Archaeological diagnostic experiences at Burnum

The Burnum Project was started in 2005 as a joint research project between the Department of Archaeology (University of Zadar), the Civic Museum of Drniš and the Department of Archaeology (University of Bologna), under the aegis of the Centre for the Study of the Archaeology of the Adriatic Sea (Ravenna). Aims of the project are the knowledge and preservation of the archaeological site of Burnum, in the Krka valley. The methodological issue of the Burnum Project is to test a protocol of intervention based on the following points: many archaeological sites, excavated in the past, are increasingly exposed to degradation; today the nonintrusive methods of investigation in archaeology allow the detection of the archaeological evidence without exposing it to the risk of damages; a deeper knowledge and documentation of the archaeological heritage are the basis for proper interventions of preservation and valorization. The use and implementation of different nonintrusive methodologies of analysis to detect the presence of buried evidences in the subsoil, together with the careful survey of the unburied structures, brought the following results (still in progress): a convincing reconstruction of the historical phases of the area occupied by the basilica of Burnum; the preservation of the Roman arches (part of the basilica, the only visible physical remain of the whole ancient settlement); the education of young students and researchers; the improvement of strategies of international cooperation and networking and the development of shared protocols for archaeological documentation and communication.