Retrieving signs of buried historical road tracks by GPR data processing

Historic roads are integral to the cultural and visual heritage of landscapes, reflecting the historical narratives of regions and the populations they served. Mapping the planimetric and altimetric pathways of these ancient routes provides critical insights into how past societies interacted with their environment. Beyond their historical and archaeological value, rediscovered and restored roadways offer contemporary opportunities for "slow mobility," promoting sustainable tourism and local engagement with heritage sites [1].

This study presents a novel data-processing framework based on ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to improve the detection and geometric characterization of buried historical roads. The research focuses on two significant case studies in Rome, Italy-Villa dei Sette Bassi and Villa di Massenzio-where historical and archaeological evidence suggest the presence of uncharted ancient road connections.

The proposed methodology employs signal attribute-based analysis [2] to address key limitations in current detection techniques, including challenges posed by highly heterogeneous environments typical of archaeologically rich soils. By improving the accuracy and reliability of identifying structural components of ancient roadways, this approach advances our understanding of historical landscapes and supports sustainable heritage utilization strategies.

 

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Parco Archeologico dell’Appia Antica and the Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali for their support to the research and for providing access to the survey sites. Special thanks are also extended to Prof. Alessandra Ten, Prof. Carla Amici, and Dr. Ersilia Maria Loreti for their assistance with the archaeological interpretation.