Veronica CASTIGNANI
Tutor: Luigi Maria CALIO'
She completed her BA in Classics at the University of Macerata, where she developed her interest in the fortified systems of the Hellenistic and Roman Epirus. During her MA at the University of Bologna, her research focused on the 3D digital recording for the study and documentation of the fortifications of Butrint (Albania) and parallelisms, on architectural bases, with the fortifications in Magna Graecia and Hellenistic Sicily.
She was awarded a scholarship for the School of Specialization in Archaeological Heritage at the University of Bologna, where she expanded the breadth of investigation to the Epirote landscape archaeology, implying the dynamics of occupation, organisation and militarisation of the Epirote territory between the Late Classical and Roman periods. Since then, an atlas of the fortified hilltop sites of Greek and Albanian Epirus has also been developed.
Since 2015, she was involved in several Italian and international research projects across Italy (Urbs Salvia; Monte Rinaldo; Suasa; Falerio Picenus; Ascoli Piceno, Pompeii - Domus of Obellio Firmo; Paestum), Albania (Hadrianopolis, Butrint, Phoinike, Byllis) and Croatia (Porec). During these research projects, she specialised in fieldwalking and topographic surveys via traditional and digital survey techniques, which implies laser scanning and photogrammetric methods.
Since 2017, she has been part of the Butrint Project (University of Bologna and Archaeological Institute of Tirana; co-directors Prof. Enrico Giorgi and Prof. Belisa Muka), where she coordinates the topographic survey and the study of the defensive system of Butrint and the hilltop sites of the Pavla River Valley.
Since 2021, she has been in charge of the topographic survey for the MiSAK Italian Historical-Archaeological Mission in Kurdistan of ISMEO, the International Institute of Kurdish Culture and the University of Bologna (director Dr. Luca Colliva), managing spatial and cartographic data.
Between 2022 and 2023, she was the Archaeology Survey Technician at the British School at Rome, working with 3D digital survey and geophysical prospections in several Italian archaeological sites (Falerii Novi Project; Halaesa; Syracuse; Furfo - Barisciano; Tharros; Pompeii; Spina; Via Appia; Via Latina; villa of Matrice; villa of Gerace; San Donato a Scopeto - Florence).
The research interests lie in landscape archaeology, topography and fortified architecture.
Member of the editorial board of "I Cardini di Groma" edited by BraDypUS (Co-directors Enrico Giorgi and Julian Bogdani).
Research project
Researching and representing fortified landscapes: Northern Epirus and Sicily in the Hellenistic Age.
Since the Late Classical period Epirus witnessed a massive fortification of landscape, through the redefinition of long-inhabited sites and the genesis of new fortifications with similar constructive features and defensive strategies. The dynastic tie between Pyrrhus, king of Epirus and major promoter of the reorganization, to Agathocles, tyrant of Syracuse, leads to a parallelism in urban history and military architecture between the two regions of the Western Mediterranean.
The doctoral research analyses the fortified landscapes of Northern Epirus, with a focus on frontier fortifications, and expands on a topic that identifies homogeneous principles, technical characteristics and similar architectural experiences between Epirus, Magna Graecia and Sicily in Hellenistic fortified sites. The analysis is carried out through non-invasive survey techniques for the study of defence systems and the reconstruction of the ancient landscape. Indeed, the most recent archaeological research and new approaches to the study of fortified sites have shown how the fortified landscape is a complex reality that must be investigated through an integrated study. The research therefore develops a multidisciplinary approach that combines remote and proximal sensing with the study of ancient sources, cartography, archaeology and geomorphology.
The project adopts a multi-scale investigation: intra-site study of walls for a typological classification, as the walls are a palimpsest of building phases and an observatory for fortification strategies; extra-site study on remote sensing, cartograpy and aerophotography to examine the territorial organization and reconstruct the archaeological landscape. Comparisons with fortified landscapes in Sicily aims to outline a representative, organic and comparative overview of fortifications sharing a broader architectural and political koinè.
The mapping of archaeological record, available in an open access platform, and the digital documentation of monuments will contribute to the protection and enhancement of the archaeological heritage as well.
Publications
V. Castignani 2023. Il nuovo rilievo delle mura arcaiche di Butrinto (Albania), in «Cronache di Archeologia», 41, 2022, pp. 163-178.
