Post-medieval terraced landscapes. Methodologies, approaches and results from researches in the Ligurian Apennines

Ligurian Apennines are widely characterized by terraced landscapes that have been studied by the Laboratory of Environmental Archaeology and History, in relation to the environmental resources management practices (in particular, historical farming and transhumance system). This paper aims to present results from our ongoing research on eastern Ligurian terraced slopes, often associated with complex irrigation systems, particularly widespread since the 17th century. In the selected case studies, Castagnello (Borzonasca) and Viganego (Bargagli), historical cartography testifies terraces, at least, since the first half of the 18th century. The research investigates terraces as archaeological artifacts, to reconstruct the empirical knowledge (how it has been constructed and transmitted at local scale) related to their construction, use, and abandonment; we also aim to understand terraces life cycle in the framework of the wider local environmental resources management practices and system. The analysis started from the identification of different materials and building techniques, in relation to the different uses of terraces, to reflect on the craftsmen choice of materials, their methods of sourcing, and the knowledge related to the construction techniques. These data were collected through a combination of different approaches, methodologies, and sources that involved rural and landscape archaeology, oral tradition, geoarchaeological and ecological investigations, and archival documentation. We will discuss about potentialities and limitations of this multidisciplinary approach, and the possibility of applying this historical research to develop more effective strategies for environmental resources management, preservation, and safeguarding of upland landscapes and memories. The data are the outcome of a PhD project funded by the Italian Agency for the Territorial Cohesion which, carrying out the National Strategy for Inland Areas, helps sustainable development and fights the demographic decline of rural areas; the study also benefits f rom the collaboration with Antigone.