The concept of Archaeological Potential : an analysis of the methodologies in Italy and abroad

The planning of public works or public utilities in Italy requires that a Preventive Evaluation of Archaeological Interest (VPIA) must be carried out by a specialist archaeologist. This document assesses the risk of encountering archaeological remains in the project area based on various parameters, defined by the Central Institute for Archaeology (ICA). A crucial factor of this evaluation is the “Archaeological Potential”, a key point of the VPIA which indicates the probability of finding archaeological remains in an area, in relation to its geomorphological and historical characteristics. The Potential is expressed through predefined levels, ranging from High to Zero. The aim of this study is to analyze, reconstruct and compare the procedures employed in different countries concerning theArchaeological Potential. For this purpose, a Google Form was distributed to numerous archaeologists working in the field of Preventive Archaeology abroad. Emphasis was placed on identifying the concept of archaeological potential in their methodologies, aiming to discern similarities and differences compared to the Italian approach.