Archaeological Applications Research Articles

Development and Design of a Compact Autonomous Underwater Vehicle: Zeno AUV

The paper describes the electromechanical design of a compact, light-weight Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for archaeological applications; the vehicle is named Zeno (Zeno Environment Nautical Operator), protector of freshwater and flood victims, and was developed in the framework of the European project ARCHEOSUb; the AUV specifications, its navigation devices and payload are given. The main characteristics of the vehicle are described with particular attention to its system architecture, propulsion system and structural design. Zeno AUV is currently under assembly and its first tests are scheduled for Summer 2018.

UAVs in Context: Archaeological Airborne Recording in a National Body of Survey and Record

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is the lead public body which investigates, promotes and cares for the historic environment in Scotland. It undertakes a range of archaeological airborne work from detailed documentation of individual sites to extensive national programmes of prospection. In undertaking this work HES draws on a variety of aerial platforms to collect imagery, including light aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV—used throughout this paper as an umbrella term). In all cases, the archaeological questions at hand are the key driver for choice of methodology and platforms, recognising that different types of survey and documentation demand different responses. Differing strands of aerial work will be briefly described, followed by short case studies that illustrate the range of our activities, concluding with thoughts on the context of UAV work for archaeological applications.

Index to Titles and Authors/Editors of Books Reviewed Volume 92 (2017)

Index to Titles and Authors/Editors of Books Reviewed Volume 92 (2017)

THE MYTHS AND REALITIES OF BAYESIAN CHRONOLOGICAL MODELING REVEALED

We review the history of Bayesian chronological modeling in archaeology and demonstrate that there has been a surge over the past several years in American archaeological applications. Most of these applications have been performed by archaeologists who are self-taught in this method because formal training opportunities in Bayesian chronological modeling are infrequently provided. We define and address misconceptions about Bayesian chronological modeling that we have encountered in conversations with colleagues and in anonymous reviews, some of which have been expressed in the published literature. Objectivity and scientific rigor is inherent in the Bayesian chronological modeling process. Each stage of this process is described in detail, and we present examples of this process in practice. Our concluding discussion focuses on the potential that Bayesian chronological modeling has for enhancing understandings of important topics.

The Application of EM38: Determination of Soil Parameters, Selection of Soil Sampling Points and Use in Agriculture and Archaeology.

Fast and accurate assessment of within-field variation is essential for detecting field-wide heterogeneity and contributing to improvements in the management of agricultural lands. The goal of this paper is to provide an overview of field scale characterization by electromagnetic induction, firstly with a focus on the applications of EM38 to salinity, soil texture, water content and soil water turnover, soil types and boundaries, nutrients and N-turnover and soil sampling designs. Furthermore, results concerning special applications in agriculture, horticulture and archaeology are included. In addition to these investigations, this survey also presents a wide range of practical methods for use. Secondly, the effectiveness of conductivity readings for a specific target in a specific locality is determined by the intensity at which soil factors influence these values in relationship to the desired information. The interpretation and utility of apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) readings are highly location- and soil-specific, so soil properties influencing the measurement of ECa must be clearly understood. From the various calibration results, it appears that regression constants for the relationships between ECa, electrical conductivity of aqueous soil extracts (ECe), texture, yield, etc., are not necessarily transferable from one region to another. The modelling of ECa, soil properties, climate and yield are important for identifying the location to which specific utilizations of ECa technology (e.g., ECa−texture relationships) can be appropriately applied. In general, the determination of absolute levels of ECa is frequently not possible, but it appears to be quite a robust method to detect relative differences, both spatially and temporally. Often, the use of ECa is restricted to its application as a covariate or the use of the readings in a relative sense rather than as absolute terms.

Part-in-whole matching of rigid 3D shapes using geodesic disk spectrum

Part-in-whole matching of rigid 3D shapes has attracted great interest in shape analysis and has various applications in computational archaeology. Rigid part-in-whole matching algorithms are mainly based on methods minimizing geometric distances and methods using local shape descriptors, which are challenging when the partial shapes are relatively small and smooth. This paper proposes a part-in-whole matching algorithm of rigid 3D shapes using geodesic disk spectrum (GDS), which achieves accurate matching results for partial shapes with arbitrary boundaries or smooth appearances. The largest enclosing geodesic disk of the partial shape and geodesic disks on the complete shape are extracted in the matching process. GDS is used as the matching descriptor, which is the distribution of shape index for enclosing points of the disk. The problem of matching partial surfaces with arbitrarily irregular boundaries to the complete shape is transformed into the matching of geodesic disks with the same radius using the proposed algorithm. GDS is discriminative, which can handle the situation when partial surfaces have few distinctive features. The proposed algorithm has been tested on various partial surfaces and obtained accurate matching results. A higher precision is achieved by comparing with existing part-in-whole matching algorithms, which proves the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.

