Comprehensive geophysical investigation of a prehistoric site: Favella della Corte (Cosenza, Italy)

The Neolithic settlement of Favella della Corte (Cosenza, Italy) offered a unique opportunity to study early communities in Southern Italy. This work presents the results of a geophysical investigation of the site, providing non-invasive insights into its stratigraphy and paleo-environmental context. An integrated survey was conducted, including magnetic field measurements, magnetic susceptibility sampling, and electrical resistivity profiling, with the aim of characterising subsurface features and supporting the reconstruction of past environmental conditions. The magnetic survey comprised 3,000 readings collected with a Proton Precession Magnetometer GEM GSM-19T over an area of 11,600 m². Magnetic susceptibility data were recorded by a Geofyzika KT-5 handheld kappameter on the stratigraphic units outcropping from exploratory trenches along vertical sections spaced at 20–50 cm. Electrical resistivity measurements were carried out adopting Wenner-Alpha and Beta arrays along nine profiles spaced 20 m apart and extending up to 90 m. We modelled the magnetic data using an “ad hoc” three-dimensional inversion strategy. The modelling domain was discretized through a single horizontal layer of prismatic bodies and, being the inverse problem non-linear, we relied on the L-BFGS optimization algorithm. Model parameters involved were both the bottom position of prisms and a single magnetic susceptibility contrast value associated to all of them, which were updated every iteration until the L-BFGS algorithm converges. The electrical resistivity data were modelled along two-dimensional sections using Res2dinv based on the smoothness-constrained least-squares method. Combined modelling of magnetic and electrical resistivity datasets revealed a NE–SW trending linear feature 70 m long crossing the whole survey area, 20 m wide, and reaching depths of about 4 m. The stratigraphic evidence resulting from exploratory trenches allowed us to interpret this anomaly in the geophysical parameters as a paleo-channel incised into the sandy substrate and filled with silty-clayey material. Considering the pronounced rectilinearity of this feature, we interpreted it as an anthropogenic paleo-channel with a drainage function. The integrated application of magnetic and resistivity techniques proved to be highly effective for assessing the archaeological and paleo-environmental context of the Favella della Corte area, revealing subsurface stratigraphy and past environmental conditions. These findings highlighted the value of integrated geophysical approaches for reconstructing ancient landscapes and informing future research.