Introduzione

The dataset was collected in 2008-2009 in the preliminary phase of the “Bassa Romandiola” project (University of Bologna), a landscape  archaeology project that investigates the Ravenna Hinterland (northern Italy), a portion of the south-eastern Po Valley lowland, near the northern  Adriatic coast. This preliminary phase of the research was fundamental to address further field phases. It allowed a more efficient use of the  resources (time and funds), as well as it helped in the interpretation and synthesis of the field data. The dataset presented here brings about a  significant advancement in the knowledge of this region. Indeed, previous studies were fragmented, focused on a single historical period, or  characterised by a monodisciplinary approach. Finally, the dataset presented here allowed us to define the best sampling strategy for the  following artefacts surveys and was fundamental to ensure the success of the project in such a complex environment.