Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.9
3.2
Journals
Land
Special Issues
Archaeological Landscape and Settlement (Third Edition)
share announcement

Archaeological Landscape and Settlement (Third Edition)

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Landscape Archaeology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 4540

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Paolo Biagi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, 30123 Venezia, Italy
Interests: landscape archaeology; prehistoric archaeology; shell middens; Indus Valley; high-altitude archaeology; lithic mining; hunter-gatherers; early farmers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Elisabetta Starnini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civilizations and Forms of Knowledge, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: landscape archaeology; prehistoric archaeology; neolithization of Europe; raw material procurement and use; archaeometry of ceramics and stone artefacts; prehistory of the Indus Valley
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) providing insights about the effect of the human impact on the landscape and the consequence of the exploitation of natural resources.

Since the end of the 1960s, the problem of the human impact on the landscape has attracted the attention of archaeologists. Many things have changed in recent decades, and the study of the human impact on the landscape and the way humans exploited natural resources has improved dramatically. Though the topic is very complex, as it involves geoarchaeological, archaeobotanical, archaeozoological and precise chronological data, it is open to several types of interpretation and speculation. The study of the environmental changes produced by man that have led to the present situation is very actual and worth analysing in detail.

Landscapes are sensible to changes caused by both natural and man-made events. When both effects combine, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the causes that contributed to the changes which took place in the past—without written sources.  The scope of this volume is to explore these changes, why and when they took place, which were the reasons and the results that followed. How can they be studied? Which are the methods used by the archaeologists to achieve this goal? Did environmental changes influence the expansion of human beings throughout the millennia and why? How can we preserve the evidence for the future generations and show the importance they hold in the study of the present?

Prof. Dr. Paolo Biagi
Dr. Elisabetta Starnini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • human impact on the landscape
  • coastal changes and sea-level rise
  • settlement pattern and site complementarity
  • raw material exploitation and distribution
  • mining stones and ore
  • high-altitude settlements and rituals
  • preservation of archaeological sites

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 9171 KB  
Article
Geospatial Analysis of Geomorphological and Hydrological Factors Influencing the Site Selection of the Ancient Marib Dam
by Abdullah Alshami and Mohamed Metwaly
Land 2026, 15(6), 894; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15060894 (registering DOI) - 22 May 2026
Viewed by 128
Abstract
The management of water resources is a critical factor in the emergence of civilizations, particularly in arid regions like the Arabian Peninsula. The ancient Marib Dam represents a systematic application of hydraulic planning within the Sabaean civilization. This study analyzes the scientific rationale [...] Read more.
The management of water resources is a critical factor in the emergence of civilizations, particularly in arid regions like the Arabian Peninsula. The ancient Marib Dam represents a systematic application of hydraulic planning within the Sabaean civilization. This study analyzes the scientific rationale behind the dam’s site selection by assessing key hydrological and geomorphological factors using Geographic Information Systems (GISs) and Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA). The analysis revealed that the dam’s location precisely corresponds with a (very high) potential runoff accumulation zone, a critical area constituting only 0.8% of the total landscape studied. By providing this quantitative assessment, this study moves beyond historical interpretation to offer the first geospatial evidence that the dam’s site selection was deliberate and quantitatively informed, establishing a replicable model for the field of archaeohydrology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeological Landscape and Settlement (Third Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

30 pages, 12255 KB  
Article
An Artificial Canal Connecting the Roman Burgus at Trebur-Astheim (Upper Rhine Graben, Germany) with the River Rhine
by Elena Appel, Dennis Wilken, Thomas Becker, Henrik Leif Schäfer, Markus Scholz, Sarah Bäumler, Peter Fischer, Timo Willershäuser, Udo Recker and Andreas Vött
Land 2026, 15(4), 526; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15040526 - 24 Mar 2026
Viewed by 2159
Abstract
Today’s fluvioscape of the Hessische Ried (Upper Rhine Graben) is the consequence of human intervention on the natural drainage system that has transformed a large floodplain into an intensively used cultural landscape. Already, the Romans carried out river regulation and water management to [...] Read more.
Today’s fluvioscape of the Hessische Ried (Upper Rhine Graben) is the consequence of human intervention on the natural drainage system that has transformed a large floodplain into an intensively used cultural landscape. Already, the Romans carried out river regulation and water management to guarantee the transportation of material and troops, securing the territory of the Roman Empire. To secure the so-called Rhein-Limes, burgi (fortlets) were constructed along small tributaries of the River Rhine under Valentinian I. (364–375). The burgus at Trebur-Astheim represents such a military site. It is located at the Schwarzbach/Landgraben fluvial system, which was actively used as a waterway and connected important military sites such as the castra “Auf Esch” (Groß-Gerau) with the River Rhine and, thus, with the provincial capital Mogontiacum (Mainz). Using a combination of magnetic gradiometry, frequency domain electromagnetic induction (FDEMI), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), direct push-sensing (DP), and sediment coring, we were able to detect a 15 m wide and 2.5 m deep Roman canal between the burgus at Trebur-Astheim and the River Rhine, opening the Hessische Ried hinterland to wider trade routes. Radiocarbon dating further reveals that after a final re-excavation, the channel started to silt up in the 7th/8th century AD and finally fell out of use. This last period of use may be associated with the activities of the Carolingian Königspfalz (royal palace) Trebur. Our study shows that the fluvioscape of the Hessische Ried dates back to Roman times and that the canal at Trebur-Astheim is one of the few navigable canals known to have existed north of the Alps during the Roman period and the Early Middle Ages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeological Landscape and Settlement (Third Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