3D Point Clouds in Archaeology: Advances in Acquisition, Processing and Knowledge Integration Applied to Quasi-Planar Objects

Digital investigations of the real world through point clouds and derivatives are changing how curators, cultural heritage researchers and archaeologists work and collaborate. To progressively aggregate expertise and enhance the working proficiency of all professionals, virtual reconstructions demand adapted tools to facilitate knowledge dissemination. However, to achieve this perceptive level, a point cloud must be semantically rich, retaining relevant information for the end user. In this paper, we review the state of the art of point cloud integration within archaeological applications, giving an overview of 3D technologies for heritage, digital exploitation and case studies showing the assimilation status within 3D GIS. Identified issues and new perspectives are addressed through a knowledge-based point cloud processing framework for multi-sensory data, and illustrated on mosaics and quasi-planar objects. A new acquisition, pre-processing, segmentation and ontology-based classification method on hybrid point clouds from both terrestrial laser scanning and dense image matching is proposed to enable reasoning for information extraction. Experiments in detection and semantic enrichment show promising results of 94% correct semantization. Then, we integrate the metadata in an archaeological smart point cloud data structure allowing spatio-semantic queries related to CIDOC-CRM. Finally, a WebGL prototype is presented that leads to efficient communication between actors by proposing optimal 3D data visualizations as a basis on which interaction can grow.

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL APPLICATION OF MULTI-SENSOR REMOTE SENSING DATA IN QIN YONGCHENG SITE

Abstract. Remote sensing archaeology bases on the use of remote sensing images and interpretation of the principles. The historic relics and sites are resulted from human activities and have constantly caused influences on the soil component, moisture content, temperature, vegetation growth and so on. Based on this thought, this paper proposed a new remote sensing model and approach that integrates optical and thermal infrared remote sensing data for archaeology. Taking the Qin Yongcheng site as the example, this method conducts a comprehensive analysis of key factors affecting archaeological application, that is, LST estimated with Landsat TM data, soil brightness, humidity and greenness obtained from GF-1 data, and then interprets the potential site targets. By conducting the field verification, it is shown that the interpreted potential sites are well consisted with the field investigations and have a high interpretation precision. It can provide a guide for further archaeological research.

Establishing Best Practices for Photogrammetric Recording During Archaeological Fieldwork

ABSTRACTArchaeologists have recently embraced photogrammetry as a low-cost, efficient tool for recording archaeological artifacts, active excavation contexts, and architectural remains. However, no consensus has yet been reached about standard procedures for reliable and metrically accurate photogrammetric recording. The archaeological literature describes diverse equipment and approaches to photogrammetry. The purpose of this article is to open a discussion about when and how photogrammetry should be employed in archaeology in an effort to establish “best practices” for this new method. We focus on the integration of photogrammetry within a comprehensible research plan, the selection of equipment, the appropriate apportionment of labor and time on site, and a rubric for site photography that is conducive to successful and efficient modeling. We conclude that photogrammetric modeling will soon become an indispensable tool in most archaeological applications but should always be implemented in ways that do not place undue burdens on project personnel and budgets and that aid research goals in well-defined ways.

Inter-annual carbon isotope analysis of tree-rings by laser ablation

The stable carbon isotopic analysis of tree-rings for environmental, plant physiological and archaeological applications using conventional methods is occasionally limited by physical constraints (narrow rings) or administrative concerns (requirement for non-destructive sampling) that prevent researcher access to scientifically valuable wood samples. Analysis of such archives by laser-ablation can potentially address these issues and facilitate access to restricted archives. Smaller quantities of wood are required for analysis by laser ablation, hence the approach may be considered less-invasive and is virtually non-destructive compared to standard preparation methods. High levels of intra-annual isotopic variability reported elsewhere mean that a single measurement may not faithfully represent the inter-annual isotopic signal, so before such an approach can be used with confidence it is necessary to compare the stable carbon isotopic data produced using these two methods. This paper presents stable carbon isotope (δ13C) data from the resin-extracted wood of dated Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) tree-rings analysed using a modified Schulze-type laser-ablation system with results obtained using conventional manual sampling and analysis of α-cellulose prepared from the same tree-ring groups. The laser sampling system is found to perform very well against established more invasive methods. High correlations are observed between the methods for both raw and Suess corrected data (r>0.90 n=50). These results highlight the potential for using laser-sampling to support the development of long isotope chronologies, for sampling narrow rings or for pre-screening cores prior to analysis using more detailed or labour intensive methods.

