As far as the laser can reach… – Laminar analysis of LIDAR detected structures as a powerful instrument for archaeological heritage management in Baden-Württemberg, Germany (original) (raw)
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Extraction of archaeological features from high-resolution LIDAR data
In May 2009, the State Office for Cultural Heritage Management Baden-Württemberg launched a three-year project aimed at the complete archaeological mapping of Baden-Württemberg using highresolution airborne LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) data, covering an area of 35751 km2. The goal is the verification and extension of the existing archaeological data base. To achieve this goal, a data processing method and workflow for the extraction of Local Relief Models from LIDAR-based Digital Elevation Models was developed. Colour-coded maps of these Local Relief Models are found to be a valuable tool for archaeological prospection. First results of the project confirm the feasibility of using LIDARbased data for the archaeological mapping of very large areas.
In the large forests of the eastern Harz Mountains (Central Germany) thousands of unknown archaeological structures lie hidden under woodland canopies. Because of their enormous number a site-based documentation is impossible. Due to the forest vegetation methods such as aerial archaeology or geophysical prospection are of only very limited significance. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) offers the possibility to generate a DTM (Digital Terrain Model) which can be used to document archaeological and historical sites in a highly precise and effective way. The sites include for example castles and strongholds, dikes, tracks and lanes, deserted villages, ridge and furrow, mining relics, charcoal kilns, and burial mounds. These archaeological monuments form a complex cultural landscape. In addition to the morphological evaluation, future analyses of further data from other disciplines promise to provide us with additional information. Thus, it will be possible to reconstruct the different economical and historical processes in this region as well as the spatial relations of settlement, mining, etc. for the first time. Recording, analysing, and interpreting this hidden cultural landscape will help to develop a protection programme for these monuments – especially with regard to the increasing use of huge harvesters in forestry that causes intensive destruction of archaeological sites.
LiDAR for Archaeological Research and the Study of Historical Landscapes
Sensing the Past, 2017
Remote sensing technologies have helped to revolutionize archaeology. LiDAR (light detection and ranging), a remote sensing technology in which lasers are used as topographic scanners that can penetrate foliage, has particularly influenced researchers in the field of settlement or landscape archaeology. LiDAR provides detailed landscape data for broad spatial areas and permits visualization of these landscapes in ways that were never before possible. These data and visualizations have been widely utilized to gain a better understanding of historical landscapes and their past uses by ancient peoples.
LiDAR Applications in Archaeology: A Systematic Review
Archaeological Prospection, 2024
In the last two decades, the analysis of data derived from LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology has dramatically changed the investigation and documentation of past cultural landscapes, sometimes revealing monumental architectures and settlement systems totally unknown before. Despite the exponential uptick of case studies, an extensive review of LiDAR applications in archaeology is so far missing. Here, we present a systematic survey of works published in international journals in 2001–2022, with the aim of providing an annotated bibliography on the theme and collect quantitative information about each case study. Data collected allowed to analyse the geographic distribution of LiDAR-based studies, the specifics of acquisitions, the topography and vegetation cover of each study area, the characteristics of the material culture detected, major goals and integrated techniques. The survey considers 291 studies, of which 167 located in Europe, 104 in the Americas and only 20 between Asia, Middle East, Oceania and Africa. Our analysis shows that the impact of LiDAR in archaeological studies was greater in some areas of Europe and North America, where scholars could rely on the availability of open data provided by the institutions. This is testified by the higher number of both case studies and large-scale projects investigating these regions. It also emerges that LiDAR potential largely depends on the characteristics of the material culture, the vegetation cover and data resolution. These factors underlie the outstanding results achieved through LiDAR in tropical rainforests compared to those obtained in temperate areas, such as the Mediterranean, where the outcropping archaeological evidence, albeit vast and widespread, is generally less preserved and obscured by the dense vegetation of the Mediterranean maquis. We conclude that the increasing availability of LiDAR data over vast areas could lead to enormous advances in the investigation, monitoring and protection of the cultural heritage.
The Potential of New LiDAR Datasets for Archaeology in Switzerland
Remote Sensing, 2023
LiDAR and its derived elevation models have revolutionized archaeological research in forested areas around the globe. Almost a third of Switzerland is covered in forests. The number of archaeological sites recorded in forests in Switzerland is, however, limited. Given these circumstances, it is surprising how underutilized LiDAR data are in archaeological research in the country. As the Federal Office of Topography swisstopo is finalizing the acquisition of new LiDAR datasets, increasing the covered area and allowing for limited time series analyses, these data should be used to the fullest extent. This article describes the open access datasets and elaborates on their potential for archaeological research and cultural heritage management. By employing LiDAR data on a large scale, Swiss archaeological research would likely substantially increase the number of recorded heritage sites. Additionally, this will have the effect of complementing the palimpsests of past anthropogenic activity throughout the landscape while reducing survey biases in the archaeological record.
Some Examples of Good Practice in LiDAR Prospection in Preventive Archaeology
Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica. Natural Sciences in Archaeology, 2017
The prime objective of this article is to demonstrate the possibilities of LiDAR mapping in the field of preventive archaeology. The article focuses upon detailed descriptions of case studies that present particular examples of LiDAR application possibilities, as well as its limitations. The final remarks sum up an appropriate procedure for LiDAR prospection when applied to preventive archaeology and cultural heritage.
LIDAR based semi-automatic pattern recognition within an archaeological landscape
2019
LIDAR-Daten bieten einen neuartigen Ansatz zur Lokalisierung und Uberwachung des kulturellen Erbes in der Landschaft, insbesondere in schwierig zu erreichenden Gebieten, wie im Wald, im unwegsamen Gelande oder in sehr abgelegenen Gebieten. Die manuelle Lokalisation und Kartierung von archaologischen Informationen einer Kulturlandschaft ist in der herkommlichen Herangehensweise eine sehr zeitaufwandige Aufgabe des Fundstellenmanagements (Cultural Heritage Management). Um die Moglichkeiten in der Erkennung und bei der Verwaltung des kulturellem Erbes zu verbessern und zu erganzen, konnen computergestutzte Verfahren einige neue Losungsansatze bieten, die daruber hinaus sogar die Identifizierung von fur das menschliche Auge bei visueller Sichtung nicht erkennbaren Details ermoglichen. Aus archaologischer Sicht ist die vorliegende Dissertation dadurch motiviert, dass sie LIDAR-Gelandemodelle mit archaologischen Befunden durch automatisierte und semiautomatisierte Methoden zur Identifizie...