Northern Apulia Coastal Survey: la piana di Siponto tra Neolitico e Medioevo

his paper presents the first results of the Northern Apulia Coastal Survey, a project that investigates the historic landscapes of the northern Apulian coastal plain, extending from the mouth of the Ofanto River to the Gulf of Manfredonia. In the context of this inaugural campaign, a substantial part of the discourse is devoted to the comprehensive methodological framework that integrates archaeological legacy data with systematic field surveys and statistical modelling to document and interpret surface archaeological evidence. Particular attention has been paid to modelling the effects of variable visibility and temporal patterns in the collected archaeological material. The first survey campaign covered 277.5 ha in the suburban area of ancient Sipontum and revealed occupation patterns spanning several periods: Late Prehistory (with a notable peak during the Bronze Age), the Roman and Late Antique periods (2nd century BC - 6th century AD) and the Late Medieval period (13th-14th centuries). Among the most important discoveries are extensive productive activities on the outskirts of Sipontum, several quarries and a monumental maritime villa with associated agricultural lands. These results offer new perspectives on the changing relationship between coastal communities and their environment through time, highlighting settlement continuities and discontinuities.