Papers by Pedro Trapero Fernandez
Reconstruction of the Roman road network must be approached from different methodologies of multi... more Reconstruction of the Roman road network must be approached from different methodologies of multidisciplinary character. Once the traditional approaches have been exhausted without achieving a historiographical consensus, the problem may appear insurmountable. However, leveraging Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provides an avenue for re-evaluating existing proposals and suggesting more fitting layouts. This can be accomplished through a meticulous analysis that incorporates topographic and non-Euclidean correlations; allowing a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the subject matter than conventional methods might offer. In this context, the aim of this article is to discuss intriguing research points. But also emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary and multi-proxy studies in relation with the Roman terrestrial networks. We explore a case study in the Galician territory, where we have detected methodological shortcomings reconstructing the route of the XIX road: Item Bracaram Asturicam. One of the sections, from Tude to Luco Augusti, has aroused a greater debate, based on several basic problems: (1) the identification of the mansions, (2) the lack of consensus in the measurements of the distances, (3) the miles referred to in the classical sources, and (4) the complex orography of this territory. To propose answers and theories, that may solve the current problems of the description of this route of the XIX road, a multi-proxy approached methodology is proposed. Thus, by applying Geographic Information Systems techniques, we will be able to calculate the optimal path, and compare the results with historical data and archaeological evidence.
Dialogues d’histoire ancienne, 50/1, , 2024
Dans Dialogues d'histoire ancienne Dialogues d'histoire ancienne 2024/1 (50/1) 2024/1 (50/1), pag... more Dans Dialogues d'histoire ancienne Dialogues d'histoire ancienne 2024/1 (50/1) 2024/1 (50/1), pages 169 à 206 Éditions Presses universitaires de Franche-Comté Presses universitaires de Franche-Comté
Cuadernos de arqueología de la Universidad de Navarra, Dec 13, 2022
The Roman villa of Pisões (Beja, Portugal), was part of the Lusitanian colony of Pax Iulia. This ... more The Roman villa of Pisões (Beja, Portugal), was part of the Lusitanian colony of Pax Iulia. This place stands out for the predominance of the water element in several structures of the villa, highlighting the balneum and the large natatio, one of the largest known in Roman Hispania. The records of the initial excavations that took place since 1967 do not allow the establishment of clear functionalities of the villa. The University of Évora, owner of the site, conceived an action plan for the requalification and enhancement of the archaeological site. One of the tasks aims to investigate using Applied Geophysics. This work analyses the landscape directly related to the villa, given that it is in the flooded area of a river, with a Roman containment dam. It is uncertain whether the water supply comes from this structure or other nearby springs. The use of ground-penetrating radar, combined with unnamed aerial vehicles, all integrated in a geographic information system, allows us to kn...
Revue des Etudes Anciennes, 2023
La viticulture et la production de vin sont l’un des thèmes les plus importants de l’histoire de ... more La viticulture et la production de vin sont l’un des thèmes les plus importants de l’histoire de l’agriculture et du commerce de la province romaine de la Bétique. Selon les sources littéraires, il y avait une production intense de vin, dont la commercialisation on peut confirmer grâce aux amphores bétiques du type Haltern 70, que l’on retrouve dans diverses parties de la Méditerranée occidentale, et en particulier sur la route atlantique vers Britannia ou les légions rhénanes. Nous nous concentrons sur l’étude de cas du sud-ouest de la province, dans une région viticole, la région de Jerez, où des prospections archéologiques et l’étude des découvertes matérielles ont été réalisées pour identifier les indices de la production de vin tels que les amphores ou les dolia, ainsi que d’autres indicateurs tels que une cella vinaria ou d’anciens cadres de plantation des vignes.
Gerion, 2023
La obra agronómica de Marco Terencio Varrón es un referente para conocer cómo fue ... more La obra agronómica de Marco Terencio Varrón es un referente para conocer cómo fue la agricultura y ganadería romana del cambio de era. Aunque conocemos mucho de su vida, de su profusa obra solo nos ha quedado De Re Rustica y De Lingua Latina. Sabemos también que ocupó importantes cargos militares en las guerras civiles en Hispania, a la que dedica bastantes pasajes específicos. En este artículo se analizan estas referencias ya que existen aparentes contradicciones en las citas dadas, siendo nuestra hipótesis principal que Varrón describe otras prácticas agropecuarias distintas de las romanas, que no habían sido contrastadas arqueológicamente, fundamentalmente porque se refieren al sur peninsular, provenientes de influencia turdetana u origen fenicio púnico.Palabras clave: Varrón; Hispania; agricultura romana; agronomía latina.
