Roman viticulture analysis based on Latin agronomists and the application of a geographic information system in lower Guadalquivir

Abstract

The advancement in the historical research of business activities, such as ancient agriculture and specifically Roman viticulture, requires the knowledge of the productive sites. This research will propose a way to interconnect the information contained in Latin agronomic tradition, in order to choose the placement of a production unit, using a geographical information system (GIS). The Latin agronomist information, together with current agricultural knowledge, may lead to a set of measurable, georeferencing criteria for future prospecting, such as land orientation to the winds and insolation, the soil types and the slope. Also, the proximity to terrestrial, fluvial and maritime communication routes, as well as cities and water supply will be assessed. This methodology is applied in the territory of the lower Guadalquivir (southwest Spain) achieving measurable criteria on a georeferenced map, being able to classify the data and create cartography that shows the best places for future archaeological prospecting.

Keywords

• GIS
• lower Guadalquivir
• viticulture
• Columella
• Roman agriculture