Mapping Heterogeneous Buried Archaeological Features Using Multisensor Data from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Christopher Brooke,Ben Clutterbuck

doi:10.3390/rs12010041

Abstract

There is a long history of the use of aerial imagery for archaeological research, but the application of multisensor image data has only recently been facilitated by the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Two archaeological sites in the East Midlands U.K. that differ in age and topography were selected for survey using multisensor imaging from a fixed-wing UAV. The aim of this study was to determine optimum methodology for the use of UAVs in examining archaeological sites that have no obvious surface features and examine issues of ground control target design, thermal effects, image processing and advanced filtration. The information derived from the range of sensors used in this study enabled interpretation of buried archaeology at both sites. For any archaeological survey using UAVs, the acquisition of visible colour (RGB), multispectral, and thermal imagery as a minimum are advised, as no single technique is sufficient to attempt to reveal the maximum amount of potential information.

Highlights

The use of remote sensing to survey and research archaeological sites is well established in the literature [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8], and conventional aerial photography and LiDAR are commonplace the use of multisensor data acquisition is less well represented
The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of multisensor data, acquired aerially from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), in providing adequate visualization of buried archaeology in order to formulate an accurate approximation of each site’s principal features and characteristics
Sites are often revealed due to one of three common processes: i) Cropmarks: where crops or other vegetation grow at differential rates and heights due to varying ground moisture content that is dependent on the subsurface presence of masonry, pits, ditches, and so forth

Summary

Introduction

The use of remote sensing to survey and research archaeological sites is well established in the literature [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8], and conventional aerial photography and LiDAR are commonplace the use of multisensor data acquisition is less well represented. In extent the outer to ditch, insofar as may be determined from ground survey and conventional cameraencloses technology, sites often revealed duewhich to oneisofunusually three common processes: aerial photography, an area ofare approximately. Sites are often revealed due to one of three common processes: i) Cropmarks: where crops or other vegetation grow at differential rates and heights due to varying ground moisture content that is dependent on the subsurface presence of masonry, pits, ditches, and so forth. The RGB data acquired during the second survey revealed little archaeological information, most likely as the ground water content was near normal with no extreme dry or wet periods of weather preceding the survey, suppressing any visual contrast due to differential vegetation growth [114].

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Conclusion