Object-Based Image Analysis of Ground-Penetrating Radar Data for Archaic Hearths

Object-based image analysis (OBIA) has been increasingly used to identify terrain features of archaeological sites, but only recently to extract subsurface archaeological features from geophysical data. In this study, we use a semi-automated OBIA to identify Archaic (8000-1000 BC) hearths from Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) data collected at David Crockett Birthplace State Park in eastern Tennessee in the southeastern United States. The data were preprocessed using GPR-SLICE, Surfer, and Archaeofusion software, and amplitude depth slices were selected that contained anomalies ranging from 0.80 to 1.20 m below surface (BS). Next, the data were segmented within ESRI ArcMap GIS software using a global threshold and, after vectorization, classified using four attributes: area, perimeter, length-to-width ratio, and Circularity Index. The user-defined parameters were based on an excavated Archaic circular hearth found at a depth greater than one meter, which consisted of fire-cracked rock and had a diameter greater than one meter. These observations were in agreement with previous excavations of hearths at the site. Features that had a high probability of being Archaic hearths were further delineated by human interpretation from radargrams and then ground-truthed by auger testing. The semi-automated OBIA successfully predicted 15 probable Archaic hearths at depths ranging from 0.85 to 1.20 m BS. Observable spatial clustering of hearths may indicate episodes of seasonal occupation by small mobile groups during the Archaic Period

Archaeological, Geophysical, and Geospatial Analysis at David Crockett Birthplace State Park, in Upper East Tennessee

A geophysical survey was conducted at David Crockett Birthplace State Park (40GN205, 40GN12) using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry. The data indicated multiple levels of occupation that were investigated by Phase II and Phase III archaeological excavations. New cultural components were discovered, including the remnants of a Protohistoric Native American structure containing European glass trade beads and Middle Woodland artifacts that suggest trade with Hopewell groups from Ohio. A circular Archaic hearth was uncovered at one meter below surface and similar deep anomalies were seen in the GPR data at this level. A semi-automated object-based image analysis (OBIA) was implemented to extract Archaic circular hearths from GPR depth slices using user-defined spatial parameters (depth, area, perimeter, length to width ratio, and circularity index) followed by manual interpretation. This approach successfully identified sixteen probable hearths distributed across the site in a semi-clustered pattern

New Global Perspectives on Archaeological Prospection

This volume is a product of the 13th International Conference on Archaeological Prospection 2019, which was hosted by the Department of Environmental Science in the Faculty of Science at the Institute of Technology Sligo. The conference is held every two years under the banner of the International Society for Archaeological Prospection and this was the first time that the conference was held in Ireland. New Global Perspectives on Archaeological Prospection draws together over 90 papers addressing archaeological prospection techniques, methodologies and case studies from 33 countries across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America, reflecting current and global trends in archaeological prospection. At this particular ICAP meeting, specific consideration was given to the development and use of archaeological prospection in Ireland, archaeological feedback for the prospector, applications of prospection technology in the urban environment and the use of legacy data. Papers include novel research areas such as magnetometry near the equator, drone-mounted radar, microgravity assessment of tombs, marine electrical resistivity tomography, convolutional neural networks, data processing, automated interpretive workflows and modelling as well as recent improvements in remote sensing, multispectral imaging and visualisation

Remote Sensing and Geosciences for Archaeology

This book collects more than 20 papers, written by renowned experts and scientists from across the globe, that showcase the state-of-the-art and forefront research in archaeological remote sensing and the use of geoscientific techniques to investigate archaeological records and cultural heritage. Very high resolution satellite images from optical and radar space-borne sensors, airborne multi-spectral images, ground penetrating radar, terrestrial laser scanning, 3D modelling, Geographyc Information Systems (GIS) are among the techniques used in the archaeological studies published in this book. The reader can learn how to use these instruments and sensors, also in combination, to investigate cultural landscapes, discover new sites, reconstruct paleo-landscapes, augment the knowledge of monuments, and assess the condition of heritage at risk. Case studies scattered across Europe, Asia and America are presented: from the World UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa to heritage under threat in the Middle East and North Africa, from coastal heritage in the intertidal flats of the German North Sea to Early and Neolithic settlements in Thessaly. Beginners will learn robust research methodologies and take inspiration; mature scholars will for sure derive inputs for new research and applications

Detecting graves in GPR data: assessing the viability of machine learning for the interpretation of graves in B-scan data using medieval Irish case studies.

