Archaeological Prospecting And Remote Sensing

First published in 1990, Archaeological Prospecting and Remote Sensing surveys some of the highly ingenious non-destructive methods for detecting and mapping remains of ancient cultures that have vanished from the modern surface. Techniques include low-level air photography, magnetic, thermal, electric, and electromagnetic geophysical prospecting. A mathematical analysis of the phenomena and measurements is given together with the techniques for interpretation of results using computerized image processing. Archaeological prospecting used with image processing has emerged as a universal tool. The aim is to build a visual geographic system available for use by conservationists, historians and scientists alike. The team of authors comprises an archaeologist, two geophysicists and an applied mathematician who have collaborated to produce a book of immense value in this innovative field of study.

One CD-ROM disc in pocket.

​​This volume debuts the new scope of Remote Sensing, which was first defined as the analysis of data collected by sensors that were not in physical contact with the objects under investigation (using cameras, scanners, and radar systems operating from spaceborne or airborne platforms). A wider characterization is now possible: Remote Sensing can be any non-destructive approach to viewing the buried and nominally invisible evidence of past activity. Spaceborne and airborne sensors, now supplemented by laser scanning, are united using ground-based geophysical instruments and undersea remote sensing, as well as other non-invasive techniques such as surface collection or field-walking survey. Now, any method that enables observation of evidence on or beneath the surface of the earth, without impact on the surviving stratigraphy, is legitimately within the realm of Remote Sensing. ​The new interfaces and senses engaged in Remote Sensing appear throughout the book. On a philosophical level, this is about the landscapes and built environments that reveal history through place and time. It is about new perspectives—the views of history possible with Remote Sensing and fostered in part by immersive, interactive 3D and 4D environments discussed in this volume. These perspectives are both the result and the implementation of technological, cultural, and epistemological advances in record keeping, interpretation, and conceptualization. Methodology presented here builds on the current ease and speed in collecting data sets on the scale of the object, site, locality, and landscape. As this volume shows, many disciplines surrounding archaeology and related cultural studies are currently involved in Remote Sensing, and its relevance will only increase as the methodology expands.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Remote Sensing and Geosciences for Archaeology" that was published in Geosciences

GPR Remote Sensing in Archaeology provides a complete description of the processes needed to take raw GPR data all the way to the construction of subsurface images. The book provides an introduction to the “theory” of GPR by using a simulator that shows how radar profiles across simple model structures look and provides many examples so that the complexity of radar signatures can be understood. It continues with a review of the necessary radargram signal processes needed along with examples. The most comprehensive methodology to construct subsurface images from either coarsely spaced data using interpolation or from dense data from multi-channel equipment and 3D volume generation is presented, advanced imaging solutions such as overlay analysis are introduced, and numerous worldwide site case histories are shown. The authors present their studies in a way that most technical and non-technical users of the equipment will find essentials for implementing in their own subsurface investigations.

This book collects 15 papers written by renowned scholars from across the globe that showcase the forefront research in Earth observation (EO), remote sensing (RS), and geoscientific ground investigations to study archaeological records and cultural heritage. Archaeologists, anthropologists, geographers, remote sensing, and archaeometry experts share their methodologies relying on a wealth of techniques and data including, but not limited to: very high resolution satellite images from optical and radar space-borne sensors, air-borne surveys, geographic information systems (GIS), archaeological fieldwork, and historical maps. A couple of the contributions highlight the value of noninvasive and nondestructive laboratory analyses (e.g., neutron diffraction) to reconstruct ancient manufacturing technologies, and of geological ground investigations to corroborate hypotheses of historical events that shaped cultural landscapes. Case studies encompass famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites (e.g., the Nasca Lines in Peru), remote and yet-to-discover archaeological areas in tropical forests in central America, European countries, south Asian changing landscapes, and environments which are arid nowadays but were probably full of woody vegetation in the past. Finally, the reader can learn about the state-of-the-art of education initiatives to train site managers in the use of space technologies in support of their activities, and can understand the legal aspects involved in the application of EO and RS to address current challenges of African heritage preservation.

Archaeology has been transformed by technology that allows one to ‘see’ below the surface of the earth. This work illustrates the uses of advanced technology in archaeological investigation. It deals with hand-held instruments that probe the subsurface of the earth to unveil layering and associated sites; underwater exploration and photography of submerged sites and artifacts; and the utilization of imaging from aircraft and spacecraft to reveal the regional setting of archaeological sites and to assist in cultural resource management.