Making LiGHT Work of Large Area Survey? Developing Approaches to Rapid Archaeological Mapping and the Creation of Systematic National-scaled Heritage Data

Dave Cowley,Angela Gannon,Łukasz Banaszek,Mike Middleton,Kirsty Millican,George Geddes

doi:10.5334/jcaa.49

Dave Cowley, Angela Gannon + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.5334/jcaa.49

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Abstract

The characteristics and form of heritage data are fundamental to its utility in a range of applications, particularly so for heritage agencies who have a remit in management, policy, and the creation and curation of national databases of monuments, sites, and landscapes. Written from the perspective of an archaeological survey function in a national heritage agency, this paper draws on preliminary outcomes from a research and development project that aims to proof protocols for creating systematic data across large areas drawing heavily on remotely sensed data. This recognises that a systemic consideration of the implications of changing technology and data is sometimes desirable, rather than gradual assimilation of developments into existing practice. In particular, the issues being addressed relate to the challenges and opportunities of proliferating remote sensed data and digital workflows. These include the strategic assessment of threat, consideration of fitness for purpose of different datasets relative to landscape characteristics, the documentation of processes and sources of information, the suitability of data structures, and the mechanisms for automating site detection and data creation.

Highlights

This paper presents ongoing work at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) in developing its applications of remote sensing (RS) for archaeological landscape survey
For large area survey, including both woodland and other areas, this makes ALS an expensive option compared to height data derived from photogrammetry, which may cost 80% less, or to orthophotographs taken in appropriate conditions
The minimum area criteria of one hectare in the Historic Land-use Assessment (HLA) does not help to deal with smaller patches of fragmented remains. This foregrounds the question of how the land-use/landscape textures of the historic environment are best recorded for users – especially as the proliferation of RS data is documenting features such as cultivation remains on a massive scale

Summary

Introduction

This paper presents ongoing work at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) in developing its applications of remote sensing (RS) for archaeological landscape survey (mainly Airborne Laser Scanning or ALS and aerial photographs, and including scoping of satellite data). This has greatly benefited from the many examples of archaeological survey practice informed by RS data in Europe and beyond, and is the context within which HES established the Rapid Archaeological Mapping Programme (RAMP) in 2019 as a two-year research and development (R&D) project that aims to develop protocols for creating systematic archaeological data across large areas While this approach draws heavily on RS data, the issues being addressed include the need for explicit documentation of the underlying knowledge-creation processes and the mechanisms for automating site detection. For example, aerial photographic and other RS datasets will have their own error budget and mapping tolerances, which differ from survey-grade GNSS, and bear on the metrical accuracy, as one attribute of a survey, that they will support

4: Detailed record

Back to basics: utilising aerial photographs

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