Non-Intrusive Methodologies for Large Area Urban Research, 2023
Since 2016 our team has been developing non-invasive research methodologies applied to the study ... more Since 2016 our team has been developing non-invasive research methodologies applied to the study of large archaeological areas corresponding to ancient cities in Roman Hispania. The Roman colonies of
Hasta Regia (Mesas de Asta, Jerez de la Frontera), Ilici (La Alcudia, Elche) and Libisosa (Lezuza, Albacete), and the Latin municipalities of Balsa (Luz de Tavira, Faro), Arva (Alcolea del Río) and Calduba (La Perdiz, Arcos de la Frontera) located in the Roman provinces of Baetica, Tarraconensis and Lusitania have been used as case studies presented in this paper (Figure 1). The cities in this each differ, offering a wide variety in terms of their topography, geography, current uses, and states of archaeological intervention and conservation. Furthermore, research at each of them has been approached with due consideration to these particular conditions, while experimenting with the workflow that was considered more appropriate to develop the non-invasive research and ensure the best results. This paper discusses the different conditions and problems during the entire research process and the strategies applied, as well as the most relevant results in each case study as part of the conclusions from this experience. The
main techniques and tools used during this work have been Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), groundpenetrating
radar (GPR), magnetometry, photogrammetry and terrestrial Lidar. Due to the number of
sites studied, the period of the studies, the nature of the surfaces analysed, and the diversity of situations,
this research experience is unique among other Spanish teams specialising in non-invasive techniques.
Journal of Archaeological Science. Reports, 2023
The literary works produced by the Roman Land Surveyors, also known as agrimensores, provide valu... more The literary works produced by the Roman Land Surveyors, also known as agrimensores, provide valuable insight into the management and demarcation of rural properties in the Roman world. Through these sources, we gain an understanding of how farms were partitioned and the elements employed to establish their boundaries. However, due to the general nature of the information, it is often difficult to apply it to modern-day archaeological studies, as we are typically only aware of the primary country house, such as the pars urbana in a villa. Nowadays, we have tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that allow us to approximate how could be the territory and its cadastre. In this article, we propose a methodology to combine Roman documentary evidence regarding land surveying, and tools to delimitate territoria in ancient sources, with geographic space, establishing a theoretical model on how to delimit estates in order to allow us to know their fundi. For this purpose, we use a case study in the Alto Alentejo (Portugal), a unique region where there is a high density of Roman villae, but whose settlement structure is not well known, and which could be part of a prefecture of the capital of Lusitania province Colonia Augusta Emerita. The proposed model allows us to visually see and relate the criteria applied by surveyors, like delimitation by streams or high elevations. This model translates the ancient knowledge to actual geography to propose boundaries, so we can discuss questions such as the possibility of secondary settlement as settlers or independent landowners or the potential areas of saltus.
BAR S3139 , 2023
‘This is an Accepted Manuscript version of a chapter published in GIS Applications in Roman Lands... more ‘This is an Accepted Manuscript version of a chapter published in GIS Applications in Roman Landscape and Territory, BAR S3139 edited by Pedro Trapero Fernández and André Carneiro, published by BAR Publishing (Oxford, 2023). This version is free to view and
download for personal use only. It cannot be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. The full text is available here: https://www.barpublishing.com/gis-applications-in-roman-landscape-and-territory.html
The Bay of Cadiz has historically been characterised as a very dynamic socio-natural space. The current landscape is the result of a series of natural phenomena such as erosion, sedimentation and the influence of the tides, to which must be added intense anthropic action. For the High Imperial Roman period, mobility in this area must have been complex, as there are several elements to take into account: several areas of intertidal influence, where rivers and tidal channels converge, as well as the configuration of the coastline up to the city of Gades, elements that were very sensitive to anthropic modifications such as the construction of the main Roman roads and the aqueduct that supplied water to the city. This configuration makes the space comprising the Bay of Cadiz ideal for testing, through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the potential mobility that would have taken place in ancient times. To this end, this article reconstructs the palaeoenvironment of Cadiz through the creation of a Digital Terrain Model (DTM), defining the different conditions of mobility for a given case, and assigning different forms of mobility (terrestrial, fluvial, intertidal and maritime). Finally, the articulation of this space is discussed, using a "Model of Accumulation of Optimal Displacements from an Origin" (MADO)
Vínculos de Historia, 2023
The Bay of Cadiz, where the Guadalete River flows into the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, is... more The Bay of Cadiz, where the Guadalete River flows into the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, is a privileged area for studying anthropic and natural changes over time, thanks to various transformation processes and its rich historical cartography. The river was navigable from Roman times, forming a wide estuary that gradually silted up. In medieval times, archival documentation attests to the difficulty of crossing the river with light boats to reach El Portal Port, for the commercialization of Jerez de la Frontera wines. In this article, we model the landscape of the lower basin of the Guadalete, analysing the processes that influence its clogging. To do so, we resort to the creation of a Digital Terrain Model from LiDAR data. We propose a method for the restitution of the topography at a given historical moment, the use of historical cartography to establish the drift of the riverbed and an analysis of the natural (geology, hydrology, tides, catastrophic events) and anthropic (mills, salt works, ship ballast) factors that conditioned its navigability.