53 pages, 49911 KB  
Article
Understanding the Formation of a Mediterranean Landscape: Medieval Rural Land and Settlements in Catalonia
by Jordi Bolòs
Land 2026, 15(2), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15020225 - 29 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1058
Abstract
In recent years, numerous studies have been carried out on the landscape of the 5th-15th centuries in Catalonia. When studying settlement, we will assess research on the morphogenesis of villages and highlight differences across regions. We will also see the characteristics of the [...] Read more.
In recent years, numerous studies have been carried out on the landscape of the 5th-15th centuries in Catalonia. When studying settlement, we will assess research on the morphogenesis of villages and highlight differences across regions. We will also see the characteristics of the hamlets of the Early Middle Ages and those of the Pyrenean lands. Farmsteads, which were made up of a house and some land that depended on it, were a fundamental element of the landscape of many regions of Catalonia. To understand the characteristics of the agricultural areas, we will be interested in the concentric shapes and coaxial strips. Furthermore, to understand the landscape of the regions of Lleida and Tortosa, we must understand the transformations that occurred in the Islamic era and the diffusion of ditches and irrigated spaces. Likewise, we will examine the relationship we discover between the coombs and the first medieval settlements and necropolises. It is also important to determine when and why the terraces were built. This study will address the evolution of the landscape throughout Catalonia, with special emphasis on the most recent contributions relating to the regions of Barcelona and Lleida. This research has been based primarily on the study of written documents and the analysis of what is preserved on the ground, which we can learn about above all through aerial photographs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeological Landscape and Settlement (Third Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 8880 KB  
Article
On the Peculiar Hydrological Behavior of Sediments Trapped Behind the Terraces of Petra, Jordan
by Catreena Hamarneh and Nizar Abu-Jaber
Land 2026, 15(2), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15020212 - 26 Jan 2026
Viewed by 596
Abstract
The archaeological terraces of Petra (southern Jordan) have long been recognized for their role in agriculture and flood mitigation. Despite the dominance of fine-grained sediments behind many terrace walls, these systems exhibit high infiltration capacity and remarkable resistance to erosion. This study investigates [...] Read more.
The archaeological terraces of Petra (southern Jordan) have long been recognized for their role in agriculture and flood mitigation. Despite the dominance of fine-grained sediments behind many terrace walls, these systems exhibit high infiltration capacity and remarkable resistance to erosion. This study investigates the hydrological behavior of terrace-trapped sediments through detailed soil texture, aggregate stability, salinity, and chemical analyses across eight representative sites in and around Petra. Grain-size distributions derived from dry and wet sieving, supplemented by laser diffraction, reveal that dry sieving substantially overestimates sand content due to aggregation of fine particles into unstable peds. Wet analyses demonstrate that many terrace soils are clay- or sandy-clay-dominated yet remain highly permeable. Chemical indicators (nitrate, phosphate, potassium, pH, and salinity) further suggest that terracing enhances downward water movement and salt leaching irrespective of clay content. The nature of the terrace settings and their sediment structure (especially the coarse-grained framework) exerts a stronger control on hydrological functioning than texture alone. The results have direct implications for understanding ancient land management in Petra and for informing sustainable terracing practices in modern arid and semi-arid landscapes, as they are effective both in harvesting water and reducing sediment mobilization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Archaeological Landscape and Settlement (Third Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop