Biodiversity and Temporal Diversity in Archaeological Landscapes: Towards a New Perception
Biodiversity and Temporal Diversity in Archaeological Landscapes: Towards a New Perception

Summary/Abstract: Reflecting on several crucial issues regarding the protection, planning, and management of archaeological landscapes from the point of view of the Discipline of Landscape Architecture, the article focusses on the roles of the vegetal component and plant biodiversity in the landscaping of archaeological sites. After outlining a background framework of the theoretical, cultural, and ecological relationships between vegetation and ruins adopting a landscape architecture approach, the article proposes a set of conceptual and operational tools to deal with active and inventive1 conservation of archaeological landscapes, striving to adopt the “strong forward-looking” attitude recommended by the European Landscape Convention (Florence 2000). By re-reading the consolidated concept of biodiversity (CBD, 1992) according to a different research dimension, the concept of temporal diversity is explored and proposed as a key issue in the interpretation and planning of layered landscapes. Focusing in particular on design issues in the management of ruin an vegetation integration, an innovative approach is presented in regards to various greenery-related potentialities in the landscaping and management of archaeological sites. The article’s concluding remarks aim to open new trans-disciplinary windows of research on active and inventive conservation of archaeological landscapes to foster further exploration of this potentially broad ambit of investigation.

• Details
• Contents