Evaluation of a Ground Subsidence Zone in an Urban Area Using Geophysical Methods.

An important geological risk to which many towns in Puglia are exposed is sinking cavities in urban areas. For urban centers, studying, mapping, providing geological and speleological descriptions, classifying, and cataloging the forms and types of cavities is essential because cavities are linked to past local anthropic and natural processes at different sites. These circumstances could lead to the enhancement of existing underground cavities in urban areas through conservation and continuous monitoring.

Integrated Geoscientific Surveys at the Church of Santa Maria della Lizza (Alezio, Italy).

The church of Santa Maria della Lizza is one of the most important examples of medieval architecture in the Salento Peninsula in south Italy. In order to understand the extension and layout of the crypts, integrated ground-penetrating radar (GPR) prospections and laser scanner surveys were undertaken in the church and in the surrounding areas. The analysis of the GPR measurements revealed many anomalies that could be ascribed to unknown structures (crypts), as well as other anomalies related to the old church.

Towards Urban Archaeo-Geophysics in Peru. The Case Study of Plaza de Armas in Cusco.

One of the most complex challenges of heritage sciences is the identification and protection of buried archaeological heritage in urban areas and the need to manage, maintain and inspect underground services. Archaeology and geophysics, used in an integrated way, provide an important contribution to open new perspectives in understanding both the history of cities and in helping the decision makers in planning and governing the urban development and management. The problems of identification and interpretation of geophysical features in urban subsoil make it necessary to develop ad hoc procedures to be implemented and validated in significant case studies.

New Data on the Messapian Necropolis of Monte D'Elia in Alezio (Apulia, Italy) from Topographical and Geophysical Surveys.

The Messapian necropolis of Monte D'Elia is related to one of the most important ancient settlements in the Salento Peninsula (in south Italy). In order to understand the extension and layout of this necropolis in the various periods of its use, a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) prospection was undertaken in some important sample areas by a team of the Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage of the National Research Council of Italy. The analysis of the GPR measurements revealed many anomalies that could be ascribed to archaeological structures (tombs), as well as other anomalies of presumable natural origin or referable to modern features.