ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE MONITORING: UAV PHOTOGRAMMETRY CAN BE AN ANSWER (original) (raw)
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Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage
The shrinkage of the sensors installed in unmanned aerial vehicles and the increase in data quality have provided great advantages to UAV users, especially in analysis and interpretation works. Archaeologists, in particular, can take full advantage of new opportunities to research and identify objects and artifacts, using remote sensing methods, by studying the past at excavation sites using modern technologies such as UAVs. These methods enable researchers to discover objects on the ground with the help of sensors. This study includes the UAV monitoring, documentation, and analyses of the excavation works that took place in 2014 (phase 1), 2017 (phase 2- phase 3), and 2020 (phase 4) at the Ancient Theatre of Uzuncaburç built in the Roman Empire. For this purpose, photos were taken with the UAV for each phase, and measurements were made from the excavation site's points with precision gauges (total-station and GNSS). 3D point cloud, orthophoto map, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) ...
UAV SYSTEMS FOR PHOTOGRAMMETRIC DATA ACQUISITION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
International Journal of Heritage in the Digital Era, 2012
The use of UAV systems for surveying archaeological sites is becoming progressively more common due to the considerable potential in terms of rapidity of survey, costs and accuracy. The paper presents the first results of the photogrammetric survey of the archaeological site of Himera in Sicily (Italy) using by UAV systems. A complete documentation of the site through the production of a DSM and an ortho image were carried out. The research further evaluated two different image processing workflows: a typical photogrammetric approach and a computer vision approach. An ortho image of the archaeological site with a very high resolution was obtained.
Photogrammetric Archaeological Survey with UAV
This document describes a way to obtain various photogrammetric products from aerial photograph using a drone. The aim of the project was to develop a methodology to obtain information for the study of the architecture of pre-Columbian archaeological sites in Mexico combining the manoeuvrability and low cost of a drone with the accuracy of the results of the open source photogrammetric MicMac software. It presents the UAV and the camera used, explains how to manipulate it to carry out stereoscopic photographs, the flight and camera parameters chosen, the treatments performed to obtain orthophotos and 3D models with a centimetric resolution, and finally outlines the quality of the results.
JASc, 2019
In the last decade, archaeological fieldwork has seen the increasing use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and photogrammetrical techniques as tools for mapping archaeological traces in two and three dimensions. Drones allow for great control over the collection of imagery and in combination with photogrammetry put airborne 3D data capture at the disposal of archaeologists, whether they are dealing with objects, excavations and monuments, or complete landscapes. The success of applying any new tool must however be judged in the end by a careful assessment of its tangible improvements of the primary data collection process considering expended project resources. In this context, it is important to point out that the added value of producing, often still laborious, 3D models for the primary process of data collection in field archaeology is not yet completely self-evident. Although 3D recording may be a useful additional layer of documentation for those who can afford it, the question remains to what degree the time, equipment and personnel investment actually improves our capabilities of doing archaeology. In this paper, I propose a new, well-defined, transparent and standardized mapping approach based on the combination of a budget UAV and straightforward photogrammetrical techniques, fully embedded in the workflow of knowledge production in archaeological excavation. I will reflect on the future potential of this approach, as well as engage with the ongoing discussion about developments in the processes of documentation and interpretation.
BUDGET UAV SYSTEMS FOR THE PROSPECTION OF SMALL-AND MEDIUM- SCALE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
One of the popular uses of UAVs in photogrammetry is providing an archaeological documentation. A wide offer of low-cost (consumer) grade UAVs, as well as the popularity of user-friendly photogrammetric software allowing obtaining satisfying results, contribute to facilitating the process of preparing documentation for small archaeological sites. However, using solutions of this kind is much more problematic for larger areas. The limited possibilities of autonomous flight makes it significantly harder to obtain data for areas too large to be covered during a single mission. Moreover, sometimes the platforms used are not equipped with telemetry systems, which makes navigating and guaranteeing a similar quality of data during separate flights difficult. The simplest solution is using a better UAV, however the cost of devices of such type often exceeds the financial capabilities of archaeological expeditions. The aim of this article is to present methodology allowing obtaining data for medium scale areas using only a basic UAV. The proposed methodology assumes using a simple multirotor, not equipped with any flight planning system or telemetry. Navigating of the platform is based solely on live-view images sent from the camera attached to the UAV. The presented survey was carried out using a simple GoPro camera which, from the perspective of photogrammetric use, was not the optimal configuration due to the fish eye geometry of the camera. Another limitation is the actual operational range of UAVs which in the case of cheaper systems, rarely exceeds 1 kilometre and is in fact often much smaller. Therefore the surveyed area must be divided into sub-blocks which correspond to the range of the drone. It is inconvenient since the blocks must overlap, so that they will later be merged during their processing. This increases the length of required flights as well as the computing power necessary to process a greater number of images. These issues make prospection highly inconvenient, but not impossible. Our paper presents our experiences through two case studies: surveys conducted in Nepal under the aegis of UNESCO, and works carried out as a part of a Polish archaeological expedition in Cyprus, which both prove that the proposed methodology allows obtaining satisfying results. The article is an important voice in the ongoing debate between commercial and academic archaeologists who discuss the balance between the required standards of conducting archaeological works and economic capabilities of archaeological missions.
