Industrial archeology and modern artefacts in an archaeological context

Raffaele Voccia (MAPPALab) presents an archaeo-ethnographic study of wire-rope systems for civil and rural use in the municipality of Stazzema, in the Apuan Alps, between the 20th and 21st centuries. The research examines the aerial ropeways identified during field surveys in woodland areas, quarry workers’ settlements, lime kilns, charcoal-burning sites and scattered farmhouses. The aim is to understand how a technology born in an industrial context was adapted to life in the “middle mountain”. Through an integrated approach combining surface survey, archival sources, historical cartography and oral testimony, the study also investigates the functions of these systems, which range from transporting timber, lime and charcoal to waste disposal. It further analyses construction solutions that combine industrial components, local materials and salvaged parts. The study aims to show how these minor structures, some of which are still in use, represent a rewriting of industrial technology, shaped by its encounter with the territory and the communities that inhabit it.