Eva KUTTNER
(Museen am Donaulimes in Österreich, Enns, Austria)
Keywords: landscape, Danube, georeference, UNESCO World Heritage
Abstract:
The setting of archaeological sites is one of the main topics of the WHS ‘Frontiers of the Roman Empire’ as the sections of the serial World Heritage Site differ in their landscape enormously. The location of watchtowers, forts and legionary fortresses in the ancient environment of the Danube river valley in Austria is one of the significant attributes of the future WHS “Danube Limes in Austria and Bavaria” which has to be defined.
Small-scale topography as well as larger settlement patterns in ancient landscape will be a crucial for interpretation: landscape is an interface from modern appearance linking to historical and archaeological evidence. Thus promises the simplest approach to a complicated chronology of settlement, occupation, devastation and the reuse of ancient monuments.
For building a sufficient base for landscape visualizations, fundamental scientific work has to be stimulated. Geographic information systems as the open web portals DORIS (Upper Austria) and NÖGIS (Lower Austria) are helpful to see find spots and sites in a number of thematic and georeferenced historic maps. Useful applications allow an easy integration of settlements, connecting roads, military installations and archaeological features along the riverside. The results may initiate to rethink the questions of invasion, infrastructures and the use of natural resources.
To create public awareness for the monuments of the WHS, strategies of communication are to be developed – the significance of the river landscape of the Danube will be integrated. As archaeological sites are places of learning: Will our audience understand the approach, visualization and implementation? These fundamental questions will touch the limits of research work and the interests of the audience.