Abstract
Urban development and other human-driven processes worldwide have destroyed archaeological remains in the process of reshaping the landscape, often before those remains have been properly analyzed. Under certain circumstances, however, some information regarding these lost remains is partially recoverable though the use of historical imagery produced before the development that destroyed the remains. Imagery from airborne or satellite platforms has been successfully exploited in various parts of the world, particularly in Europe, to recover archaeological information that had been presumed to be lost. Such utility of historical imagery is greatly enhanced when they are used within a GIS environment. The present study represents an initial exploration using historical imagery in a GIS environment to identify, map, and interpret lost archaeological remains in the Yalu River valley dividing China and Korea. The study centers on elite mortuary remains of the third to fifth centuries CE associated with the early kingdom of Koguryŏ (Ch. Gaogouli) in the Ji'an region of the Chinese province of Jilin. Analysis of satellite imagery from the 1960s along with aerial imagery from the Korean War (1950–53) and from U-2 overflights from the 1960s permits the recovery of information on hundreds of archaeological features in this region that have been lost to development, many of them having never been recorded. The present study focuses primarily on mortuary remains that have been completely or partially erased from the landscape and are here identified and described for the first time, with analysis that suggests how these lost remains can be understood in context with more recent archaeological findings. The results presented in this study offer a valuable methodology for recovering lost archaeological data and facilitate a deeper analysis of the mortuary practices associated with royal burials of Koguryŏ and of the use of space in the kingdom's capital.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
