Morphometric analysis for geoarchaeological research: from testing different methods to results verification in the Romagna plain

The Multi-Scale Relief Model (MSRM) is a novel algorithm developed for the visual interpretation of landforms. This was tested within the Romagna plain, the south-eastern part of the Po Valley (Italy), to establish whether it was able to detect fluvial ridges within this alluvial landscape. Since the MSRM is not the only method to carry out morphometric analysis, it was compared with other techniques previously used in landscape archaeology, such as the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), the Topographic Position Index (TPI), and the Deviation from mean Elevation (DEV). At the same time, the SRTM 1 Arc-Second Global was compared with a Local DEM based on ground control points. Subsequently, the result of the MSRM algorithm was tested through targeted desktop- and field-based research. This validation phase proved essential to test the accuracy of the DEM-derived products. Furthermore, it allowed us to verify the existence of the detected fluvial ridges, to propose a chronological range for some of them, and, finally, to collect new archaeological evidence.