Tackling the Thorny Dilemma of Mapping Southeastern Sicily's Coastal Archaeology Beneath Dense Mediterranean Vegetation: A Drone‐Based LiDAR Approach

IF 2.1 3区 地球科学 0 ARCHAEOLOGY
Dario Calderone, Nicola Lercari, Davide Tanasi, Dennis Busch, Ryan Hom, Rosa Lanteri
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Airborne laser scanning (ALS), commonly known as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), is a remote sensing technique that enables transformative archaeological research by providing high‐density 3D representations of landscapes and sites covered by vegetation whose analysis reveals hidden features and structures. ALS can detect targets under trees and grasslands, making it an ideal archaeological survey and mapping tool. ALS instruments are usually mounted on piloted aircraft. However, since the mid‐2010s, smaller laser scanners can be mounted on uncrewed aerial vehicles or drones. In this article, we examined the viability of drone‐based ALS for archaeological applications by utilizing a RIEGL VUX‐UAV22 sensor to capture point clouds with high spatial resolution at the archaeological site of Heloros in Southeastern Sicily, founded by the Greeks in the late eighth century bce. Using this laser scanner, we surveyed over 1.6 km2 of the archaeological landscape, producing datasets that outperformed noncommercial airborne ALS data for the region made available by the Italian government. We produced derivative imagery free of vegetation, which we visualized in GIS using a modified Local Relief Model technique to aid our archaeological analyses. Our findings demonstrate that drone‐based ALS can penetrate the dense Mediterranean canopy of coastal Sicily with sufficient point density to enable more efficient mapping of underlying archaeological features such as stone quarries, cart tracks, defensive towers and fortification walls. Our study proved that drone‐based ALS sensors can be easily transported to remote locations and that in‐house lab staff can safely operate them, which enables multiple on‐demand surveys and opportunistic collections to be conducted on the fly when environmental conditions are ideal. We conclude that these capabilities further increase the benefits of utilizing ALS for surveying the archaeological landscape under the Mediterranean canopy.
解决地中海茂密植被下西西里东南部沿海考古绘图的棘手难题:基于无人机的激光雷达方法
机载激光扫描(ALS)通常称为光探测和测距(LiDAR),是一种遥感技术,可提供植被覆盖的地貌和遗址的高密度三维图像,通过分析揭示隐藏的特征和结构,从而实现变革性的考古研究。ALS 可以探测树木和草地下的目标,是理想的考古调查和绘图工具。ALS 仪器通常安装在驾驶飞机上。不过,自 2010 年代中期以来,小型激光扫描仪可以安装在无人驾驶飞行器或无人机上。在本文中,我们利用 RIEGL VUX-UAV22 传感器在西西里岛东南部的希腊人于公元前八世纪晚期建立的赫洛罗斯考古遗址捕捉高空间分辨率的点云,考察了基于无人机的 ALS 在考古应用中的可行性。利用该激光扫描仪,我们勘测了超过 1.6 平方公里的考古地貌,生成的数据集优于意大利政府提供的该地区非商业性机载 ALS 数据。我们制作了没有植被的衍生图像,并在地理信息系统中使用改进的局部地形模型技术将其可视化,以帮助我们进行考古分析。我们的研究结果表明,基于无人机的 ALS 能够以足够的点密度穿透西西里岛沿海茂密的地中海树冠,从而能够更有效地绘制采石场、车道、防御塔和防御墙等考古地貌的底层地图。我们的研究证明,基于无人机的 ALS 传感器可以很容易地运输到偏远地区,内部实验室人员也可以安全地操作它们,这使得在环境条件理想时,可以按需进行多次勘测和随机采集。我们的结论是,这些功能进一步提高了利用 ALS 勘察地中海树冠下考古景观的效益。
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来源期刊
Archaeological Prospection
Archaeological Prospection 地学-地球科学综合
CiteScore
3.90
自引率
11.10%
发文量
31
审稿时长
>12 weeks
期刊介绍: The scope of the Journal will be international, covering urban, rural and marine environments and the full range of underlying geology. The Journal will contain articles relating to the use of a wide range of propecting techniques, including remote sensing (airborne and satellite), geophysical (e.g. resistivity, magnetometry) and geochemical (e.g. organic markers, soil phosphate). Reports and field evaluations of new techniques will be welcomed. Contributions will be encouraged on the application of relevant software, including G.I.S. analysis, to the data derived from prospection techniques and cartographic analysis of early maps. Reports on integrated site evaluations and follow-up site investigations will be particularly encouraged. The Journal will welcome contributions, in the form of short (field) reports, on the application of prospection techniques in support of comprehensive land-use studies. The Journal will, as appropriate, contain book reviews, conference and meeting reviews, and software evaluation. All papers will be subjected to peer review.
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