Georadar in the Lateran Area

The Basilica of S. Giovanni in Laterano (St. John Lateran) is the Pope's Cathedral and the first public building constructed for Christian worship. Alongside it lies the first Baptistery in western Christendom. The complex has been the focus of sundry excavations since the 1730s. These have revealed traces of the earliest phases of both buildings, along with parts of the Castra Nova of the Imperial Horseguard, a bath complex and palatial housing. Interpretation of these excavations is, however, difficult; and most are either undocumented or only partially recorded. The Lateran project is investigating the entire complex to integrate information from standing buildings, excavated structures and sub-surface features. It seeks to understand the stratigraphic, spatial and functional relationships of the different elements underlying the modern complex. The aim of the GPR survey is to identify Roman and high-medieval age remains which could enhance understanding of the ancient topography and the urban evolution of the study area. During 2012-2016, a series of GPR surveys were conducted below the basilica, inside the archaeological area, and outside the basilica, to demonstrate the potential of this method for this analysis and to locate the expected archaeological structures.