Mapping the Roman Water Supply System of the Wadi el Melah Valley in Gafsa, Tunisia, Using Remote Sensing

Nabil Bachagha, Lei Luo, Xinyuan Wang, Nicola Masini, Tababi Moussa, Houcine Khatteli and Rosa Lasaponara
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Nabil Bachagha: Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, China
Lei Luo: Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, China
Xinyuan Wang: Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, China
Nicola Masini: Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, China
Tababi Moussa: Faculty of Letters and Humanities of Sousse, University of Sousse, FLSHS-LR 13ES11 Sousse, Tunisia
Houcine Khatteli: Institut des Regions Arides (IRA)-Medenine, Medenine 4119, Tunisia
Rosa Lasaponara: Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: In recent years, very high-resolution satellite remote-sensing tools have been progressively used in archaeological prospecting to acquire information and improve documentation. Satellite remote sensing has also benefited from technical improvements, including better spectral and spatial resolution of sensors, which have facilitated the detection and discovery of unknown archaeological areas. This paper focuses on investigations conducted using multi-spectral satellite remote-sensing data of the ancient canal systems of the Wadi el Melah Valley (WMV) in southern Tunisia. The area used to be part of a huge military defense system along the desert border. This paper describes the use of GeoEye-1 and Ziyuan-3 satellite remote-sensing data to reveal ancient Roman canals, which were part of an advanced hydraulic system devised to capture runoff water and cope with the lack of water in the area. In general, this research provides new information on some essential sections of the Roman walled defense system Limes ( Fossatum ) in the southern part of the empire, where we study previously undetected sites.

Keywords: Wadi el Melah; archaeological; water supply system; Roman; remote sensing; GIS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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