Structural detailing of buried Roman baths through GPR inspection

• Published in: Archaeological prospection 2023-01, Vol.30 (1), p.3-11
• Main Authors: Bianchini Ciampoli, Luca, Santarelli, Roberta, Loreti, Ersilia M., Ten, Alessandra, Benedetto, Andrea
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Archaeology; archaeometry; ArchaeoTrack; Data interpretation; Excavation; GPR; prospections; Roman baths; thermae
• ISSN: 1075-2196; 1099-0763
• DOI: 10.1002/arp.1776

This article deals with a geophysical experimental activity carried out in the Maxentius Complex, an archaeological site located in Rome, Italy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of ground penetrating radar (GPR) for the structural detailing of buried roman baths structures. As a result, GPR allowed to confirm the literature‐based information, i.e. to precisely locate the tanks of the thermal area. Their presence was already known through previous excavation but then buried and no longer visible. In addition, the tomographic analysis highlighted the presence of two further tanks, thereby suggesting the possibility of further rooms to be located close to the known ones. This assumption was also confirmed by tomographic analysis, which stressed out a wall pattern that seems to suggest the presence of further rooms in the top‐right side of the area. In general terms, GPR demonstrated a great applicability to archaeological purposes, despite the reliability and productivity of the data interpretation is strongly influenced by the expertise of both the geophysicists and the archaeologists involved.