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7 Future Work

This joint geo-archaeological mission in Portugal has not yet finished its work in and around the ancient town of Ammaia. Although the main traits of the city topography and its Roman water supply have now been revealed and carefully mapped, many more elements can be brought into the picture by way of this interdisciplinary approach. Several survey actions taken during the field campaigns have provided elements for further contributions to the ancient history and historical geography of this Roman town and its territory. The positive identification in 2004 of a granite quarry used in ancient times for supplying the town with solid building materials will certainly lead to a specific archaeo-geological approach.

The same applies to our already partly successful search for the places of origin of rock crystal extraction in antiquity, an important activity by the inhabitants of this Roman city. Furthermore, contributions can be made to the already on-going Portuguese surveys on the territory of Ammaia, revealing new and important data about the ancient roads serving the city, the field systems and the rural settlements. We have also started to investigate the degradation and abandonment of the city in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, partly connected with the massive erosion of the hillslopes on which the city was once built.


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