Cost-effective, rapid decorrelation stretching and responsive UAS mapping as a method of detecting archaeological sites and features

Abstract

Approaches to aerial photography and remote sensing have become increasingly complex, can rely on opaque workflows, and have the potential to be published with inaccessible language. Conversely, aerial capture has become increasingly accessible with affordable, user-friendly unmanned aerial systems (UAS) now being commonplace in the field-archaeology toolkit. This means that considerable amounts of data are being produced by diverse projects, yet only a limited quantity are subject to advanced processing techniques. This paper aims to address this imbalance through a low-cost, accessible workflow that pairs frequent (multi-temporal) surveys with straightforward, out of the box processing. The results are comparable to more complex methodologies without the need to invest in expensive hardware (although a fast computer will make processing quicker) or abstract workflows. The detail and depth are still available if needed, but the aim is to make the interpretation of a wide range of imagery easier, rather than focus on the mechanics of the phenomena. The results demonstrate an effective, inexpensive and user-friendly workflow that requires only limited computational skills, but which offers robust, highly interpretable results.