As commercial archaeogeophysical survey progressively shifts towards large landscape-scale surveys, small features like graves become more difficult to identify and interpret. In order to increase the rate and confidence of grave identification before excavation using geophysical methods, the accuracy and speed of survey outputs and reporting must be improved. The approach taken in this research was first to consider the survey parameters that govern the effectiveness of the four conventional techniques used in commercial archaeogeophysical evaluations (magnetometry, earth resistance, electromagnetic induction and ground-penetrating radar). Subsequently, in respect of ground-penetrating radar (GPR), this research developed machine learning applications to improve the speed and confidence of detecting inhumation graves. The survey parameters research combined established survey guidelines for the UK, Ireland, and Europe to account for local geology, soils and land cover to provide survey guidance for individual sites via a decision-based application linked to GIS database. To develop two machine learning tools for localising and probability scoring grave-like responses in GPR data, convolutional neural networks and transfer learning were used to analyse radargrams of medieval graves and timeslices of modern proxy clandestine graves. Models were c. 93% accurate at labelling images as containing a grave or no grave and c. 96% accurate in labelling and locating potential graves in radargram images. For timeslices, machine learning models achieved 94% classification accuracy. The >90% accuracy of the machine learning models demonstrates the viability of machine-assisted detection of inhumation graves within GPR data. While the expansion of the training dataset would further improve the accuracy of the proposed methods, the current machine-led interpretation methods provide valuable assistance for human-led interpretation until more data becomes available. The survey guidance tool and the two machine learning applications have been packaged into the Reilig web application toolset, which is freely available

Geophysical remote sensing of North Carolina’s historic cultural landscapes: studies at house in the Horseshoe State historic site

This dissertation is written in accordance with the three article option offered by the Geography Department at UNC Greensboro. It contains three manuscripts to be submitted for publication. The articles address specific research issues within the remote sensing process described by Jensen (2016) as they apply to subsurface geophysical remote sensing of historic cultural landscapes, using the buried architectural features of House in the Horseshoe State Historic Site in Moore County, North Carolina. The first article compares instrument detection capabilities by examining subsurface structure remnants as they appear in single band ground-penetrating radar (GPR), magnetic gradiometer, magnetic susceptibility and conductivity images, and also demonstrates how excavation strengthens geophysical image interpretation. The second article examines the ability of GPR to estimate volumetric soil moisture (VSM) in order to improve the timing of data collection, and also examines the visible effect of variable moisture conditions on the interpretation of a large historic pit feature, while including the relative soil moisture continuum concepts common to geography/geomorphology into a discussion of GPR survey hydrologic conditions. The third article examines the roles of scientific visualization and cartography in the production of knowledge and the presentation of maps using geophysical data to depict historic landscapes. This study explores visualization techniques pertaining to the private data exploration view of the expert, and to the simplified public facing view

Community Formation in the Spanish Colonial Borderlands: San José de las Huertas, New Mexico

