Remotely Sensing the Invisible—Thermal and Magnetic Survey Data Integration for Landscape Archaeology
Archaeological landscapes can be obscured by environmental factors, rendering conventional visual interpretation of optical data problematic. The absence of evidence can lead to seemingly empty locations and isolated monuments. This, in turn, influences the cultural–historical interpretation of arch...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/20/4992 |
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| author | Jegor K. Blochin Elena A. Pavlovskaia Timur R. Sadykov Gino Caspari |
| author_facet | Jegor K. Blochin Elena A. Pavlovskaia Timur R. Sadykov Gino Caspari |
| author_sort | Jegor K. Blochin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Archaeological landscapes can be obscured by environmental factors, rendering conventional visual interpretation of optical data problematic. The absence of evidence can lead to seemingly empty locations and isolated monuments. This, in turn, influences the cultural–historical interpretation of archaeological sites. Here, we assess the potential of integrating thermal and magnetic remote sensing methods in the detection and mapping of buried archaeological structures. The area of interest in an alluvial plain in Tuva Republic makes the application of standard methods like optical remote sensing and field walking impractical, as natural vegetation features effectively hide anthropogenic structures. We combined drone-based aerial thermography and airborne and ground-based magnetometry to establish an approach to reliably identifying stone structures concealed within alluvial soils. The data integration led to the discovery of nine buried archaeological structures in proximity to an Early Iron Age royal tomb, shedding light on ritual land use continuity patterns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:55:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3361c5426e2b4eb488ac91484da439e9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:55:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-3361c5426e2b4eb488ac91484da439e92023-11-19T17:59:17ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922023-10-011520499210.3390/rs15204992Remotely Sensing the Invisible—Thermal and Magnetic Survey Data Integration for Landscape ArchaeologyJegor K. Blochin0Elena A. Pavlovskaia1Timur R. Sadykov2Gino Caspari3Institute for the History of Material Culture, Russian Academy of Sciences, Dvortsovaya Nabereznaya 18, 191186 St. Petersburg, RussiaInstitute of Earth Sciences, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Nabereznaya 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, RussiaInstitute for the History of Material Culture, Russian Academy of Sciences, Dvortsovaya Nabereznaya 18, 191186 St. Petersburg, RussiaDepartment of Archaeology, University of Sydney, The Quadrangle A14, Sydney 2006, AustraliaArchaeological landscapes can be obscured by environmental factors, rendering conventional visual interpretation of optical data problematic. The absence of evidence can lead to seemingly empty locations and isolated monuments. This, in turn, influences the cultural–historical interpretation of archaeological sites. Here, we assess the potential of integrating thermal and magnetic remote sensing methods in the detection and mapping of buried archaeological structures. The area of interest in an alluvial plain in Tuva Republic makes the application of standard methods like optical remote sensing and field walking impractical, as natural vegetation features effectively hide anthropogenic structures. We combined drone-based aerial thermography and airborne and ground-based magnetometry to establish an approach to reliably identifying stone structures concealed within alluvial soils. The data integration led to the discovery of nine buried archaeological structures in proximity to an Early Iron Age royal tomb, shedding light on ritual land use continuity patterns.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/20/4992aerial magnetometryaerial thermographyarchaeological geophysicsScythianEarly Iron AgeSiberia |
| spellingShingle | Jegor K. Blochin Elena A. Pavlovskaia Timur R. Sadykov Gino Caspari Remotely Sensing the Invisible—Thermal and Magnetic Survey Data Integration for Landscape Archaeology Remote Sensing aerial magnetometry aerial thermography archaeological geophysics Scythian Early Iron Age Siberia |
| title | Remotely Sensing the Invisible—Thermal and Magnetic Survey Data Integration for Landscape Archaeology |
| title_full | Remotely Sensing the Invisible—Thermal and Magnetic Survey Data Integration for Landscape Archaeology |
| title_fullStr | Remotely Sensing the Invisible—Thermal and Magnetic Survey Data Integration for Landscape Archaeology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Remotely Sensing the Invisible—Thermal and Magnetic Survey Data Integration for Landscape Archaeology |
| title_short | Remotely Sensing the Invisible—Thermal and Magnetic Survey Data Integration for Landscape Archaeology |
| title_sort | remotely sensing the invisible thermal and magnetic survey data integration for landscape archaeology |
| topic | aerial magnetometry aerial thermography archaeological geophysics Scythian Early Iron Age Siberia |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/20/4992 |
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