The study of Limes Arabicus using aerial and satellite remote sensing documentation. The case of Umm ar-Rasas (Amman, Jordan)

Limes Arabicus is an excellent laboratory for experimenting with the enormous potential of historical and modern remote sensing data for the identification and recording of fortified centres located along this sector of the Roman Empire’s eastern frontier, which then also became the Byzantine Empire’s eastern borderline. Remote sensing, in conjunction with modern survey techniques and tools such as photogrammetry and laser scanner surveys, enables the identification, documentation, and study of ancient settlements in this area, as well as the development of site valorisation programmes such as the design of real and virtual routes for better use of archaeological areas. In this paper, a preliminary contribution focused on aerial and satellite remote sensing documentation concerning the site of Umm ar-Rasas (Amman, Jordan), a fortified settlement along the Via Traiana Nova, is presented.