Mapping the Roman Ager Rusellanus

An archaeological excavation site in Italy.

Learn GIS software and database management in archaeology while mapping all the known archaeological sites in the Roman ager Rusellanus. 

Project description

The aim of this project is to map all the known archaeological sites in the Roman ager Rusellanus.

The research focuses on the late Etruscan to Late Antique periods, and the final outcome will be a digital map to better understand settlement networks in this part of Etruria.

Students have the possibility to learn how to use GIS open-access software and to research a portion of Roman Etruria that was set at the heart of the Italian peninsula.

Project outcome

  • This project will result in a digital map of Etruscan, Roman and late Roman presence in southern Tuscany
  • Students can use the data collected for inclusion in Honor Thesis and Master dissertations

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment About a semester (3-5 months)
Start time Anytime
In-person, remote, or hybrid?
In -person
Level of collaboration Individual student project
Benefits  Academic credit; Work study
Who is eligible All undergraduates 

Core partners

  • The research is part of the wider IMPERO (Interconnected Mobility of People and Economies along the River Ombrone) Project, carried out by the Department of Classics, in partnership with The Cooper Union University and Michigan State University

Project mentor

Alessandro Sebastiani

Assistant Professor;

Department of Classics

Phone: (716) 645-0462

Email: as424@buffalo.edu

green and brown landscape of Italian countryside.

Start the project

  1. Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
  2. After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.) 

Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

  • Read seminal articles
  • Practice with QGIS software 
  • Become familiar with Italian archaeological terms

Keywords

Classics