www.digressus.org Digressus 8 (2008) 1-32 Comparing settlement histories in the Pontine Region (southern Lazio, central Italy): surveys in the coastal landscape near Nettuno Tymon C. A. de Haas University of Groningen Department of Mediterranean Archaeology Groningen Institute of Archaeology (GIA) T.C.A.de.Haas@rug.nl Abstract The article introduces a PhD project that as part of the long term Pontine Region Project studies the settlement history of the Pontine Region (southern Lazio, central Italy) from the 6 th century BC into the Imperial period. The project uses an intra-regional comparative perspective to better understand how the region developed throughout this period, but also to see to what extent various landscape zones within the region show different socio- economic developments. Based on data from previous surveys, new fieldwork and the study of available secondary literature, the project focuses on sample areas in the three major landscape zones of the region: the coastal landscape, the lower Pontine Plain and the Lepine Mountains.The settlement history and socio-economic developments of each of the sample areas is studied in relation to the landscape units within the three landscape zones; subsequently, the three landscape zones as a whole will be compared. After a short introduction on the landscape and research history of the Pontine Region, the preliminary results of a study of the coastal landscape are discussed. The sample area in this landscape centres on the modern town of Nettuno, where surveys have been executed in the nearby Astura valley and the area of Campana; these two areas represent two of the main landscape units within the coastal 1