A bridge between landscapes and methodological approaches
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2018-08-17

The Roman bridge of Porto Torres is a monumental symbol of the potential of the contradictions of contemporary archeology in now day Sardinia. The bridge keeps together the two shores of the main local river, very close from a geographical point of view, but still far from a landscape point of view as defined by the European Landscape Convention, namely as part of the territory as well as perceived by the people who inhabit it. On the west bank, the industrial sector almost completely into disuse and symbol of the failure of the industrial project, cause of the economic and social decay of the local community. On the east bank, the archaeological park, a wide area still largely to be investigated, epicenter of the ancient city, escaped from industrialization and speculation, where still remain monumental evidences.
The paper intends to explore, taking the Roman bridge as a node of the network of disciplines and interests involved, the multiplicity of investigations and projects developed in recent years in the historical city of Porto Torres. The analisys of data acquired in several investigations in the urban area represent the basis for an effective recomposition of the history of the city and the territory. The relationship with the land resources, the inclusion in the Mediterranean commercial network, the expansion and contraction processes, the infrastructure such as the bridge and the colony's ports are some of the most studied aspects, fundamental elements not only from a purely historical and archaeological point of view but necessary basis of knowledge for planning any kind of urban transformation. Main goal is the construction of a bridge between the different branches of research, a tool for overcoming the disciplinary boundaries with the aim to acquire archeology between the real interests of the citizenship.

Author: Research fellow petruzzi, enrico - Università di Sassari (Presenting author)