Airborne LiDAR Point Cloud Processing for Archaeology. Pipeline and QGIS Toolbox

Benjamin Štular,Stefan Eichert,Edisa Lozić

doi:10.3390/rs13163225

Benjamin Štular, Stefan Eichert + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13163225

Copy DOI

Abstract

The use of topographic airborne LiDAR data has become an essential part of archaeological prospection. However, as a step towards theoretically aware, impactful, and reproducible research, a more rigorous and transparent method of data processing is required. To this end, we set out to create a processing pipeline for archaeology-specific point cloud processing and derivation of products that are optimized for general-purpose data. The proposed pipeline improves on ground and building point cloud classification. The main area of innovation in the proposed pipeline is raster grid interpolation. We have improved the state-of-the-art by introducing a hybrid interpolation technique that combines inverse distance weighting with a triangulated irregular network with linear interpolation. State-of-the-art solutions for enhanced visualizations are included and essential metadata and paradata are also generated. In addition, we have introduced a QGIS plug-in that implements the pipeline as a one-step process. It reduces the manual workload by 75 to 90 percent and requires no special skills other than a general familiarity with the QGIS environment. It is intended that the pipeline and tool will contribute to the white-boxing of archaeology-specific airborne LiDAR data processing. In discussion, the role of data processing in the knowledge production process is explored.

Highlights

The use of topographic airborne LiDAR data, where available, has become an essential part of archaeological prospection, e.g., [1,2]
A key part of the remarkable pace of adoption of airborne LiDAR data in archaeology is its apparent simplicity of use: a visual inspection of a shaded relief accessed via a web application can lead to the discovery of new archaeological sites, even without any training in remote sensing
We introduced a buffer in the contact zone within which the elevation is the mean of the triangulation with linear interpolation (TLI)

Summary

Introduction

The use of topographic airborne LiDAR data, where available, has become an essential part of archaeological prospection, e.g., [1,2]. Using a combination of perception and comprehension, archaeologists interpret enhanced visualizations of high-resolution raster grids interpolated from point clouds derived from airborne LiDAR data [3,4,5]. A key part of the remarkable pace of adoption of airborne LiDAR data in archaeology is its apparent simplicity of use: a visual inspection of a shaded relief accessed via a web application can lead to the discovery of new archaeological sites, even without any training in remote sensing. Shaded relief is not “hard” data [5,19,20], but complex theory-laden archaeological data, just like any other digital reconstruction (cf., [21]).

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion