Vol. 19 (2023): Submerged Landscapes around Ferrara (Italy): Underwater Archaeology between Quarries and Palaeochannels

This work describes research into the discovery of ancient landscapes
that are now submerged beneath the artificial basins of some quarry lakes. Over the
last 30000 years, Pianura Padana land with its geomorphology and its rivers has been
subject to huge changes.
Evidence of landscapes that are presently submerged has been discovered thanks to
the activity of monitoring and surveillance archaeology.
Research and studies about underwater archeology of the inland waters in the
hydrographic district of Ferrara investigate a scientific reality, still little known to the
world of archaeology.
The study and monitoring of the artificial basins created during the excavation of
quarries for the extraction of sand in the Palaeochannels of the River Po, an
important economic sector at the regional and national level, involve underwater
archaeology experts in new challenges. Here, five case studies are presented
through satellite photographs, on-site documentation, examination of core samples,
underwater archaeology surveys, and remote sensing investigations.
These mining sites correspond respectively to the following lakes individuated by
new toponyms: Lago Quaternario, Lago di Casaglia, Lago Cantoniera Cavallara, Lago
Campanella, Lago Tramonto (prototype site of research and remote sensing).
Considering the data collected, environmental reconstructions of the flora and fauna
as well as man-made structures relating to the regulation of the ancient river Po are
presented, during the Roman and Late Roman Ages.