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Department of Archaeology

 

Dr Alessandro Launaro

Biography

I conduct research on the archaeology of Roman Italy. This research has focussed on urban/rural demography and social-economic change across the Italian peninsula from the 4th c. BC until Late Antiquity. I am currently engaged in an integrated field project focussing on the long term-development of a Roman town and its hinterland (Interamna Lirenas, Central Italy), involving a close integration of geophysical prospection, systematic field-survey and excavation.

Research

The long-term transformations of Roman Italy (political, social, economic and cultural) through the study of a) urban and rural landscapes and b) production, distribution and consumption of specific classes of material culture.

I am presently involved in the following research projects in Roman Archaeology:

2010 – present: Interamna Lirenas: a Roman town and its hinterland

2018 – 2020: Unveiling the invisible - mathematics for conservation in arts and humanities

Publication

Datasets

2023

  • Launaro, A. and Verdonck, L., 2023. Research data supporting "Interamna Lirenas - A Roman Town in Central Italy Revealed" 10.17863/CAM.85701
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    Journal articles

    2022

  • Parisotto, S., Leone, N., Schönlieb, CB. and Launaro, A., 2022. Unsupervised clustering of Roman potsherds via Variational Autoencoders Journal of Archaeological Science, v. 142 http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2022.105598
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    2020

  • Verdonck, L., Launaro, A., Vermeulen, F. and Millett, M., 2020. Ground-penetrating radar survey at Falerii Novi: a new approach to the study of Roman cities, Cambridge University Press Antiquity, v. 94 http://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2020.82
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  • Launaro, A. and Patterson, JR., 2020. New epigraphic evidence from interamna lirenas (Central Italy) Epigraphica, v. 82
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  • Bellini, GR., Goddard, D., Grünwald, D., Launaro, A., Leone, N., Millett, M. and Pantano, W., 2020. INTERAMNA LIRENAS and ITS TERRITORY (COMUNE DI PIGNATARO INTERAMNA, PROVINCIA DI FROSINONE, REGIONE LAZIO) Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 88 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246220000124
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    2019

  • Launaro, A., Millett, M., Bellini, GR., Verdonck, L. and Vermeulen, F., 2019. Vivere tra i fiumi Archeo, v. 405
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  • Bellini, GR., Goddard, D., Grünwald, D., Launaro, A., Leone, N. and Millett, M., 2019. Interamna lirenas and its territory (comune di pignataro interamna, provincia di frosinone, Regione Lazio) Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 87 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246219000151
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    2018

  • Launaro, A. and Leone, N., 2018. A view from the margin? Roman commonwares and patterns of distribution and consumption at Interamna Lirenas (Lazio) Journal of Roman Archaeology, v. 31 http://doi.org/10.1017/S1047759418001356
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  • Millett, MJ., Launaro, A., Bellini, GR., Vermeulen, F. and Verdocnk, L., 2018. Hidden histories of Roman towns: seeing beneath the surface of Falerii Novi and Interamna Lirenas, Current Publishing Current World Archaeology, v. 8/6
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  • Bellini, GR., Launaro, A., Leone, N., Millett, M., Verdonck, L. and Vermeulen, F., 2018. Interamna lirenas and its territory (comune di pignataro interamna, provincia di frosinone, regione lazio) Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 86 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246218000065
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  • Launaro, A., Leone, N., Millett, M., Verdonck, L. and Vermeulen, F., 2018. Falerii novi (comune di fabrica di Roma, provincia di viterbo, regione lazio) Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 86 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246218000053
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    2017 (Accepted for publication)

  • Launaro, A., Leone, N., Millett, M., Verdonck, L. and Vermeulen, F., 2017 (Accepted for publication). Falerii Novi (Comune di Fabrica di Roma, Provincia di Viterbo, Regione Lazio), Cambridge University Press Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 85 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246217000307
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  • Bellini, GR., Launaro, A., Leone, N., Millett, M., Verdonck, L. and Vermeulen, F., 2017 (Accepted for publication). Interamna Lirenas and Its Territory (Comune di Pignataro Interamna, Provincia di Frosinone, Regione Lazio), Cambridge University Press Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 85 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246217000319
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    2016

