560 research outputs found
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
Exploiting satellite SAR for archaeological prospection and heritage site protection
Optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing has a long history of use and reached a good level of maturity in archaeological and cultural heritage applications, yet further advances are viable through the exploitation of novel sensor data and imaging modes, big data and high-performance computing, advanced and automated analysis methods. This paper showcases the main research avenues in this field, with a focus on archaeological prospection and heritage site protection. Six demonstration use-cases with a wealth of heritage asset types (e.g. excavated and still buried archaeological features, standing monuments, natural reserves, burial mounds, paleo-channels) and respective scientific research objectives are presented: the Ostia-Portus area and the wider Province of Rome (Italy), the city of Wuhan and the Jiuzhaigou National Park (China), and the Siberian “Valley of the Kings” (Russia). Input data encompass both archive and newly tasked medium to very high-resolution imagery acquired over the last decade from satellite (e.g. Copernicus Sentinels and ESA Third Party Missions) and aerial (e.g. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAV) platforms, as well as field-based evidence and ground truth, auxiliary topographic data, Digital Elevation Models (DEM), and monitoring data from geodetic campaigns and networks. The novel results achieved for the use-cases contribute to the discussion on the advantages and limitations of optical and SAR-based archaeological and heritage applications aimed to detect buried and sub-surface archaeological assets across rural and semi-vegetated landscapes, identify threats to cultural heritage assets due to ground instability and urban development in large metropolises, and monitor post-disaster impacts in natural reserves
Big Earth Data for Cultural Heritage in the Copernicus Era
Digital data is stepping in its golden age characterized by an increasing
growth of both classical and emerging big earth data along with trans- and multidisciplinary
methodological approaches and services addressed to the study, preservation
and sustainable exploitation of cultural heritage (CH). The availability of new
digital technologies has opened new possibilities, unthinkable only a few years ago
for cultural heritage. The currently available digital data, tools and services with
particular reference to Copernicus initiatives make possible to characterize and
understand the state of conservation of CH for preventive restoration and opened up
a frontier of possibilities for the discovery of archaeological sites from above and
also for supporting their excavation, monitoring and preservation. The different
areas of intervention require the availability and integration of rigorous information
from different sources for improving knowledge and interpretation, risk assessment
and management in order to make more successful all the actions oriented to the
preservation of cultural properties. One of the biggest challenges is to fully involve
the citizen also from an emotional point of view connecting “pixels with people”
and “bridging” remote sensing and social sensing
Earth Resources Laboratory research and technology
The accomplishments of the Earth Resources Laboratory's research and technology program are reported. Sensors and data systems, the AGRISTARS project, applied research and data analysis, joint research projects, test and evaluation studies, and space station support activities are addressed
Posterior Probability Modeling and Image Classification for Archaeological Site Prospection: Building a Survey Efficacy Model for Identifying Neolithic Felsite Workshops in the Shetland Islands
The application of custom classification techniques and posterior probability modeling (PPM) using Worldview-2 multispectral imagery to archaeological field survey is presented in this paper. Research is focused on the identification of Neolithic felsite stone tool workshops in the North Mavine region of the Shetland Islands in Northern Scotland. Sample data from known workshops surveyed using differential GPS are used alongside known non-sites to train a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier based on a combination of datasets including Worldview-2 bands, band difference ratios (BDR) and topographical derivatives. Principal components analysis is further used to test and reduce dimensionality caused by redundant datasets. Probability models were generated by LDA using principal components and tested with sites identified through geological field survey. Testing shows the prospective ability of this technique and significance between 0.05 and 0.01, and gain statistics between 0.90 and 0.94, higher than those obtained using maximum likelihood and random forest classifiers. Results suggest that this approach is best suited to relatively homogenous site types, and performs better with correlated data sources. Finally, by combining posterior probability models and least-cost analysis, a survey least-cost efficacy model is generated showing the utility of such approaches to archaeological field survey
Earth resources: A continuing bibliography with indexes, issue 50
This bibliography lists 523 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between April 1 and June 30, 1986. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis
The science behind archaeological signatures from space
Archaeology has traditionally focused on studying
historic or prehistoric people and their cultures by
analysis of their artefacts, inscriptions, monuments
and other such material remains, especially those that
have been documented from excavations. This focus is
somewhat narrow, because it excludes many new
methods that have emerged in the last few decades
(described in detail by Prabhakar and Korisettar in
this special section (page 1873)). One such novel
method is to study large imprints on the landscape
caused by human activity. These tell-tale features include
soil marks, crop marks, drainage patterns, field
boundaries and a host of man-made structures, whose
study can provide additional cultural insights. In some
cases, these features are difficult to detect by the
naked eye at ground level, but are detectable by
remote sensing techniques from aerial/space-based
platforms in a non-destructive manner. For these
reasons, it is now well recognized that examining
archaeological landscapes using remote sensing can
complement traditional investigations. An analysis of
remote sensing data can play an important role in (1)
understanding spatial relationships between cultural
materials and activities, (2) formulating archaeological
sampling schemes, (3) measuring distances and spatial
distributions of structures and monuments, and
(4) evolving schemes for their conservation
Literature review of the remote sensing of natural resources
Abstracts of 596 documents related to remote sensors or the remote sensing of natural resources by satellite, aircraft, or ground-based stations are presented. Topics covered include general theory, geology and hydrology, agriculture and forestry, marine sciences, urban land use, and instrumentation. Recent documents not yet cited in any of the seven information sources used for the compilation are summarized. An author/key word index is provided
Archaeological site identification from open access multispectral imagery: Cloud computing applications in Northern Kurdistan (Iraq)
This paper presents the results of an archaeological survey carried out in the Navkur
Plain, Iraqi Kurdistan, as part of the ‘Asingeran Archaeological Project’. The survey
was prepared using remote sensing products accessed via Google Earth Engineⓒ, a
large-scale cloud computing service freely available to the scientific community that
allows processing remote sensing big data. Outputs generated with a multitemporal
approach are particularly successful for archaeological research, because it is possible
to maximize the visibility of archaeological sites, improving their detection. Multispectral
imagery from Landsat 5, Landsat 7 and Sentinel-2 collections were used and
processed, testing their utility for finding unknown ancient settlements in the densely
studied area of Northern Mesopotamia. Seventeen new sites were discovered in an
already surveyed area of limited size (<100 km2), showing the potentialities of this
method. The advantages of cloud computing for Near Eastern Archaeology and the
results of the survey are also presented and discussed
Recent trends and long-standing problems in archaeological remote sensing
The variety and sophistication of data sources, sensors, and platforms employed in archaeological remote sensing have increased significantly over the past decade. Projects incorporating data from UAV surveys, regional and research-driven lidar surveys, the uptake of hyperspectral imaging, the launch of high-temporal revisit satellites, the advent of multi-sensor rigs for geophysical survey, and increased use of structure from motion mean that more archaeologists are engaging with remote sensing than ever. These technological advances continue to drive research in the specialist community and provide reasons for optimism about future applications, but many social and technical obstacles to the integration of remote sensing into archaeological research and heritage management remain. This article addresses the challenges of contemporary archaeological remote sensing by briefly reviewing trends and then focusing on providing a critical overview of the main structural problems. The discussion here concentrates on topics that have dominated the discourse in recent archaeological literature and featured prominently in ongoing fieldwork for the past decade across three broad segments of landscape archaeology: data collection in the field, the current state of data access and archives, and processing and interpretation
- …