This line of research focuses on the study of the many interactions between the realm of earth sciences and that of archaeology. These interactions include, for example, the joint action of geomorphic processes and of human activities that concur in the formation and transformation of landscapes. It includes the reconstruction of palaeo-environmental conditions by means of sedimentological, isotopic, or palaeo-botanical proxies, shedding light on the response of geomorphic systems to large-scale climatic events.

At the same time, it sheds light on how human communities dealt with such environmental changes in terms of modifications in settlement patterns, paleo-economy, and technology. At a higher-detail scale, geoarchaeology is used within single archaeological sites to understand their formation processes. This means determining with high accuracy (e.g. with the use of micromorphology or laboratory physical-chemical analyses) the plethora of human actions and natural processes that are recorded in each litho-stratigraphic unit.

Geoarchaeology is also interested in the assessment of the preservation conditions of archaeological sites, and in the definition of measures to prevent their damage by agricultural practices, erosion, slope processes, drainage, construction. Pedology is also an important component of geoarchaeological studies, as soils and paleosols are used to determine the age of landforms and to obtain key paleo-environmental information.

Professors coordinating and developing projects related to this research pathway: Gilberto Artioli, Cristiano Nicosia, Alessandro Fontana, Paolo Mozzi, Manuel Rigo