  • Launaro, A., Leone, N., Millett, M., Verdonck, L. and Vermeulen, F., 2016. Falerii Novi (Comune Di Fabrica Di Roma, Provincia Di Viterbo, Regione Lazio), Cambridge University Press Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 84 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246216000234
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  • Ballantyne, R., Bellini, G., Hales, J., Launaro, A., Leone, N., Millett, M., Verdonck, L. and Vermeulen, F., 2016. Interamna Lirenas and its territory (Comune di Pignataro Interamna, Provincia di Frosinone, Regione Lazio), Cambridge University Press Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 84 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246216000246
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    2015

  • Ballantyne, R., Bellini, GR., Launaro, A., Leone, N. and Millett, M., 2015. INTERAMNA LIRENAS and ITS TERRITORY (COMUNE di PIGNATARO INTERAMNA, PROVINCIA di FROSINONE, REGIONE LAZIO) Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 83 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246215000252
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    2014

  • Bellini, GR., Hay, S., Launaro, A., Leone, N. and Millett, M., 2014. Interamna Lirenas and Its Territory (Comune di Pignataro Interamna, Provincia di Frosinone, Regione Lazio) Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 82 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246214000154
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    2013

  • Bellini, GR., Hay, S., Launaro, A., Leone, N. and Millett, M., 2013. Interamna lirenas (Comune di Pignataro Interamna, Provincia di Frosinone, Regione Lazio) Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 81 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246213000172
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  • Launaro, A., 2013. Peasants, Citizens and Soldiers. Studies in the Demographic History of Roman Italy 225 BC-AD 100. CLASSICAL REVIEW, v. 63 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0009840X13001029
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  • Launaro, A., 2013. Regional Pathways to Complexity: Settlement and Land-use Dynamics in Early Italy from the Bronze Age to the Republican Period EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, v. 16 http://doi.org/10.1179/146195713X13524807013135
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  • Launaro, A., 2013. Settlement, Urbanization, and Population CLASSICAL REVIEW, v. 63 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0009840X12002922
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    2012

  • Launaro, A., Attema, P. and Schorner, G. (eds.), 2012. Why, what and how to compare: site trends and population dynamics in Roman Italy (200 BC to AD 100) JRA Supplementary Series,
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  • Bellini, GR., Hay, S., Launaro, A., Leone, N. and Millett, M., 2012. Interamna Lirenas Papers of the British School at Rome, v. 80 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0068246212000451
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  • Launaro, A., 2012. THE ITALIANS ON THE LAND: CHANGING PERSPECTIVES ON REPUBLICAN ITALY THEN AND NOW. JOURNAL OF ROMAN STUDIES, v. 102 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0075435812000421
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    2011

  • Launaro, A., 2011. PUBLIC LAND IN THE ROMAN REPUBLIC. A SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY OF AGER PUBLICUS IN ITALY, 369-89 BC J ROMAN STUD, v. 101 http://doi.org/10.1017/S0075435811000141
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  • Launaro, A., 2011. Investing in the countryside: villas and farms, landowners and tenants (200 BC to 100 AD) FACTA - A Journal of Roman Material Cuture Studies, v. 5
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    2010

  • Launaro, A., 2010. Review of Quantifying the Roman economy: methods and problems, edited by A. Bowman and A. Wilson, Dublin University Press Hermathena, v. 189
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    2009

  • Launaro, A. and Pasquinucci, M., Holm, I. and Stene, K. (eds.), 2009. Researching 'on the margins': landscape archaeology in the Polcevera Valley Oslo ArkeologiskeSerie, v. 11
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  • Launaro, A., 2009. La Val Polcevera dalla seconda Eta del Ferro alla fine dell'Evo Antico. Rivista di Studi Liguri,
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  • Launaro, A., 2009. Cronaca del convegno ‘Tecnologia marittima nell’economia antica: navi e navigazione’ (Rome, 16-17 giugno 2009) Bollettino di Studi Latini, v. 39
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  • Launaro, A., 2009. hardback. ISBN 978-1-905905-06-5 ..., SAGE Publications The Holocene, v. 19 http://doi.org/10.1177/0959683609339450
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    2008

  • Launaro, A., 2008. I sistemi monetari dei greci e dei romani: un dibattito in corso Rivista di Storia Economica, v. 24
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    2007

  • Launaro, A. and Pasquinucci, M., 2007. Vada Volaterrana: scavi e ricerche 2006 Quaderno del Laboratorio Universitario Volterrano, v. 10
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    2006

  • Launaro, A. and Pasquinucci, M., 2006. Vada Volaterrana: scavi e ricerche 2005 Quaderno del Laboratorio Universitario Volterrano, v. 9
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    2005

  • Launaro, A. and Pasquinucci, M., 2005. Vada Volaterrana: scavi e ricerche 2004 Quaderno del Laboratorio Universitario Volterrano,
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    2004

  • Launaro, A., 2004. Concerning landscape, Fabrizio Serra editore AGRI CENTURIATI An International Journal of Landscape Archaeology, v. 1
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    Book chapters

    2019

  • Launaro, A., 2019. Interamna lirenas, a history of "Success"? Long-term trajectories across town and countryside (fourth century BCE to fifth century CE)
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    2017

  • Launaro, A., de Haas, T. and Tol, G. (eds.), 2017. Something old, something new: Social and economic developments in the countryside of Roman Italy between Republic and Empire, BRILL http://doi.org/10.1163/9789004345027_006
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  • Pasquinucci, M. and Launaro, A., 2017. Landscape Archaeology in Pisa and the POPULUS Project: Paying Attention and Being Selective
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  • Launaro, A., 2017. Interamna Lirenas e il suo territorio. Indagini archeologiche 2013
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  • Verdonck, L., Launaro, A., Millett, M., Vermeulen, F. and Bellini, G., 2017. Semi-automated object detection in GPR data using morphological filtering
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    2016 (No publication date)

  • Millett, MJ., Launaro, A., Leone, N. and Hay, S., 2016 (No publication date). Interamna Lirenas e il su territorio. Indagini archeologiche non invasive 2010, Soprintendenza Archeologia del Lazio e dell'Etruria meridionale sede operativa Lazio
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    2016

  • Launaro, A., 2016. FINLEY AND THE ANCIENT ECONOMY
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  • Launaro, A. and Maiuro, M., 2016. Forme dell'economia rurale, "L'Erma" di Bretschneider
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  • Launaro, A., 2016. The economic impact of Flavian rule, John Wiley & Sons
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    2015

  • Launaro, A., 2015. The nature of the villa economy, Oxford University Press, USA
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  • Millett, MJ., Launaro, A., Leone, N., Bellini, GR. and Trigona, SL., Cirelli, E., Diosono, F. and Patterson, H. (eds.), 2015. Ceramiche comuni da Interamna Lirenas e dal suo territorio. Primi risultati dello studio crono-tipologico (campagne 2010-11), Ante Quem
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    2014

  • Launaro, A., 2014. Survey Archaeology in the Roman World, Springer New York http://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0465-2_1480
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  • Millett, MJ., Launaro, A., Leone, N. and Bellini, GR., 2014. Interamna Lirenas e il su territorio. Indagini archeologiche non invasive 2012, Soprintendenza Archeologia del Lazio e dell'Etruria meridionale sede operativa Lazio
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    2013 (No publication date)

  • Launaro, A., Jew, D., Osborne, R. and Scott, M. (eds.), 2013 (No publication date). The impact of the Ancient Economy, Cambridge UP
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    2013

