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The Use of Historical Aerial Photographs in Italy: Some Case Studies

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Archaeology from Historical Aerial and Satellite Archives

Abstract

Aerial photography should be considered one of the essential instruments for the analysis and the reconstruction of human activity in the landscape. Because it was acquired before the onset of mechanised farming, intensive industrial activity and major urban development, historical aerial photography reveals a landscape that is both closer to that of antiquity and more legible in detail. This chapter outlines the main sources of archival imagery available for Italy, summarises the photogrammetric methodology applied and illustrates the approach with a series of illustrated site and area case studies.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Together with Ferdinando Castagnoli, Professor of Topography of Rome and ancient Italy at the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, and Giulio Schmiedt, Director of the Istituto Geografico Militare and subsequently Professor of Archaeological Aerial Topography at the University of Florence, Dinu Adamesteanu began his career as an archaeologist in Romania, where he was one of the first to make use of aerial photo-interpretation. He participated in missions to the Middle East and thereafter moved to Italy, where he worked above all in Sicily from 1959 to 1964. He directed the Aerofototeca, subsequently transferred to the Archaeological Superintendency of Basilicata, where he was Superintendent, and lastly taught at the University of Lecce.

  2. 2.

    There are nearly 100 companies that have worked or are still active in Italy. Foremost amongst these are Aerofoto Consult (Rome), Aerotop (Rome), CGR (Parma), EIRA (Florence), ESACTA (Rome), ETA Nistri (Rome), Aerofotogrammetrica Nistri (Rome), Fotocielo (Rome), BUGA (Milan), Luigi Rossi (Florence), IRTA (Milan), Rossi (Brescia), SARA Nistri (Rome), SIAT (Rome) and UTE (Florence). For a detailed listing of the main companies, see Ceraudo (2000): 189–203, Boemi (2003): 37–42.

  3. 3.

    A modern vector cartographic base makes work in our sector easier, with its codification of the individual elements. Apart from eliminating the obligation to work with scale, the innovative contribution of analytical photogrammetry permits the assignment of a code to each and every element that is included. There is a general codification in use today for commercial cartography. By structuring a specific system of codes with a section given over to archaeological elements and others to all other aspects of the terrain (geomorphology, hydrography, viability, buildings, infrastructures, etc.), we obtain a graphic database of what is represented. This constitutes the first information system for a specific territory. Each element included consists of geographical coordinates: the altitude and encoded information that is available to all non-specialised users. By providing numerical data and the grid of codes employed, the system can easily be transferred to anyone who has access to even a simple CAD or graphic design program.

  4. 4.

    With a mean square error that varies between 1.90 and 3.90 m; at other points, the precision achieved can be measured in terms of centimetres.

  5. 5.

    The transcription was undertaken with the analogue instrument Galileo V, which was turned into an analytical instrument. The special characteristics of the ‘base flight’ (Volo Base) did not allow the employment of more recent analytical or digital instruments because they cannot be used to create a model of the terrain, which normally serves as a basis for the transcription.

  6. 6.

    Apart from the problems due to scale, which is close to 1:30,000, the 1954–1955 IGM photographs are not always of high quality. They possess photogrammetric characteristics only in part and present a series of technical difficulties including anomalies in the creation of the model, type of marks and inadequate elements for the optical correction of the camera with which they were acquired. Transcription has been performed with the analytical system Galileo Stereosimplex and the analogue system Galileo V (transformed into analytical), both of which have a precision of 1 μm. Consequently, the data gathered have relatively large tolerances, but nonetheless they seem more than adequate for the study of large-scale land divisions.

  7. 7.

    When enlarged, the stereoscopic model resulting from slides illuminated from behind allows for the identification of details that are invisible in photographic enlargements or else fuzzy in traditional photo-interpretation done with table stereoscopes.

  8. 8.

    Several IGM maps were acquired in raster format with the highest definition of a cartographic scanner, corrected for various deformations (of support, printing, paper) by means of a grid calibrated on the basis of geographical coordinates, assembled and inserted in the GIS modules of the territorial information system of the CNR, Ufficio Sistemi Informativi Territoriali per i Beni Culturali (GIS for Cultural Heritage Office). The archaeological data gathered and encoded were subsequently put back into the system as part of the cataloguing of the archaeological data of the territory.

  9. 9.

    Thanks to the CIGA of the Italian Military Air Force for use of the photogrammetric scanner.

  10. 10.

    Some of which are otherwise known only from scaled sketches drawn up during occasional surveys. On-site surveys were done by dott. E. Mattiocco, a dedicated amateur whose work has contributed in a meaningful fashion to our current knowledge of the archaeological evidence on the uplands of the Abruzzo interior.

  11. 11.

    Within the context of collaboration between Prof. M. Guaitoli, director of the Laboratory of Ancient Topography at the University of Lecce – CNR, the Nucleo Tutela Patrimonio Culturale dell’Arma dei Carabinieri and the author, this work has shown itself to be productive over many years of monitoring particular areas of the country at risk, with flights in Abruzzo undertaken since 2003. These have focused upon the mountainous interior areas of the province of L’Aquila, with particular attention dedicated to the Vestine area along the Royal Sheep Track (Tratturo Regio), and the Marsican area along the territory bordering the Fucino basin.

  12. 12.

    It was connected to a complex network of minor or service routes, e.g. the sheep-route that breaks off at the church of the Madonna of Centurelli in the direction of Capestrano and then Forca di Penne, or that which runs SE-NW towards to the valley of Capestrano from the plain of Collepietro to the E of Serra di Navelli, (see Tartara 2007: 551).

Abbreviations

AM:

Aeronautica Militare

ICCD:

Istituto Centrale del Catalogo e della Documentazione

IGM:

Istituto Geografico Militare, Florence

SARA Nistri:

Società per Azioni Rilevamenti Aerofotogrammetrici, Rome

CGR:

Compagnia Generale Ripreseaeree, Parma

EIRA:

Ente Italiano Rilievi Aerofotogrammetrici, Florence

ESACTA (Rome):

Ente SpecializzatoAerofotogrammetria Cartografia Topo­grafia Aerofotogeologia

ETA Nistri (Rome):

Ente Topografico Aerofotogrammetrico

I-BUGA (Milan):

di Annalena Bugamelli

IRTA (Milan):

Istituto Rilievi Terrestri Aerei

SIAT (Rome):

Studio Italiano Aerofotogrammetria e Topografia

UTE (Florence):

Ufficio Tecnico Erariale

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto Beni Archeologici e Monumentali, Campus Universitario, via dei Taurini 19, 00185, Roma, Italy

    Patrizia Tartara

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Correspondence to Patrizia Tartara .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ctr for Aerial Archaeology, Dept. of Archaeology, University of Glasgow, 1 University Gardens, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom

    William S. Hanson

  2. , Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter, EX4 4QE, United Kingdom

    Ioana A. Oltean

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Tartara, P. (2013). The Use of Historical Aerial Photographs in Italy: Some Case Studies. In: Hanson, W., Oltean, I. (eds) Archaeology from Historical Aerial and Satellite Archives. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4505-0_8

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