Geophysical study in the Portus Site

The PORTUS FOUNDATION NPO commissioned, in 2008, a study to be carried out in the Geophysical site of Porto, which is located in the town of Fiumicino. The study has been performed by the British School of Rome and by the Southampton Archaeological Prospecting Services amidst March 7th and 21st, 2008. The conclusions were presented in a report, prepared by Dr. Giles Richardson, in May of that year, explaining both the study methodology and an interpretation and a brief discussion of the results.

The study was undertaken for evaluating the archaeological potentials of an Area, which had never been subject of study, located westwards in respect to the main archaeological site. The survey was aimed to locate, to map and assess the nature of the remains of the archaeological underground deposits within the agricultural lands area, located immediately west of the airport access viaduct, and north of the Portuense, extended for about 6 hectares, above the southern part of the old port of Claudius former basin.
In order to define the extent and nature of structures, artifacts and underground archaeological features, the methodology applied by BSR (British School of Rome) and the SAPS (Southampton Archaeological Prospecting Services), was characterized by the integration of the geophysical, geochemical and topographic survey, designed to combine all the techniques and facilitate a thorough understanding of both site and landscape.