logically connected, included then in a relational database table (in Access format for Windows ).

Among the useful filed data for geological cartography, one concerns the site type. Fig. 2 shows an example of site classification according to typology.

The age of finding is the most important information when using data for geological cartography. An example of site classification per ages is shown in Fig. 3.

Uploading scheme and glossary

Once data collection is terminated and after the data positioning on the Regional Thematic Map, all the descriptive information of the site, thought functional for geological cartography uses, is uploaded in an Access format table.

Table fields and glossary