Geodetic surveying as part of archaeological research in Sudan

Abstract

Surveying is an important part of any archaeological research. In this paper we focus on the archaeological research in north Sudan (6 th Nile cataract) and the surveying methods applicable under the local conditions. Surveying in the Third World countries is affected by the political situation (limited import of surveying tools), local conditions (lack of fixed points, GNSS correction signal), inaccessible basemaps and fixed point network. This article describes the methods and results obtained during the three archaeological seasons (2011-2014). The classical surveying methods were combined with KAP (Kite Aerial Photography) to obtain the desired results in form of archaeological maps, detailed orthophoto images and other analyses results.