When Climate Adaptation Meets Archaeology: a case study of the Aquileia archaeological site

This case study is part of the AdriaClim project and can also be found on the ClimateLiteracy website produced by the project.

Introduction

The aim of this case study is to improve the adaptation of archaeological sites to better withstand climate change impacts.  A collaboration between the Aquileia site managers and researchers has allowed for the creation of adaptation solutions and a language that aims to preserve the heritage of the Aquileia archaeological site for future generations. 

This case study explores the UNESCO Aquileia archaeological site, located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FVG) region of Italy. Aquileia overlooks the Adriatic Sea and was once one of the largest coastal cities in the Roman Empire. The Aquileia site not only provides archaeologists with a glimpse into ancient life, but it also provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between society and the changing environment. Climate change and its impacts have become well-known among scientists and the public.  However, a less-researched impact is damage to archaeological heritage sites.

Over the centuries, Aquileia has endured climatic changes, namely sea-level rise and flooding. Being a coastal city makes Aquileia especially susceptible to impacts from sea-level rise. From its ancient life until the 1900s, the city used a runoff and drainage system to navigate these impacts. Currently, site conservation managers use a system of water pumps to account for flooding and infiltration. However, the adaptation initiatives of the site cannot keep up with the worsening impacts of climate change.  

Methodology

In an attempt to adapt to these climate change impacts, conservation managers of the Aquileia site reached out to researchers. Arpa Friuli Venezia Giulia (Arpa FVG) has been one of the agencies that has provided knowledge on how climate change has impacted the coastal areas of the FVG region.  Collaboration efforts quickly displayed problems in communication between the researchers and site managers. The technical language of the site analysis carried out by Arpa FVG was difficult to understand by the Aquileia site managers and did not align with archaeological conservation disciplines. From this collaboration, the need for a common language between archaeologists and climate researchers was identified and a foundation for this language was developed.

Project Highlights

The collaboration between Arpa FVG and the Aquileia Foundation within the AdriaClim project produced the common knowledge creation path. This common knowledge path assesses the multiplicity of climate change impacts by outlining a chain that connects hazards with the level of exposure to archaeological sites. Defining these shared impact chains will allow for the protection of archaeological sites from emerging climate change risks.