L’IMPATTO DELLE CAVE MODERNE SUI BENI E I PAESAGGI ARCHEOLOGICI: PRIMI LAVORI DEL PROGETTO QU&HERI

In Italy, the historical and recent development of quarries had and still has a significant impact on landscapes, biodiversity, and non-renewable resources, including cultural and archaeological heritage. In many cases in central-southern Italy, but also in the rest of the country, illegal or even duly authorized quarries have damaged or fully destroyed archaeological contexts, without their adequate documentation. Furthermore, frequently the proximity of the quarry faces to archaeological contexts of acknowledged or registered scientific and cultural importance not only threatens their persistence over time, but clearly compromises the conservation, enhancement and enjoyment of the cultural landscape. The case of North-eastern Calabria is discussed in some detail. For these reasons, monitoring the past and present impact of modern quarries and assessing the risk incidence for Cultural Heritage are relevant issues in its comprehensive protection: this goal can be better pursued through synergistic planning actions and the use of advanced technologies.