This work is centered on the archaeological site of San José de las Huertas, occupied from 1765-1826 and excavated in 2002-2004. In my historical study of this 18th-century village, I draw upon archaeological evidence, archived documents, and oral historical accounts in order to explore processes of community formation and maintenance as they are revealed through the reciprocal relationship of structure and agency, otherwise known as structuration. Since the performance of social identity is a consequence of community creation, its investigation provides one means through which structuration may be accessed. Through the analysis and integration of the various lines of information, my research contributes to our understanding of the complex relationships that connect objects and places to people and community. Located in the northern Borderlands of New Spain, Las Huertas was one of several outpost communities established in the mid-1700s to deter American Indian raids on the capital and principal settlements of New Mexico. As a buffer settlement, the village was founded by people with diverse and complex personal histories. The landless colonists who established the community were comprised of families who considered themselves to be culturally Spanish as well as those who were labeled as genizaros (war captives taken from various native groups who were then placed as servants in the homes of Spanish settlers and missionaries). As such, the crafting of a local community and its accompanying identity amidst a diverse mix of ethnic, class, gender, and kinship relations was an important part of negotiating daily life on this frontier, where remote communities faced many challenges and hardships that were particular to their locations. The range of data sources utilized by this project illustrate that the community of Las Huertas was constructed through social discourses of difference and similarity among informed and strategic social actors as they navigated different contexts: that of the community itself, in their dealings with colonial administrators, in their contacts with the Pueblo and Spanish-American settlements that neighbored the village, and when nomadic peoples attacked their homes and property. Kinship, age, gender, and religion comprised the principal vectors of social identity crucial in community formation, while status and ethnic affiliation (as defined by casta categories) seemed to be of greater concern to colonial officials and clerics. Las Huertasanas' associations with their neighbors also tended to be shaped through kin networks, in addition to economic transactions. But it was membership within the community of Las Huertas that served to contextualize social identities as they were enacted in all situations

Métodos de representação virtual e visualização para informação arquitetónica e contextual em sítios arqueológicos

This work seeks to outline some guidelines in order to improve the use of 3D visualization applied to archaeological data of diverse nature and at different scales. One difficulty found in this process is related to the still frequent two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional archaeological reality. Aware that the existence of data of two-dimensional nature is fundamental in the archaeological process and that they result, on the one hand, from the manual archaeological recording processes and, on the other hand, from the intense analysis and interpretation activity of the archaeological investigation team, we seek to ensure an adequate 3D representation based on 3D acquisition methods mostly available to the archaeology teams. Archaeological visualization in three-dimensional support is an increasingly frequent and necessary practice, but it continues to show some difficulties. These are substantiated in the reduced number of visualization techniques used, the use of visualization tools that are not very customized for the archaeological needs and the privileged use of visual features of the models during the archaeological process phases. Thus, the main objective of this work is to design and evaluate appropriate methods for visualizing archaeological data. To determine which visualization methods are most used during the phases of the archaeological process, an online user-survey was carried out, which allowed consolidating the 3D representation methodologies used, as well as to propose a visualization model that also categorizes the appropriate visualization techniques which increase the visual perception and understanding of the archaeological elements. Three prototypes are defined according to the different 3D data acquisition methodologies presented and visualization methodologies are designed in order to, on the one hand, take into account the scale and diversity of the archaeological elements and, on the other hand, to account for the need to ensure visualization methods which are easily assimilated by archaeologists. Each prototype was evaluated by two archaeologists with different professional background. They were proposed, through a set of previously determined tasks, to assess the interaction with 3D models and with the visualization methods and the satisfaction of the visualization results regarding the archaeological needs. The evaluation of the prototypes allowed to conclude that the presented visualization methods increase the perception of 3D models which represent archaeological elements. In addition, it was also possible to produce new objects that reveal elements of archaeological interest. It is suggested to make these methodologies available on a web-based application and on mobile platforms.Este trabalho procura esboçar algumas diretrizes no sentido de melhorar a utilização da visualização 3D aplicada aos dados arqueológicos de natureza diversa e a escalas distintas. Uma dificuldade encontrada neste processo prende-se com a, ainda frequente, representação bidimensional da realidade arqueológica tridimensional. Ciente de que a existência de dados de natureza bidimensional são fundamentais no processo arqueológico e que resultam, por um lado, dos processos manuais de registo arqueológicos e, por outro, da intensa atividade de análise e interpretação da equipa de investigação arqueológica, procuramos assegurar uma representação 3D adequada, com base em metodologias de aquisição de dados 3D geralmente disponíveis às equipas de arqueologia. A visualização arqueológica em suporte tridimensional é uma prática cada vez mais frequente e necessária, mas que continua a evidenciar algumas dificuldades. Estas substanciam-se no reduzido número de técnicas de visualização usadas, na utilização de ferramentas de visualização pouco adaptadas às necessidades arqueológicas e na utilização preferencial de características visuais dos modelos durante as fases do processo arqueológico. Assim, o objetivo primordial deste trabalho é desenhar e avaliar métodos adequados à visualização de dados arqueológicos. Para determinar que métodos de visualização são mais utilizados durante as fases do processo arqueológico realizou-se um questionário online que permitiu consolidar as metodologias de representação 3D usadas, bem como propor um modelo de visualização que também categoriza as técnicas de visualização adequadas para aumentar a perceção e a compreensão visual dos elementos arqueológicos. Definem-se três protótipos de acordo com as distintas metodologias de aquisição de dados 3D apresentados e são desenhadas metodologias de visualização que, por um lado, têm em conta a escala e a diversidade dos elementos arqueológicos e, por outro, a necessidade de assegurar métodos de visualização facilmente assimilados pelos arqueólogos. Cada protótipo foi avaliado por dois arqueólogos com experiências profissionais distintas. O que lhes foi proposto, através de um conjunto de tarefas previamente estabelecidas, foi aferir da facilidade de interação com os modelos 3D e com os métodos de visualização e adequação dos resultados de visualização às necessidades dos arqueólogos. A avaliação dos protótipos permitiu concluir que os métodos de visualização apresentados aumentam a perceção dos modelos 3D que representam elementos arqueológicos. Para além disso foi possível produzir também novos objetos que revelam elementos com interesse arqueológico. É sugerida a disponibilização destas metodologias em ambiente web e plataformas móveis.Programa Doutoral em Informátic