Tekoa, 2023
Aplicación SIG y modelos históricos: prácticas y perspectivas de análisis de movilidad
Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology, 2022
Agriculture in the ancient world is the most important economic activity from a quantitative poin... more Agriculture in the ancient world is the most important economic activity from a quantitative point of view. Within the ancient knowledge of the countryside, agronomy was the fundamental science, originally developed by the Romans and whose influence would remain well into modern times. In this article, we analyse Latin agronomic sources from three perspectives. First, we look at the sources and origins of these agronomists. Second, analysing the diffusion they would have among their contemporaries. Thirdly, to see the permanence of these sources in other historical moments, such as late antiquity, the Muslim and Christian medieval periods. We will focus on the case of Columella and the Lower Guadalquivir region in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Columella was the most important author for viticulture, who has an important later influence and a source of information on his uncle Marcus Columella, a farmer from Baetica.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2023
This article analyses the distribution of Estremoz marble from the production centers to the redi... more This article analyses the distribution of Estremoz marble from the production centers to the redistribution ports and consumption areas. The marble of the Estremoz Anticline is the most important of the Roman province of Lusitania, and one most of the Hispania, located over150 km from the coast. This product was exploited and distributed to several cities in Roman Hispania and North Africa. This article examines how this transport was carried out by land and river, calculating the economic costs involved. To do this, it is used several Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools in order to find the optimal routes and discuss the transport for heavy loads, relating the mobility to the cumulative economic cost of displacement.
MYTRA 10. Small Towns, una realidad urbana en la Hispania romana , 2022
El yacimiento de Sierra Aznar es identificado en este trabajo como la Calduba descrita por Ptolom... more El yacimiento de Sierra Aznar es identificado en este trabajo como la Calduba descrita por Ptolomeo en el siglo II d. C., los argumentos esgrimidos para tal relación son los mismos que la definen como una Small Town. De ser Calduba esta pequeña comunidad el agua es el agente cultual que lo vertebra y, en este sentido, la aplicación de técnicas y metodologías no invasivas están arrojando datos de suma importancia para interpretarlo en clave histórico territorial y paisajístico.
Revista de Innovación y Buenas Prácticas Docentes, 2022
En el siguiente artículo se presentan los resultados del proyecto de innovación docente "Flipped ... more En el siguiente artículo se presentan los resultados del proyecto de innovación docente "Flipped Classroom: Propuesta metodológica para la teledocencia en Humanidades", llevado a cabo en nueve asignaturas de diferentes cursos impartidos Historia de la Universidad de Cádiz. La metodología se encuadra dentro de la llamada Flipped Classroom o "clase invertida", con la cual los contenidos teóricos fueron impartidos fuera del horario escolar mientras que durante la clase se desarrollaron los contenidos prácticos asociados a dichas asignaturas. Los resultados se representan mediante un conjunto de gráficas de sectores fruto del conjunto de preguntas realizadas al alumnado mediante encuestas.
revista PH
Reseña del libro Nogales Basarrate, T. (ed.) Ciudades Romanas de Hispania. Cities of Roman Hispan... more Reseña del libro Nogales Basarrate, T. (ed.) Ciudades Romanas de Hispania. Cities of Roman Hispania. Roma: L’Erma Di Bretschneider
Estudos Arqueológicos de Oeiras, Sep 10, 2021
The aims of the present work is to inform in two GPR geophysical surveys carried out in the subso... more The aims of the present work is to inform in two GPR geophysical surveys carried out in the subsoil of two Andalusian Renaissance churches with a bifrequency georradar GPR equipment, which have allowed to determine the existence of events possibly associated to the Christian burial world and modern/contemporary modifications. The detection in both churches of elements such as crypts and individual burials, as well as their disposition and location within the priority spaces of the period, confirm the effectiveness of the application of non‑invasive research techniques in the study of the building substrate in this type of construction. The work has also managed to identify possible struc‑ tural reinforcements of pillars, extension works and/or modifications possibly undertaken in modern times, all of which are underground. The results of the geophysics of both cases allow us to conclude that there are multiple constructive similarities following their chrono‑ logical parity and with the transformations that are carried out in the churches in modern times, a product of the customs and rites of the Christian world and the policies of rationalization of space. At the same time, the research has allowed a significant improvement in the establishment of the methodology for obtaining GPR data inside religious buildings, with the use of relative georeference systems and other auxiliary means. Consequently, the optimal performances, the appropriate GPR data densities for the correct obtaining of results and the advantages of the use of a bifrequency GPR system 200 MHz ‑ 600 MHz are defined.
