Deciphering transformations of rural settlement and land-use patterns in central Adriatic Italy between the 6th and the 12th century AD

tarting with a regional case study, we aim to provide an overview of the transformation dynamics following the disruption of the Roman landscape in the Italian Marche region. We then focus on the local processes of settlement shifts and the new nucleation that occurred in a specific coastal zone bounded by two extremely fluctuating rivers. The application of advanced geoarchaeological techniques and historical analyses conducted through a long, diachronic approach have highlighted how, in the Middle Ages, the human interaction with the landscape and the population development of this area were particularly connected to the crucial relevance of establishing a fluvian landing post for maritime trade