The role of integrating aerial prospection into the preservation of ancient monuments in the Netherlands

Abstract

In 1926 and 1932 already shots had been taken from the air to assist excavations near Laren and in the province of Groningen; just before the second World War, Von Frijtag Drabbe had made use of vertical air photographs for archaeological research. Flights continued after the war on a modest scale, owing to financial and practical constraints. Recently, Amsterdam University volunteered to contribute to the conservation of archaeological sites through a programme of aerial survey aimed at : 1°) - Overseeing archaeological sites, protected or not; 2°) - Identifying and localising potential sites, prior to possible legal protection; 3°) - Mapping sites and monuments.