Satellite Hyperspectral and Multispectral Imaging

Satellite‐based imagers have been delivering data products that offer new possibilities to study (archaeological) landscapes via remote recording of the Earth's spectral reflectance (and to some extent thermal emittance) since the 1970s. Although much declassified panchromatic spy footage and some more recent commercial multispectral imagery has already been used with great success in archaeological research, it is expected that the importance and utility of multi‐ and hyperspectral (together denoted spectral) spaceborne imagery will become more important in the near future. This is mainly due to the constant and simultaneous improvements in the spatial and spectral resolving power of these imaging systems. Together with the temporal and radiometric properties, these four characteristics define any remotely‐sensed spaceborne spectral imaging platform. Thus, these parameters allow one to decide on the archaeological usability of the footage acquired.