A Single Public Lidar Data Model for Cross-Border Archaeology and Its Research Potential: A Case Study into Roman Land Division and Agricultural Use in Istria, Croatia

Publicly available airborne laser scanning (ALS) data offers considerable potential for archaeological research, yet remains extending across modern borders are often divided among national and regional datasets. This paper presents a cross-border approach to ALS data from Croatia, Slovenia and the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The datasets were harmonised, rasterised at a resolution of 0.5 m and integrated into a single Web Map Service designed for archaeological interpretation. This integrated dataset has significant research potential, as demonstrated by a case study of Roman land division across the Gulf of Trieste and the Istrian Peninsula, which covers an area of approx. 4000 km2. At a macro level, the analysis identifies four distinct land divisions, suggesting their boundaries and their landscape context. Examining these systems within a continuous geographical framework allows for a fresh perspective on Roman territorial organisation. At a finer scale, the study focuses on patterns of subdivision within individual centuriae. ALS data enable a more detailed analysis of Roman land use, offering a new interpretation of these subdivisions. Thus, the study demonstrates how harmonised, cross-border ALS data can connect broader questions of Roman territorial organisation with a detailed analysis of the physical remains.