Aerial Archaeology and Photogrammetric Surveys along the roman way from Corduba to Emerita. Digitalizing the ager Cordubensis and the ager Mellariensis

Abstract

The aim of this research project (Project Ager Mellariensis. Córdoba University) is the archaeological documentation, scientific research and enhancement of the roman town of Mellaria and its landscape. This work focuses on archaeological data related to the road connection between Corduba and its administrative district - the Conventum Cordubensis - with Mellaria. Along the 85 km among Corduba to Mellaria, this road archaeological axis is studied here for the first time. We describe the two methods of our archaeological research. In one hand, where the path of this way isn´t visible on the ground, we searched it using the aerial orthophotos of the National Aerial Orthophoto Plan (PNOA-acronym in Spanish), combinated with our thermal ortophoto taked by Quantalab-CSIC[2]. In the second hand, where this way is preserved, we started photogrammetric surveys to clarificate its ingeneering technique, its differents angles of slope and its general orographic problems to pass from 110 m.s.l to 550 m.s.l in 11 km.