Safety Harbor at the Weeden Island Site: Late Pre-Columbian Craft, Community, and Complexity on Florida's Gulf Coast

This research explores how daily practices shape community organization and contribute to regional historical trajectories. I focus on a case study of the pre-Columbian Safety Harbor occupation (ca. AD 1000-1500) of the Weeden Island site, on the west central Gulf coast of Florida. Safety Harbor residents of Weeden Island occupied a coastal locale with access to estuarine resources, in a region neighboring powerful and increasingly complex groups, and within a settlement system and political environment that may have begun to adopt new ideologies and organizing principles. This project was designed to investigate a central research topic: During the Safety Harbor period, a time of regional changes in the settlement system and intensified interactions with powerful neighbors, what local opportunities to collaborate, coordinate labor, or compete for resources or authority emerged from the daily domestic practices at Weeden Island? This case study is situated relative to two broad theoretical realms: the archaeological study of communities and ordinary domestic life, and anthropological approaches to long-term social change, including the development of complexity and inequality in hunter-gatherer societies. In addressing these bodies of literature, I aim to distinguish the local exercise of authority from power and influence at multi-community scales, and to emphasize the place of the local community in investigating broader historical trajectories. The dissertation project focuses on original research at the Weeden Island site. This research included geophysical survey and excavations and the study of resulting materials, including stylistic and formal analysis of artifacts (primarily pottery; shell, bone, and stone tools; and shell and bone ornaments and associated debitage), zooarchaeological identification and analysis, macrobotanical identification, and radiocarbon dates. I argue that while there were abundant opportunities for the local coordination of community labor in subsistence activities, the crafting of tradeable shell ornaments was a likely domain for differentiation at an intrasite level and potentially between residents of the residential community as well. This study also has methodological implications for the combined use of magnetic susceptibility and magnetometer in forested shell-bearing sites. This study highlights that craft production and trade were likely venues for social change in Safety Harbor residential and regional communities. At the local scale, coastal Safety Harbor communities focused on the production of shell beads, and this may also have been an area of experimentation with new divisions of labor, or the development of new ideological or ceremonial concepts. By transitioning from peripheral participants in Weeden Island era ceremonial culture to purveyors of raw and crafted shell goods, Safety Harbor people created a new role for themselves on the regional landscape, with implications for local historical trajectories.PHDAnthropologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149830/1/cper_1.pd