Remote sensing techniques in geoarchaeological research; Case studies in Turkey, Egypt and Italy V. De Laet*, G. Verstraeten, E. Paulissen Center for Archaeological Sciences, K.U.Leuven Celestijnenlaan 200E 3001 Leuven Belgium Veronique.DeLaet@ees.kuleuven.be 25-05-09 DECARS - Amsterdam
Objective CAS Support archaeological research projects with an extensive and in-depth experience built up in the Faculties of Exact Sciences and Engineering in Leuven. Offers expertise about the following topics: - Macrobotanical study and anthracology - Palynology - Physical anthropology - Archaeozoology - Residue analysis - Landscape studies and remote sensing - Virtual reconstruction - Archaeometry and isotope archaeology http://www.kuleuven.be/cas/
Landscape studies and remote sensing GIS studies: Analysis of the topography Quantitative studies of site locations as a function of physical environmental factors and socio-economic drivers Site-location modelling Remote Sensing studies Identification of linear structures (roads, walls, buildings) and high density of artefacts Land cover classification Mineral, soil and lithology mapping using hyperspectral imagery
RS Projects Sagalassos - Turkey Dayr al-barshã - Egypt Raganello - Italy
RS Projects Sagalassos - Turkey Dayr al-barshã - Egypt
RS research Dayr al-barshã Objectives of archaeological feature identification Map the spatial distribution of settlements, roads, cemeteries, quarries and many other (pre)historic archaeological features using: Image enhancement visual interpretation Automatic classification Insight in spatial distribution and correlation of features is not possible through classic ground-based archaeological surveys and excavations. Such inventory is necessary to gain insight into social patterns during the last few thousand years Objectives of palaeo-environmental research using RS: Reconstructing the fluvial dynamics of the River Nile between the current channel of the Nile and the desert towards the east, i.e. detect ancient
Archaeological RS research Identification and characterisation of ancient road tracks Quickbird, DigitalGlobe, all rights reserved Quickbird, DigitalGlobe, all rights reserved
Archaeological RS research Identification and characterisation of ancient road tracks
Archaeological RS research Identification and characterisation of ancient grave fields Circular graves on hillslope 45 m Quickbird, DigitalGlobe, all rights reserved 6m Quickbird, DigitalGlobe, all rights reserved Looted grave fields at the outlet of wadis
Palaeo-environmental RS research Trace ancient Nile channels using: Detailed hand augerings in the floodplain up to 6 m depth 2D-electrical resistivity imaging profiles with lengths up to 1200 m and depths from 20-45 m Historical maps Remote sensing imagery (ASTER, Quickbird, Corona), and digital elevation models (SRTM)
Palaeo-environmental RS research Filtering of SRTM elevation models to extract minor topographic changes in the floodplain. Some channels could be identified on older maps, others not. Possible ancient riverbeds Ancient riverbed Elevation (m a.s.l.) 1 2 Present riverbed 3 Original SRTM data Processed SRTM data
RS Projects Sagalassos - Turkey
RS research Sagalassos Objectives of RS research at Sagalassos Evaluate the possibilities of satellite remote sensing techniques for automatic extraction of excavated and unexcavated archaeological features Investigate the complementarity of different remote sensing techniques Investigate whether natural factors control distribution of modern vegetation and agricultural activity Investigate how present local landscape patterns have been induced by agro-pastoral activities since ~1500 Cal. BC
RS research Sagalassos Automatic extraction of archaeological features at Hisar Edge enhancement filtering
RS research Sagalassos Automatic extraction of archaeological features at Sagalassos Pixel-based classification 77% 52% Object-based classification 31% 75% Visual interpretation
RS research Sagalassos Complementarity of different remote sensing techniques Features detected by all Features detected by only one or two methods Main information from geophyisical survey Main information from archaeological survey Contours from QB, internal differentiation from archaeological survey QB + archaeological QB + Archaeological surveyqb + geophysics survey
RS research Sagalassos Complementarity of different remote sensing techniques Excavations: contextual + dating information Archaeological survey: surface feature detection Geophysics: subsurface feature detection + geological features QB imagery: mainly surface feature detection: recent + ancient
RS research Sagalassos Investigate the vegetation distribution around Bereket Physical factors only of secondary importance Human activity managed composition and distribution vegetation No direct relation between ancient and present-day vegetation
RS Projects Raganello - Italy
RS research Raganello catchment Objectives of RS research in the Raganello catchment Detection of archaeological features using hyperspectral and LiDAR data DSM: 1 m pixels AHS RGB-image: 2 m pixels
RS research Raganello catchment Objectives of RS research in the Raganello catchment Detection of archaeological features using hyperspectral data 4 8 5 3 7 9 6 2 1 10
RS research Raganello catchment Objectives of RS research in the Raganello catchment Detection of archaeological features using hyperspectral data Soil with ceramic fragments 9 Soil without ceramic fragments
Remote sensing techniques in geoarchaeological research; Case studies in Turkey, Egypt and Italy V. De Laet*, G. Verstraeten, E. Paulissen Center for Archaeological Sciences, K.U.Leuven Celestijnenlaan 200E 3001 Leuven Belgium Veronique.DeLaet@ees.kuleuven.be 25-05-09 DECARS - Amsterdam