COSMIC RAYS FOR ARCHAEOLOGY

Cosmic rays are the natural phenomenon due to elementary particles reaching from galactic space the Earth atmosphere. Cosmic primary particles, mainly protons, produce showers containing many secondary particles of which some, called muons, are able to propagate to ground and even penetrate underground. By using suitable detectors deployed underground a sort of density variations radiography, related to buried structures of archaeological interest, can be obtained. Measurements with instrumentation built on purpose by a collaboration between physicists of the Universities and the INFN Sections of Trieste and Perugia have been performed at the Arcaeological sites of the Aquileia Roman Port and at the Claudus and Trajan Emperors Ports near Fiumicino-Rome, Italy.