Non-invasive archaeological research in Atella (Sant’Arpino-Campania, Italy). Preliminary results from the 2023 campaign

Abstract

This paper aims to share the preliminary results from the non-invasive investigations initiated
in 2023 at the archaeological site of Atella in Sant’Arpino-Caserta led by the Archaeological Digital Mapping
Lab at the University of Naples Federico II. Located about halfway along the road from Capua to Neapolis,
Atella and its surrounding territory lie in the central sector of the Campanian plain – a wide alluvial plain
formed by the rivers Volturno and Clanio, north of Mount Vesuvius and the volcanic caldera of the Campi
Flegrei. Historically renowned for the ‘fabulae Atellanae,’ the site’s overall archaeological topography remains
largely uncharted. The new archaeological project began with a renewed evaluation of remotely sensed data
and included an intensive field survey and geophysical prospection using Ground Penetrating Radar. The
2023 campaign was conducted from June to September in Fondo Guarino-Sant’Arpino, which is believed to
encompass Atella’s central monumental area.

Keywords: Ancient Topography; non invasive Surveys; Campania; Atella; Roman Archaeology.