How does the Anthropocene play a role in your work?

The Anthropocene plays a key role in my research, as it defines the context of urgency and relevance for studying ancient responses to environmental risks. Natural phenomena, now intensified and more frequent by anthropogenic factors, pose a constant threat to cultural heritage. My investigation focuses on how ancient societies interpreted and managed these threats, particularly through practices of construction, maintenance, and restoration of buildings. The aim is to analyse archaeological data and literary sources to reconstruct premodern strategies of risk prediction and mitigation. In this framework, the Anthropocene is not merely a chronological context, but rather a perspective that allows historical solutions to be reinterpreted in comparative and practical terms. When appropriately contextualized, such strategies can help define sustainable approaches to risk management and heritage conservation. Ultimately, the concept of the Anthropocene guides research toward an integrated perspective, where historical knowledge does not represent a conclusion, but a foundation for constructing responsive strategies suited to contemporary needs.

What project(s) are you working on during your fellowship at the Forum Basiliense?

This project aims to explore, through the support of historical sources and archaeological data, the solutions that have been adopted over the centuries to prevent and mitigate natural risks potentially damaging to heritage buildings. When dealing with ancient architecture, it is essential to look back to understand the reasoning behind past construction choices, materials, techniques, and strategies that often reveal a remarkable awareness of environmental conditions. The investigation unfolds along three main lines of analysis. First, it seeks to understand which strategies were employed in antiquity to prevent damage caused by natural events. Second, attention will be given to the practices of maintenance, reconstruction, and restoration applied to damaged buildings. Finally, the study will attempt to assess, from a diachronic perspective, the long-term effectiveness of these solutions and their impact on the preservation of cultural heritage. The analysis will focus on selected case studies that are particularly vulnerable and exposed to recurring natural hazards. Special attention will be paid to the repetition of such events, which may have already affected the buildings in ancient times and which today, intensified by the Anthropocene context, threaten their structural stability, archaeological legibility, and long-term preservation. The goal of the project is to contribute, over time, to the development of effective methodologies for risk assessment in cultural sites, to encourage the integration of multidisciplinary approaches in the prevention and mitigation of degradation processes, and to promote the creation of a shared framework aimed at drafting protocols and guidelines for a more informed and sustainable conservation of historic heritage.