  • Bellini, G., Launaro, A. and Millett, M., 2013. Roman Colonial Landscapes: Interamna Lirenas and its territory through Antiquity
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  • Launaro, A., Bellini, GR. and Millett, MJ., Pelgrom, J. and Stek, T. (eds.), 2013. Roman colonial landscapes: Interamna Lirenas and its territory through Antiquity
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  • Millett, MJ., Launaro, A., Leone, N. and Hay, S., 2013. Interamna Lirenas e il su territorio. Indagini archeologiche non invasive 2011, Soprintendenza Archeologia del Lazio e dell'Etruria meridionale sede operativa Lazio
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    2007

  • Launaro, A., 2007. Landscape and population of the Roman countryside (II c. BC – I c. AD), Edizioni Plus
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  • Launaro, A., 2007. I «castellari» di Sestri Ponente e Monte Carlo, Soprintendenza Archeologia della Liguria
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    Conference proceedings

    2018 (Accepted for publication)

  • Launaro, A., 2018 (Accepted for publication). Interamna Lirenas – a history of 'success'? Long-term trajectories across town and countryside (4th c. BC to 5th c. AD)
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  • Verdonck, L., Frank, V., Millett, M. and Launaro, A., 2018 (Accepted for publication). The Impact of High Resolution Ground-Penetrating Radar Survey on Understanding Roman Towns: case studies from Falerii Novi and Interamna Lirenas (Lazio, Italy) Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON METROLOGY FOR ARCHAEOLOGY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE, CASSINO, ITALY - OCTOBER 22-24, 2018. ISBN: 978-1-5386-5275-6),
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    2009

  • Launaro, A. and Pasquinucci, M., 2009. Liminal Landscapes. Beyond the concepts of 'marginality' and 'periphery' in Researching ‘on the margins’: landscape archaeology in the Polcevera Valley, Oslo: Unipub
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    2004

  • Launaro, A., 2004. Experienced landscapes through intentional sources TRAC 2003, PROCEEDINGS,
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    Internet publications

    2013

  • Launaro, A., Bellini, GR. and Millett, MJ., 2013. Roman colonial landscapes: Interamna Lirenas and its territory through Antiquity
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    Books

    2011

  • Launaro, A., 2011. Peasants and Slaves: the rural population of Roman Italy (200 BC to AD 100), Cambridge Univ Pr
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    Teaching and Supervisions

    Teaching: 

    I am involved in the teaching of the following courses:

    • Paper A1 World Archaeology
    • Paper D4 Roman cities: Network of Empire
    Research supervision: 

    I currently supervise students investigating in a range of topics related to the archaeology of the Roman World. I am interested in supervising students who wish to study for an MPhil or a PhD in the following topics:

    • The archaeology of Roman Italy
    • The archaeology of the Roman economy (including demography)
    • The archaeology of Roman landscapes (urban and rural)
    • The archaeology of Roman material culture

    Current students

    • Daniel Grünwald

    Other Professional Activities

    • Director of Studies in Classics at Gonville and Caius College
    • Editor of the Cambridge Classical Journal

    Job Titles

    University Senior Lecturer in Classics (Faculty of Classics)
    Fellow of Gonville and Caius College

    General Info

    Takes PhD students
    Available for consultancy
    Research Expertise / Fields of study: 
    Material Culture
    Field Methods
    Environmental Archaeology, Geoarchaeology, and Landscape studies

    Contact Details

    al506 [at] cam.ac.uk
    01223 (7)61004
    Faculty of Classics
    Gonville & Caius College

    Affiliations

    Person keywords: 
    Roman Archaeology
    Roman Italy
    Ancient Topography
    Landscape Archaeology
    Socio-Economic History
    Subjects: 
    Archaeology
    Themes: 
    Science, Technology and Innovation
    Material Culture
    Geographical areas: 
    Europe
    Mediterranean
    Periods of interest: 
    Classical - Roman

    Contact Us

    Postal Address:
    Department of Archaeology
    Downing Street
    CB2 3DZ Cambridge

     

    Information provided by: 

    outreach@arch.cam.ac.uk

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