The influence of fish bone morphology on aquatic transport: An experimental approach through elements of Creole perch (Percichthyidae: Percichthys trucha; [Valenciennes, 1833

Many archaeological sites with fish remains are situated near ancient or current water courses. The origin of these time-averaged contexts requires an analysis considering possible non-human contributions and specifically the role of water as a highly selective agent. Element shape is a critical factor in all transport processes, but it has received little attention. The aim of this experimental work is to explore the hydrodynamic transport of fish bones considering the shape of anatomical elements. Different elements from Creole perch (Percichthyidae: Percichthys trucha; [Valenciennes, 1833]) individuals are utilized in dry conditions and under three different flow speeds. Transport groups, mode of transport and distance travelled are evaluated according to the shape of the elements. Fish vertebrae have the greatest transport potential. This experimental study indicates that hydrologic processes can impose biases giving a unique skeletal element composition in fish bone assemblages. A simplified differential transport model is proposed and an archaeological application of it is essayed.

Archaeological Application of Airborne LiDAR with Object-Based Vegetation Classification and Visualization Techniques at the Lowland Maya Site of Ceibal, Guatemala

The successful analysis of LiDAR data for archaeological research requires an evaluation of effects of different vegetation types and the use of adequate visualization techniques for the identification of archaeological features. The Ceibal-Petexbatun Archaeological Project conducted a LiDAR survey of an area of 20 × 20 km around the Maya site of Ceibal, Guatemala, which comprises diverse vegetation classes, including rainforest, secondary vegetation, agricultural fields, and pastures. We developed a classification of vegetation through object-based image analysis (OBIA), primarily using LiDAR-derived datasets, and evaluated various visualization techniques of LiDAR data. We then compared probable archaeological features identified in the LiDAR data with the archaeological map produced by Harvard University in the 1960s and conducted ground-truthing in sample areas. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the OBIA approach to vegetation classification in archaeological applications, and suggests that the Red Relief Image Map (RRIM) aids the efficient identification of subtle archaeological features. LiDAR functioned reasonably well for the thick rainforest in this high precipitation region, but the densest parts of foliage appear to create patches with no or few ground points, which make the identification of small structures problematic.

Archsphere – A cluster algorithm for archaeological applications

This paper argues that many of the existing cluster algorithms employed by practitioners are too unspecific for archaeological purposes. Based on a large landscape archaeological dataset a cluster algorithm for archaeological applications is developed. It accounts for shortfalls in generic cluster algorithms like the difficulty to cluster point clouds with varying densities in DBSCAN or the absence of a notion of noise in k-means. The application of the Archsphere algorithm is geared towards archaeological problem sets using readily available data from surveys and excavations as input. The introduced method performs the task of spatially dividing an archaeological dataset of monuments into clusters in a more meaningful way than is possible with standard procedures, effectively setting a solid foundation for a scale-consistent landscape archaeological analysis of monument assemblages.

Social syntax: An approach to spatial modification through the reworking of space syntax for archaeological applications

Space syntax provides an approach to architecture that allows for the interpretation of social organization. However, many researchers who attempt archaeological applications have commented on the framework’s inability to provide novel insights on spatial patterns, particularly in areas without an explicit and established social hierarchy. Many of the noted problems are tied to the absence of a consideration of the relationships among the intentions of builders, the lived experiences of occupants, and the impact of alterations to architecture. To address these issues, space syntax is reworked to focus on modifications to space through a combination of insights derived from practice theory and the life history/object biography approaches. Entitled social syntax, this framework integrates the useful graphic representations of space syntax with a focus on room life histories/biographies and a consideration of the dialectical interplay between architecture (structure) and occupants (agents). To illustrate the utility of this framework, it is applied to two room blocks from Homol’ovi I, an ancestral Hopi village in northeastern Arizona. This application highlights the strength and flexibility of social syntax as a framework for archaeological analyses focused on understanding how the use and meaning of architectural space develops throughout village occupation and depopulation.

Spatial History, deep mapping and digital storytelling: archaeology's future imagined through an engagement with the Digital Humanities

Geospatial technologies are transforming the practice of the Digital Humanities, and these developments have direct relevance to the practice of scientifically oriented archaeology. The most recent “spatial turn” among digital humanists can be attributed to both the prevalence of tools like ArcGIS that facilitate such investigations as well as an interdisciplinary convergence upon theoretical models that conceive of socially constructed space. This article will briefly review the current state-of-the-art in the field of Spatial History as well as discuss a number of emerging trends such as deep mapping, digital storytelling and data visualization, utilizing examples from a variety of applications. Moreover, archaeologists can benefit from the substantial investments by the academy in the Digital Humanities, particularly in the United States and Canada. In sum, the article proposes that the scope of archaeological applications of geospatial technologies would be productively broadened through an increased engagement with the Digital Humanities.

