General objective
As mentioned in the project presentation, the main objective of the project is the elaboration and implementing a functional applied research model based on integrating and development of non-destructive techniques, with the goal of understanding and revaluating the complexity of the prehistoric archaeological sites. Through this objective we would like to promote the interdisciplinary studies, based on non-invasive techniques in archaeological sites from the Moldavian Plateau, in order to recover as much as possible from the scientific information (all that is buried and invisible), impossible to obtain without these methods.
Specific objectives:
- Describing the prehistoric communities‘ behavior in certain environmental conditions;
- Identifying the land occupation mechanisms inside and outside the prehistoric settlements;
- Evaluating and monitoring the risks that affect the prehistoric sites;
- Proposing an analysis, reevaluating and touristic management model of prehistoric settlements;
- Designing an integrated model, open to non-invasive and reevaluating the archaeological sites.
Through all these specific objectives, with activities grouped in many working packages, we would like to identify habitation models for the prehistoric settlements, based on the interdependence relation between the communities and the environment (locating the water resources, identifying the paleo-channels, the mineral resources, the morphometrical and geomorphological favorable features: slope, the side orientation, exposition, etc.).
We will also focus our efforts towards the intra-site analysis, which will provide precious information on the planimetry, the fortification elements, the surface of the site, nearby seasonal settlements, etc. Concurrently, based on the results, we will devise an efficient strategy for archaeological research, designed for research institutes – this will definitely reduce the amount of time for this activity and the financial resources. The precise locations of archaeological material will be known exactly and the initial interpretation of anomalies detected through geophysical methods depending on the location, shape, contrast, etc. which will help the future position of the archaeological sections.
As the prehistoric sites are faced with problems of geomorphological and hydrological nature, many being affected by erosion, landslide, compaction (those located on the rivers or sides) or periodic flooding (those located on the waterside of the rivers), we propose a set of specific activities, an evaluation of the affected degree, as well as a viable strategy for protecting and preserving, which are necessary but neglected.
We will also concentrate the activities towards an integrated model for the researched sites in some thematic touristic routes, with specialized touristic packages (scientific tourism, for example) or complex packages (cultural tourism).
Finally, based on the obtained results, we will design an integrated, open model of non-destructive research of the prehistoric sites, the first such from Romania, containing a standard methodology, with specific activities and that can be expanded on a greater scale, both spatial and temporal. Also, the profound interdisciplinary character will allow its application in other issues, different from archaeology (geography, geology, architecture, tourism, cadastre, road infrastructure, etc.).