Remote Sensing For Archaeology And Cultural Landscapes

This book investigates the added value that satellite technologies and remote sensing could provide for a more sustainable mapping, monitoring and management of heritage sites, be it for purposes of regular maintenance or for risk mitigation in case of natural or man-caused hazards. One of the major goals of this book is to provide a clear overview on policy perspectives, regarding both space policy as well as heritage policy, and to provide possible suggestions for common ground of these two fields, in Europe and around the world. Readers will develop a good understanding of cutting-edge applications of remote sensing and geographic information science, and the challenges that affect heritage maintenance and protection. Particular attention is given to Earth observation and remote sensing techniques applied in different locations. This book brings together innovative technologies, concrete applications and policy perspectives that can lead to a more complete vision of cultural heritage as a resource for future development of our society as a whole.

The focal main objective of the book is to constitute a meaningful linkage among research problems, geoinformation methods and corresponding applications. The research goals, related both to theoretical and practical issues, derive from multidisciplinary fields such as archaeology, history, geography, landscape planning, environment, geoinformation

This book is an introduction to a new branch of archaeology that scrutinises landscapes to find evidence of past human activity. Such evidence can be hard to detect at ground-level, but may be visible in remote sensing (RS) imagery from aerial platforms and satellites. Drawing on examples from around the world as well as from her own research work on archaeological sites in India (including Nalanda, Agra, Srirangapatna, Talakadu, and Mahabalipuram), the author presents a systematic process for integrating this information with historical spatial records such as old maps, paintings, and field surveys using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to gain new insights into our past. Further, the book highlights several instances where these insights are actionable -- they have been used to identify, understand, conserve, and protect the fragile remnants of our past. This book will be of particular interest not only to researchers in archaeology, history, art history, and allied fields, but to governmental and non-governmental professionals working in cultural heritage protection and conservation.

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.

​​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.

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.

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.

This book provides a state-of-the art overview of satellite archaeology and it is an invaluable volume for archaeologists, scientists, and managers interested in using satellite Earth Observation (EO) to improve the traditional approach for archaeological investigation, protection and management of Cultural Heritage. The recent increasing development of EO techniques and the tremendous advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have resulted primarily in Cultural Heritage applications. The book focuses on new challenging prospects for the use of EO in archaeology not only for probing the subsurface to unveil sites and artifacts, but also for the management and valorization as well as for the monitoring and preservation of cultural resources. The book provides a first-class understanding of this revolutionary scenario which was unthinkable several years ago. The book offers: (i) an excellent collection of outstanding articles focusing on satellite data processing, analysis and interpretation for archaeological applications, (ii) impressive case studies, (iii) striking examples of the high potential of the integration of multi-temporal, multi-scale, multi-sensors techniques. Each chapter is composed as an authoritative contribution to help the reader grasp the value of its content. The authors are renowned experts from the international scientific community. Audience: This book will be of interest to scientists in remote sensing applied to archeology, geoarcheology, paleo-environment, paleo-climate and cultural heritage.