Scelte, bisogni, disponibilità. Archeologia dei paesaggi produttivi d'alta quota in età romana

It is well established that Roman society had an unprecedented impact on the natural environment. The need to maximize the use of natural resources in order to sustain a complex socio-economic system led to the refinement of techniques, to an extensive, if empirical, understanding of material properties, and to the optimized exploitation of different landscapes. Within this context, the mountains, long regarded as an inhospitable environment, shifted from barriers and boundaries into spaces of connection and human activity, primarily because of their wealth of raw materials. Recognizing the potential of this environment, learning how to exploit it despite its inherent challenges, and balancing costs and benefits was a challenge that Roman society successfully met. Among the most significant factors drawing attention to these areas were mineral resources, essential to the empire’s economy. Intensive mining represents the clearest expression of the complex relationship between humans and the mountains, with all its difficulties. Yet it was not the only one: recent studies have increasingly shed light on other forms of exploitation of mountain environments, particularly the production of building materials. By examining selected case studies through the integration of excavation data, landscape archaeology, and geoarchaeology, this paper aims to contribute to the development of a systematic approach to these questions.