Multichannel GPR and multi-depth electromagnetic surveys for the study of Villa Eucheria and Aquinum at Castrocielo (Frosinone, Central Italy)

This paper presents the results of non-invasive geophysical surveys conducted across two distinct archaeological sectors within the territory of the ancient Roman city of Aquinum (Castrocielo, Frosinone). The first investigation focused on the remains of Villa Eucheria, a monumental Republican villa, where a multi-channel Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) system successfully identified buried structures that were subsequently verified and documented through targeted archaeological excavations. The second survey was carried out in the colony’s suburban area, to delineate the boundaries of a multi-phased necropolis (4th century BCE – 4th century CE) previously detected via aerial imagery. Due to site conditions, the GPR methodology was integrated with an electromagnetometric survey, successfully mapping the subsurface features. Ultimately, this study demonstrates the efficacy of an integrated, multi-sensor approach—combining near-surface geophysics and aerial photointerpretation—as a powerful predictive tool for planning and executing successful archaeological excavations.