SCORPiò-NIDI - Comparative Analysis and Certified Reconstructions for a correct experimental archeology: Roman Scorpions and Ballistae for the Imperial mechanical culture, origin of European identity. Governance policy for the development and sustainable fruition of Cultural Heritage

SCORPiò-NIDI - Comparative Analysis and Certified Reconstructions for a correct experimental archeology: Roman Scorpions and Ballistae for the Imperial mechanical culture, origin of European identity. Governance policy for the development and sustainable fruition of Cultural Heritage

The project aims to new understanding of Ancient Pompeii that will emerge from research on the city’s northern walls, where numerous impact marks from Roman artillery-ballista stones and scorpion-fired darts-have been identified and classified. Buried by the 79 AD eruption and uncovered centuries later, these traces offer rare, undisturbed evidence of the firepower used during Sulla’s siege in 89 BC. Through photogrammetry and inverse ballistic modeling, researchers can determine wall material properties, projectile density and volume, and thus reconstruct impact energy and launch velocity. This mechanical analysis will clarify the origins of craters and rust marks from embedded dart tips, making them legible to visitors and enriching the archaeological narrative. The findings may reshape the history of the Pompeian siege and similar events. A pilot line of accurate, functional reconstructions aims to support certified production of museum objects and promote experimental archaeology grounded in digitally organized sources. A thematic digital platform with 3D galleries will manage data, enable identification and authentication of artifacts, and broaden public engagement, including accessibility for people with disabilities. The project is expected to contribute to cultural, social, and economic development within Campania and align with European Council priorities on heritage and cultural identity.