On the fly: Strategies for UAV-based archaeological survey in mountainous areas of Central Asia and their implications for landscape research

Abstract

The incorporation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) within archaeological survey strategies over the past several years has broadened the geographical scale of inquiry for many projects, led to an increased number of recorded sites and features, and fundamentally shifted interpretive frameworks in many parts of the world. The high-resolution, full-coverage landscape data offered by UAV-based survey would seem well suited to archaeological study in Central Asia; the region is characterized by a long history of fragmented land-use patterns, variegated cultural geography, and niche local environments. However, UAV survey strategies have not been widely incorporated in Central Asian archaeological research, and subsequently have not impacted interpretative processes in ways comparable to other regions. Part of the problem lies in the logistical challenges of operating UAVs in the areas of remote (offline) and rough terrain typical of much of Central Asia, and to this methodological issue we offer some field-tested strategies developed in mountainous areas of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Another significant challenge to UAV-based survey in Central Asia lies in the ongoing development of landscape archaeology as both concept and practice in the region. We address this disciplinary problem by framing our discussion in the broader context of the gains and challenges UAV-generated datasets bring to the interpretation of Central Asian landscapes.