Beyond Depression? A Review of the Optimal Foraging Theory Literature in Zooarchaeology and Archaeobotany

The use of optimal foraging theory in archaeology has been criticized for focusing heavily on “negative” human-environmental interactions, particularly anthropogenic resource depression, in which prey populations are reduced by foragers’ own foraging activities. In addition, some researchers have suggested the focus on resource depression is more common in the zooarchaeological literature than in the archaeobotanical literature, indicating fundamental differences in the ways zooarchaeologists and archaeobotanists approach the archaeological record. In this paper, we assess these critiques through a review of the literature between 1997 and 2017. We find that studies identifying resource depression occur at similar rates in the archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological literature. In addition, while earlier archaeological applications of optimal foraging theory did focus heavily on the identification of resource depression, the literature published between 2013 and 2017 shows a wider variety of approaches.

Advancing tephrochronology as a global dating tool: Applications in volcanology, archaeology, and palaeoclimatic research

Abstract Layers of far-travelled volcanic ash (tephra) from explosive volcanic eruptions provide stratigraphic and numerical dating horizons in sedimentary and volcanic sequences. Such tephra layers may be dispersed over tens to thousands of kilometres from source, reaching far beyond individual volcanic regions. Tephrochronology is consequently a truly global dating tool, with applications increasingly widespread across a range of Quaternary and geoscience disciplines. This special issue of the International Focus Group on Tephrochronology and Volcanism (INTAV) showcases some of the many recent advances in tephrochronology, from methodological developments to diverse applications across volcanological, archaeological, and palaeoclimatological research.

Radar remote sensing for archaeology in Hangu Frontier Pass in Xin’an, China

As a non-invasive tool, remote sensing can be applied to archaeology taking the advantage of large scale covering, in-time acquisition, high spatial-temporal resolution and etc. In archaeological research, optical approaches have been widely used. However, the capability of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for archaeological detection has not been fully exploded so far. In this study, we chose Hangu Frontier Pass of Han Dynasty located in Henan Province as the experimental site (included into the cluster of Silk Roads World Heritage sites). An exploratory study to detect the historical remains was conducted. Firstly, TanDEM-X SAR data were applied to generate high resolution DEM of Hangu Frontier Pass; and then the relationship between the pass and derived ridge lines was analyzed. Second, the temporal-averaged amplitude SAR images highlighted archaeological traces owing to the depressed speckle noise. For instance, the processing of 20-scene PALSAR data (spanning from 2007 to 2011) enabled us to detect unknown archaeological features. Finally, the heritage remains detected by SAR data were verified by Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) prospecting, implying the potential of the space-to-ground radar remote sensing for archaeological applications.

Online Tribes and Digital Authority: What Can Social Theory Bring to Digital Archaeology?

Abstract From early discussions of the disruptive potential of computer technologies for archaeological applications, to the present era of digital archaeology as the technical underpinning of modern archaeological practice, we have continued to debate the potential impacts of digital communication and digital capture and storage on our knowledge, profession and communications. The increased use of digital tools and methods for archaeological research and dissemination, as well as what Roosevelt (2015) has referred to as the shift to the digital paradigm within archaeological practice, leads us to suggest that the impact of this paradigm shift requires careful and critical examination. This article will examine the edges of the disciplines of archaeology and sociology, where we aim to advance our understanding of the relationship between digital technologies and archaeological knowledge from a uniquely social perspective, using the theoretical approaches of both classic and modern sociologists. The application of this lens of sociology to digital archaeology equips us to understand how archaeology and archaeological practice is situated in a social world, which is especially relevant in the Global West, where digital technology is ubiquitous. Through a critical consideration of the complexity of use of digital technologies within digital archaeology, we can begin to shift our focus away from the character and method of tools and workflow, to the background of intellectual power and influence.

Developing FTIR microspectroscopy for analysis of plant residues on stone tools

The analysis of residues on stone tools can yield important insights into the tool-using behaviors of Paleolithic hominins. The ambiguity of residue identifications using visible-light microscopy (VLM) has led to the development of additional techniques for their characterization. Reflectance-based Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIRM) is a technique with great potential to aid in non-destructive residue identifications. Recent applications of the technique, however, have been hampered by methodological challenges, causing the infrared signals to be dominated by the stone rather than the residues. We address this problem by systematically testing the limits of FTIRM on five categories of experimental plant residues (wood bark, wood pith, grass leaves, starch, and resin). We demonstrate that it is possible to obtain FTIRM spectra of in situ plant residues wherein the effect of the stone is virtually eliminated. We also generate reflectance FTIRM spectral standards for each plant residue investigated and provide peak assignments for the major peaks in all spectra. The sensitivity of the technique means that slight differences in sample preparation can result in spectral differences as well. This means that archaeological application of the technique will require (1) careful, peak-by-peak analyses of the results, (2) extensive spectral libraries, and (3) research into the effects of decomposition.