Google Earth as a Powerful Tool for Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Applications: A Review
Google Earth (GE), a large Earth-observation data-based geographical information computer application, is an intuitive three-dimensional virtual globe. It enables archaeologists around the world to communicate and share their multisource data and research findings. Different from traditional geograp...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2018-09-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/10/10/1558 |
| _version_ | 1831690825838362624 |
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| author | Lei Luo Xinyuan Wang Huadong Guo Rosa Lasaponara Pilong Shi Nabil Bachagha Li Li Ya Yao Nicola Masini Fulong Chen Wei Ji Hui Cao Chao Li Ningke Hu |
| author_facet | Lei Luo Xinyuan Wang Huadong Guo Rosa Lasaponara Pilong Shi Nabil Bachagha Li Li Ya Yao Nicola Masini Fulong Chen Wei Ji Hui Cao Chao Li Ningke Hu |
| author_sort | Lei Luo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Google Earth (GE), a large Earth-observation data-based geographical information computer application, is an intuitive three-dimensional virtual globe. It enables archaeologists around the world to communicate and share their multisource data and research findings. Different from traditional geographical information systems (GIS), GE is free and easy to use in data collection, exploration, and visualization. In the past decade, many peer-reviewed articles on the use of GE in the archaeological cultural heritage (ACH) research field have been published. Most of these concern specific ACH investigations with a wide spatial coverage. GE can often be used to survey and document ACH so that both skilled archaeologists and the public can more easily and intuitively understand the results. Based on geographical tools and multi-temporal very high-resolution (VHR) satellite imagery, GE has been shown to provide spatio-temporal change information that has a bearing on the physical, environmental, and geographical character of ACH. In this review, in order to discuss the huge potential of GE, a comprehensive review of GE and its applications to ACH in the published scientific literature is first presented; case studies in five main research fields demonstrating how GE can be deployed as a key tool for studying ACH are then described. The selected case studies illustrate how GE can be used effectively to investigate ACH at multiple scales, discover new archaeological sites in remote regions, monitor historical sites, and assess damage in areas of conflict, and promote virtual tourism. These examples form the basis for highlighting current trends in remote sensing archaeology based on the GE platform, which could provide access to a low-cost and easy-to-use tool for communicating and sharing ACH geospatial data more effectively to the general public in the era of Digital Earth. Finally, a discussion of the merits and limitations of GE is presented along with conclusions and remaining challenges. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T11:17:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f6678f712882481da9f7514a456eedb6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T11:17:30Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-f6678f712882481da9f7514a456eedb62022-12-21T19:42:34ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922018-09-011010155810.3390/rs10101558rs10101558Google Earth as a Powerful Tool for Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Applications: A ReviewLei Luo0Xinyuan Wang1Huadong Guo2Rosa Lasaponara3Pilong Shi4Nabil Bachagha5Li Li6Ya Yao7Nicola Masini8Fulong Chen9Wei Ji10Hui Cao11Chao Li12Ningke Hu13Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, ChinaInternational Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) under the Auspices of UNESCO, Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, ChinaWorking Group of Natural and Cultural Heritage under the Digital Belt and Road Programme (DBAR-Heritage), CAS, Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, ChinaJiangsu Speed Electronics and Technology Co. Ltd., Nanjing 210042, ChinaNanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, CAS, Nanjing 210008, ChinaHangzhou Kingo Information and Technology Co. Ltd., Jinan 250013, ChinaSchool of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062, ChinaGoogle Earth (GE), a large Earth-observation data-based geographical information computer application, is an intuitive three-dimensional virtual globe. It enables archaeologists around the world to communicate and share their multisource data and research findings. Different from traditional geographical information systems (GIS), GE is free and easy to use in data collection, exploration, and visualization. In the past decade, many peer-reviewed articles on the use of GE in the archaeological cultural heritage (ACH) research field have been published. Most of these concern specific ACH investigations with a wide spatial coverage. GE can often be used to survey and document ACH so that both skilled archaeologists and the public can more easily and intuitively understand the results. Based on geographical tools and multi-temporal very high-resolution (VHR) satellite imagery, GE has been shown to provide spatio-temporal change information that has a bearing on the physical, environmental, and geographical character of ACH. In this review, in order to discuss the huge potential of GE, a comprehensive review of GE and its applications to ACH in the published scientific literature is first presented; case studies in five main research fields demonstrating how GE can be deployed as a key tool for studying ACH are then described. The selected case studies illustrate how GE can be used effectively to investigate ACH at multiple scales, discover new archaeological sites in remote regions, monitor historical sites, and assess damage in areas of conflict, and promote virtual tourism. These examples form the basis for highlighting current trends in remote sensing archaeology based on the GE platform, which could provide access to a low-cost and easy-to-use tool for communicating and sharing ACH geospatial data more effectively to the general public in the era of Digital Earth. Finally, a discussion of the merits and limitations of GE is presented along with conclusions and remaining challenges.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/10/10/1558Google Earth (GE)archaeologicalcultural heritageremote sensingKeyhole Markup Languagevery high-resolution (VHR)virtual |
| spellingShingle | Lei Luo Xinyuan Wang Huadong Guo Rosa Lasaponara Pilong Shi Nabil Bachagha Li Li Ya Yao Nicola Masini Fulong Chen Wei Ji Hui Cao Chao Li Ningke Hu Google Earth as a Powerful Tool for Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Applications: A Review Remote Sensing Google Earth (GE) archaeological cultural heritage remote sensing Keyhole Markup Language very high-resolution (VHR) virtual |
| title | Google Earth as a Powerful Tool for Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Applications: A Review |
| title_full | Google Earth as a Powerful Tool for Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Applications: A Review |
| title_fullStr | Google Earth as a Powerful Tool for Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Applications: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Google Earth as a Powerful Tool for Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Applications: A Review |
| title_short | Google Earth as a Powerful Tool for Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Applications: A Review |
| title_sort | google earth as a powerful tool for archaeological and cultural heritage applications a review |
| topic | Google Earth (GE) archaeological cultural heritage remote sensing Keyhole Markup Language very high-resolution (VHR) virtual |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/10/10/1558 |
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