Ricerc@Sapienza

The necropolis of Capestrano is located in the Tirino river valley, which constitutes a geomorphological unit located between the Navelli upland and the Gran Sasso mountain in a strategic position connecting the coastal zone and the interior mountain area of Abruzzo. The excavations conducted at the necropolis since 1934 have produced a substantial and complex body of cartographic data. A recent in-depth topographic analysis through a GIS approach attempted to realise a map in vector format (DXF and SHP), collecting every piece of archaeological data from excavation documentation and archival sources (Ferreri 2014). The methodology for positioning was adapted to the availability of site plans, especially originals, and the possibility of relating the information to regional or cadastral cartography or to aerial photography and georeferenced satellite images. In some cases, confirmation from oral sources has been decisive. A particular importance was given to the analysis of aerial photographs that contributed in a significant way to the discovery of the widespread presence of burials in the L’Aquila territory (Tartara 2008a; Ferreri 2016; Tartara 2016). Then a GIS database was created and populated with archaeological and territorial information. This allowed the production of a series of maps, published in this volume, focused on funerary evidence in the Capestrano area (Figg.1.35-1.44). Starting from multiple sources (archaeological, archival, cadastral, oral, aerial photographic, georeferenced satellite images), every sector of the necropolis is delineated in detail on the basis of the cartographic documentation available: Fossascopana, Fossascopana-Monaresca (Tav. 1, n. 15; Tav. 1, n. 16), Macero Bucci (Tav. 1, n. 18), Monaresca-Via dell’Olmo (Tav. 1, nn. 12a-b), Pizzone-Fossascopana and Fontanelle (Tav. 1, nn. 11ab), Capo d’Acqua-Noce S. Ianni, Maragone (Tav. 1, n. 2b), Vaturnina (Tav. 1, n. 3a), Vignera di Capponi, Vicenne-Santa Maria di Presciano (Tav. 1, 22 e 24), Presciano, Presciano-Rajo (Tav. 1, nn. 26-27), Cesa, Valle Cursore (Tav. 1, nn. 28a-d). In this research, the topographic methodology included not only the use of technical instruments for positioning archaeological finds and elaborating a comprehensive cartography, but also promoted their contextualization in the territory in order to delineate the features of the funerary landscape in relation to settlement distribution, road patterns and resource exploitation.