Roca Vecchia (LE)

Roca Archaeological Survey

Coordinator/ Mission Manager

Francesco Iacono

Research Scope and Classifications

Archaeological disciplines from prehistory to the medieval period

VRA: area 10

ERC: SH6, The study of the human past: archaeology, history, and memory

SDG: 6) Clean water and sanitation; 11) Sustainable cities and communities;

Primary Type of Public Engagement

Active participation in events organized by other entities

Publication of a website and social media pages related to research activities

Other: Production of targeted panels for already-museumized exhibitions/attractions

Description

The third mission activities carried out as part of the Roca Archaeological Survey include a) continuous publicity/communication of the activities through the project's website "Mobility and Memory Landscapes"; b) participation in a workshop organized by the city of Melendugno aimed at presenting the preliminary results of the Roca Archaeological Survey; c) production of panels to be displayed in designated areas at the main site (this activity is still ongoing).

Locations and Periods

Regarding communication through the project's website and social media profiles, this activity has been ongoing since 2020.

Regarding the activity carried out at the municipal theater of Melendugno on April 1, 2022.

Collaborations and Partners

Municipality of Melendugno, University of Salento, University of Bari, Polytechnic University of Milan

Objectives and Engaged Audiences

The objective of communication through the website and social media platforms is to inform a general audience interested in prehistoric Mediterranean archaeology, including the local community. The latter was the focus of the communication and outreach initiative organized by the municipality in April 2022. The main aim was to reconnect the local community with the activities carried out at the Rocavecchia site by research institutions operating in the region, raising public awareness about the research results and management and development programs for the cultural heritage of the Rocavecchia site.

Citizens

Local institutions and entities

Students (all levels)

Impact and Evaluation Tools

The on-demand website service provided by the university does not provide data on visitor flows to the project's website, but the Roca Archaeological Survey's Facebook page (Unibo), for example, has over 650 followers. Approximately 500 attendees participated in the workshop organized by the Municipality of Melendugno.

The target audience for the panels being produced for the site is limited to site visitors. However, considering the approximately 100,000 annual visitors registered on the site, this audience is far from insignificant.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the third mission initiatives undertaken in relation to the Roca Archaeological Survey has been carried out mainly by measuring attendance numbers.

Keywords

Bronze Age, Archaeological landscapes, Coastal sites