Estudos Arqueológicos de Oeiras, Sep 10, 2021
We present a case study through the combined application of non‑invasive research techniques on t... more We present a case study through the combined application of non‑invasive research techniques on the Roman rural site of Miramundo (Puerto Real, Cádiz). The results of the geophysical prospection with multichannel georadar are offered for the definition of the archaeolog‑ ical structure discovered, together with the results of a surface micro‑prospection with centimeter GPS over the location area of this Roman imperial building. The main objective is to advance, through the combination of both techniques, in the formulation of functional hypotheses about the documented constructive spaces, as part of the methodological development of Non‑Invasive Historical‑Archaeological Research. Keywords : GPR survey; microsite prospecting; Roman rural settlement; Non Invasive Research; Miramundo site.
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Papers by Pedro Trapero Fernandez
Hasta Regia (Mesas de Asta, Jerez de la Frontera), Ilici (La Alcudia, Elche) and Libisosa (Lezuza, Albacete), and the Latin municipalities of Balsa (Luz de Tavira, Faro), Arva (Alcolea del Río) and Calduba (La Perdiz, Arcos de la Frontera) located in the Roman provinces of Baetica, Tarraconensis and Lusitania have been used as case studies presented in this paper (Figure 1). The cities in this each differ, offering a wide variety in terms of their topography, geography, current uses, and states of archaeological intervention and conservation. Furthermore, research at each of them has been approached with due consideration to these particular conditions, while experimenting with the workflow that was considered more appropriate to develop the non-invasive research and ensure the best results. This paper discusses the different conditions and problems during the entire research process and the strategies applied, as well as the most relevant results in each case study as part of the conclusions from this experience. The
main techniques and tools used during this work have been Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), groundpenetrating
radar (GPR), magnetometry, photogrammetry and terrestrial Lidar. Due to the number of
sites studied, the period of the studies, the nature of the surfaces analysed, and the diversity of situations,
this research experience is unique among other Spanish teams specialising in non-invasive techniques.
download for personal use only. It cannot be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. The full text is available here: https://www.barpublishing.com/gis-applications-in-roman-landscape-and-territory.html
The Bay of Cadiz has historically been characterised as a very dynamic socio-natural space. The current landscape is the result of a series of natural phenomena such as erosion, sedimentation and the influence of the tides, to which must be added intense anthropic action. For the High Imperial Roman period, mobility in this area must have been complex, as there are several elements to take into account: several areas of intertidal influence, where rivers and tidal channels converge, as well as the configuration of the coastline up to the city of Gades, elements that were very sensitive to anthropic modifications such as the construction of the main Roman roads and the aqueduct that supplied water to the city. This configuration makes the space comprising the Bay of Cadiz ideal for testing, through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the potential mobility that would have taken place in ancient times. To this end, this article reconstructs the palaeoenvironment of Cadiz through the creation of a Digital Terrain Model (DTM), defining the different conditions of mobility for a given case, and assigning different forms of mobility (terrestrial, fluvial, intertidal and maritime). Finally, the articulation of this space is discussed, using a "Model of Accumulation of Optimal Displacements from an Origin" (MADO)
Hasta Regia (Mesas de Asta, Jerez de la Frontera), Ilici (La Alcudia, Elche) and Libisosa (Lezuza, Albacete), and the Latin municipalities of Balsa (Luz de Tavira, Faro), Arva (Alcolea del Río) and Calduba (La Perdiz, Arcos de la Frontera) located in the Roman provinces of Baetica, Tarraconensis and Lusitania have been used as case studies presented in this paper (Figure 1). The cities in this each differ, offering a wide variety in terms of their topography, geography, current uses, and states of archaeological intervention and conservation. Furthermore, research at each of them has been approached with due consideration to these particular conditions, while experimenting with the workflow that was considered more appropriate to develop the non-invasive research and ensure the best results. This paper discusses the different conditions and problems during the entire research process and the strategies applied, as well as the most relevant results in each case study as part of the conclusions from this experience. The
main techniques and tools used during this work have been Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), groundpenetrating
radar (GPR), magnetometry, photogrammetry and terrestrial Lidar. Due to the number of
sites studied, the period of the studies, the nature of the surfaces analysed, and the diversity of situations,
this research experience is unique among other Spanish teams specialising in non-invasive techniques.
