Floodplain occupation and landscape modification in early Rome

In order to explore geoarchaeological conditions in the floodplain, a multi-disciplinary research project was undertaken in the Forum Boarium between 2013 and 2015. This paper presents preliminary results from this recent investigation, including evidence on the natural topography of the river valley, floods and sedimentation, as well as building techniques in a flood-prone region in Archaic and Early Republican Rome. It is argued that, in response to varied and prolonged environmental stress, landscape modification and continuous management became important prerequisites to Rome's urbanization process; in this way, ecological pressures directly influenced the development of the city's built landscape. This research not only represents a significant step towards a paleoenvironmental reconstruction of early Rome, but also demonstrates the advantages of coring survey in urban areas where access to deeply buried archaeological and geological stratigraphy is restricted.