AN INTEGRATION OF NON-DESTRUCTIVE TECHNIQUES (SFM–GPR–TLS) AS A VIRTUAL TOOL FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL STRATEGY: THE CASE OF THE ROMAN SITE OF THE PLAZA DE LA MORERÍA IN SAGUNTO (SPAIN)

Integration of non-destructive techniques (NDTs) and archaeological documentation offers a high potential for contributing in archaeological research strategies. NDTs, in addition to mapping and accurately detecting a site, can be an important factor that influence decision making in archaeological strategies. This integration helps to understand spatial organisation and stratigraphic potential in order to make decisions about which levels to excavate and which to remove, especially when archaeological horizons are overlapping. This methodology is demonstrated through a study of the Roman site Plaza de la Morería located in the urban area of Sagunto (Spain). The main task was to design a suitable archaeological strategy to recover the Roman funerary space prior to the first century AD by deciding whether or not to remove the pavement of a domus from a third century AD that covered the burial remains. This article describes the methodology carried out through the combined use of NTDs based on the documented archaeological findings. The integration of the methods structure from motion (SFM), ground penetrating radar (GPR) and laser scanner (TLS), georeferenced on the same reference frame defined by topographic methods, was proposed. The high resolution of 2D and 3D virtual visalitation features of GPR technique made it possible to pinpoint and map the existence of Roman overlapped horizons and buried structures in study zone. The multidisciplinary study configured a flexible design that was crucial for adapting the strategies to each proposed phase to recover the Roman funerary space prior to the first century AD. This integration of NDTs and documented archaeological data can impact decision making process and decision made in archaeological strategies, opening new perspectives in interventions of location, study, management, conservation and planning in archaeological heritage research.