download for personal use only. It cannot be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. The full text is available here: https://www.barpublishing.com/gis-applications-in-roman-landscape-and-territory.html
The Bay of Cadiz has historically been characterised as a very dynamic socio-natural space. The current landscape is the result of a series of natural phenomena such as erosion, sedimentation and the influence of the tides, to which must be added intense anthropic action. For the High Imperial Roman period, mobility in this area must have been complex, as there are several elements to take into account: several areas of intertidal influence, where rivers and tidal channels converge, as well as the configuration of the coastline up to the city of Gades, elements that were very sensitive to anthropic modifications such as the construction of the main Roman roads and the aqueduct that supplied water to the city. This configuration makes the space comprising the Bay of Cadiz ideal for testing, through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the potential mobility that would have taken place in ancient times. To this end, this article reconstructs the palaeoenvironment of Cadiz through the creation of a Digital Terrain Model (DTM), defining the different conditions of mobility for a given case, and assigning different forms of mobility (terrestrial, fluvial, intertidal and maritime). Finally, the articulation of this space is discussed, using a "Model of Accumulation of Optimal Displacements from an Origin" (MADO)
Sabe-se, contudo, que este trabalho se encontra longe da sua conclu- são, permanecendo inúmeras questões em aberto. Deste modo, elencam-se também várias pistas para o futuro, desde a análise de modelos digitais ainda mais apurados, até à utilização de meios tecnológicos de alta precisão que permitam reconhecer as inúmeras dimensões da exploração em época romana que ainda não foram trazidas para a luz da análise.
the monograph. It is a case study of the Hasta Regia colony, an area chosen because it had certain preconditions that led us to believe that it was responsible for important wine production.
For this reason, this first chapter analyses the previous historical historiography on the main
studies that have been carried out in the territory of Baetica and the Lower Guadalquivir. It also
analyses the existing literature on Hasta Regia, which is one of the least known colonies in the
province. The question of rural settlement in the territory is also presented; there have been
few excavations and only very fragmentary archaeological surveys. Finally, an assessment is
made of the state of knowledge of agriculture in Roman times for our study area, where the
state of knowledge has not progressed for decades.
Several historical settlements, with industrial and commercial function, integrated the territory of Cádiz bay, as well as other life and burial places like the inland settlement of Castillo de Doña Blanca. This population process was adapted to the marine landscape of the Bay, while itself caused the urban transformation of the coastal environment of the medieval Cádiz Bay.
Since 2016 our research team has carried out a non-invasive study with the aim of safeguarding the historic environment and advancing the research on the urban development. In this paper we show the results of the GPR surveys conducted in La Martela, the Punic harbour of Castillo de Doña Blanca. This is a Phoenician settlement known thanks to excavations carried out between 1979 and 2001 and the non-invasive investigations conducted by our team, consisting of aerial and land photogrammetry and geophysics surveys (with single and multi-antenna GPR system).
La Martela is located on the floodplain, at the foot of the Phoenician settlement of Castillo de Doña Blanca, in a zone where there were no archaeological remains. A 6 hectares survey area was covered with the GPR multichannel Stream X system, thus leading to the discovery of an archaeological site of short-term phase. The orthogonal layout and the building types, with the elongated rooms of the Phoenician and Punic 'warehouse' type, are a clue to date its last construction phase to the 3rd century BC.
In this communication we present the proposed workflow for optimising the results of large area multi-channel GPR surveys to obtain accurate urban cartography, enhancing the value of this method as a research source.
Although geophysical techniques use interpolation as a mechanism to visualise data, these results provide enough quality to map underground structures of archaeological interest with precision. Ultimately, the floor plans obtained through geophysical techniques should be considered as valid as the ones derived from a traditional survey of excavated archaeological remains.
Using a methodological proposal based on legacy survey data collection and the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) consisting of the elaboration of a set of Digital Terrain Models to which cost analyses are applied, specifically the analysis of the "Model of Accumulation of Optimal Displacement from an Origin" (MADO) and the generation of optimal paths, the aim is to define the conditions of mobility and connectivity both terrestrial and fluvial and maritime in the Bay of Cadiz based on the data obtained for the Early Roman Empire period.