Archaeology and LiDAR: remote-sensing models for knowledge, valorisation, and communication of a widespread and invisible archaeological heritage in central Italy

This research explores protohistoric settlement dynamics in Central Italy by integrating LiDAR-based remote sensing, quantitative spatial analyses, and advanced GIS methodologies. The main goal is to investigate hilltop occupation patterns between the 2nd and early 1st millennium BC, identify anthropogenic features, and develop predictive models for detecting previously unknown sites. National LiDAR datasets (MATTM 2008–2009) were processed with LAStools to extract ground points and produce high-resolution Digital Terrain Models. Specific rendering algorithms, such as VAT (Visualization for Archaeological Topography), enhanced the visibility of subtle archaeological morphologies including ditches, terraces, and fortification systems. Spatial analyses in RStudio combined Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), morphometric analysis, and Point Pattern/Process Modeling (PPA and PPM) to reconstruct settlement distributions and highlight recurrent locational patterns. All datasets were managed within a PostgreSQL relational database linked to a GIS for spatial queries and diachronic mapping. Preliminary results reveal a progressive concentration of fortified settlements on dominant uplands during the Late and Final Bronze Age, suggesting the emergence of territorial hierarchies and visual communication networks, with regional variations reflecting local geomorphological and cultural conditions.