Legacy data GIS integration and surface survey for the archaeology of the Atellan landscape (Campania, Italy)

This paper presents preliminary results of the In.Res.Agri (PRIN 2022) case study on the ancient topography of Atella (Campania, Italy). We integrated legacy archival datasets – standardised to ICCD/ICA models – within a QGIS environment and guided systematic surface survey (c. 130 ha) using mobile mapping (QField). Preventive archaeology trenches and sondages were digitised as MOSI records alongside newly documented features, enabling multi-scale analyses of settlement and infrastructure. The database now comprises 285 MOSI (≈548% increase over the pre-existing picture), with c. 69% of entries derived from archival review. Fieldwork refined the mapping of extra-urban axes, including the paved road at Sant’Arpino and a compacted path (UO 206) plausibly aligned with the ‘Acerrae-Atella I’ system. Re-oriented excavation drawings from the Frattaminore ‘Novio Atellano’ site reveal orthogonal roadways whose E-W axis accords with the ager Campanus, suggesting long-term cadastral persistence despite mantling by AD 79 and later tephras. The integrated workflow tests earlier hypotheses on centuriation, clarifies urban-rural relations, and delivers reproducible, georeferenced expectations for targeted verification. At project close, all geodata will be published via Digital Groma and the National Geoportal for Archaeology.