V. Castignani, F. Pizzimenti 2023. Fotografia aerea storica e da drone per lo studio di un contesto lagunare: il caso di Butrinto (Albania), in «Archeologia Aerea» XV, 2023, pp. 100-109.
F. Carbotti, V. Castignani, F. Fiori 2023. Riflessioni e nuove prospettive di ricerca sul sistema economico e ambientale epirota, in F. Carbotti, D. Gangale Risoleo, E. iacopini, F. Pizzimenti, I. Raimondo (eds.), Landscape 3: Una sintesi di elementi diacronici. Uomo e ambiente nel mondo antico: un equilibrio possibile?, Oxford, 2023, pp. 331-344.
L. Colliva, S.M. Sameen, D. Andreucci, V. Castignani 2022. Study and enhancement of the archaeological site of Sarqala (KRG, Iraq): a new project of MiSAK, the Italian Historical-Archaeological Mission in Kurdistan of ISMEO and IICK. The the Report of the 2021 Preliminary Mission, in «East and West», N.S. 3 (62), no. 2, 2022, pp. 43-66.
M. Benfatti, V. Castignani, F. Pizzimenti 2020. Le Fortificazioni di Butrinto: nuove acquisizioni topografiche e stratigrafiche, in L.M. Caliò, G.M. Gerogiannis, M. Kopsacheili (eds.), Fortificazioni e società nel Mediterraneo occidentale Fortifications and Societies in the Western Mediterranean. Albania e Grecia settentrionale, Roma, 2020, pp. 183-200.
Forthcoming publication
E. Giorgi, F. Pizzimenti, V. Castignani, F. Carbotti. Dal Grande Progetto Pompei al Butrint Project: il rilievo laser scanner come strumento di conoscenza e tutela del patrimonio archeologico, in Atti del convegno Restauro, conservazione, valorizzazione, digitalizzazione e scienza del patrimonio, Ravenna 11 October 2022, forthcoming.
F. Carbotti, V. Castignani, F. D’Ambola, M. Rivoli, G. Sigismondo. Siti d’altura e ville fortificate in Caonia (Epiro): considerazioni sul popolamento antico alla luce delle nuove ricerche, in Landscape 4. Una sintesi di elementi diacronici. Pianificazione e mondo antico: tra i dogmi del passato e le interpretazioni recenti, Lecce 23-24 May 2023, forthcoming.
S. Kay, E. Pomar, V. Castignani, D. Cooper. High resolution spatial documentation of Renaissance church interiors through multiple non-invasive survey techniques, in Groma 7. Documenting Archaeology, forthcoming.
E. Giorgi, B. Muka, S. Medas, V. Castignani, F. Carbotti. Alcune riflessioni sull'archeologia della laguna di Butrinto. Approdi per terra e per mare, in Atti del workshop InterAzioni. Uomini e Lagune, Foggia 14-15 December 2023, forthcoming.
Workshop and seminar presentations
E. Giorgi, F. Carbotti, V. Castignani, G. Sigismondo. New insights into the upland landscape of ancient Epirus, Southern Albania. Contribution at the Upland Archaeology Workshop, Bologna 23-24 February 2023.
V. Castignani, F.P. di Casola, S. Kay, E. Pomar, C. Siwicki. The First Mile of Via Latina Project: The Residence of the Norwegian Ambassador. Contribution at The Director’s Seminar – Istituto di Norvegia in Roma, Roma 24 January 2023.
V. Castignani, Fortified hilltop sites in Chaonia: new considerations. Contribution at the international workshop Epirus in the Roman World and the New Research on the Acropolis of Butrint, Bologna 10-11 November 2022.
V. Castignani, F. Pizzimenti, The wall-circuit of the Acropolis: the new topographic survey. Contribution at the international workshop Epirus in the Roman World and the New Research on the Acropolis of Butrint, Bologna 10-11 November 2022.
V. Castignani, Siti fortificati d’altura in Epiro tra Età Ellenistica e Romana. Contribution at seminars on landscape archaeology Siti d’Altura e Analisi di Visibilità. Dall’Italia Appenninica all’Epiro, Bologna 13 April 2022.