UAV vs classical aerial photogrammetry for archaeological studies
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2016
Excavations at Stavros, Chalandritsa, 20 km south of Patras, Greece, have brought to light an extensive Late Bronze Age settlement, inhabited at least during the 13th and 12th centuries B.C. The settlement covers an area of approx. 12 acres on top of a rocky hilltop, which offers an unobstructed supervision of the wider region. As highly accurate mapping and 3D reconstructions are fundamental for analyses and interpretations in archaeology, the specific area was used as a test area for a comparison between classical topographic survey, airphoto and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based photogrammetry. The settlement was mapped with traditional topographic surveying methods using tachymeter and Differential GNSS system. Digital photogrammetric techniques were applied on analogue airphotos to create (DSMs) and orthophotos from the archaeological site. Two independent low altitude aerial campaigns were carried out using two different UAVs. Computer vision techniques along with photogrammetric analysis techniques were used to perform bundle adjustment with ground control points (GCPs) collected with a differential GNSS receiver. 3D models were created from the imagery captured from the UAV campaigns. Ultra-high resolution orthophotos with a pixel size of 5 cm and DSMs with respective spatial resolution were also created. The orthophotos were validated in terms of georeferencing accuracy and the DSMs were validated in terms of height accuracy. The accuracy of the UAV derived products reaches 99.6% compared to classical topographic measurements. Chalandritsa test site results provide strong evidence that 3D models created by UAV imagery can be accurate enough to perform precise measurements.
UAV photogrammetry for archaeological site survey. 3D models at the Hierapolis in Phrygia (Turkey)
Virtual Archaeology Review
• The paper aims to validate UAV photogrammetry as a very flexible tool for archaeological areas; a fix wing eBee device by Sensefly is tested. • Derived DSM and aerial orthoimages in complex areas with different formal traits are discussed, targeting high mansory ruins and collapsed parts. • Up to 2 cm accuracy and high resolution 3D models are convenient to extract morphological data.
The Use of UAV in Archaeological Excavation: A Case Study in Şanlıurfa Historical Castle
International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics, 2019
Dear colleagues and friends, X. TUFUAB Technical Symposium was held in Aksaray on 25-27, April 2019. The Symposium was carried out by the organizations of Aksaray University and General Directorate of Mapping. As a international symposium in the field of photogrammetry and remote sensing, X.TUFUAB Technical Symposium 2019 is devoted to promote the advancement of knowledge, research, development, education and training in Geographical Information Sciences, Information Technology, Environmental Management and Resources, Sustainable Agriculture, Surveying, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, their integration and applications, as to contribute to the well-being of humanity and the sustainability of the environment. 425 participants and scientists from 7 countries were attended to this symposium. 125 oral presentations and 10 poster presentations were presented during the symposium. 135 presentations take place in 25 sessions in two days.
Uas for Archaeology – New Perspectives on Aerial Documentation
The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2013
In this work some Unmanned Aerial Systems applications are discussed and applied to archaeological sites survey and 3D model reconstructions. Interesting results are shown for three important and different aged sites on north Sardinia (Italy). An easy and simplified procedure has proposed permitting the adoption of multi-rotor aircrafts for daily archaeological survey during excavation and documentation, involving state of art in UAS design, flight control systems, high definition sensor cameras and innovative photogrammetric software tools. Very high quality 3D models results are shown and discussed and how they have been simplified the archaeologist work and decisions.
ArchEyeAutomatic: UAV-Based Documentation of Monuments in Archaeology
2023
Field archaeology is a science in which the objects of study are often destroyed during excavation. Historical monuments are often threatened by exposure to the elements and other environmental influences. Documentation is therefore indispensable in the former case and an essential part of the conservation process in the latter. Documentation methods are moving more and more into the 3D space, so it makes sense to do more remote sensing in the third dimension as well. The present work is a continuation of the author’s project ArchEye, which was one of the first applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for documentation tasks in archaeology and one of the first archaeological uses of hobbyist multi-copter technology when it started in 2009. It demonstrated the wide range of applications for small drones in archaeology. The experience of this project clearly showed that more automation could improve the efficiency of documentation. Consequently, this thesis approaches this task by leaving behind traditional 2D photo stitching and focusing on 3D recording using Structure from Motion (SfM) with the help of UAVs. The experience of the ground-based SfM approach is outlined in the author’s Master’s thesis entitled "From photos to a 3D model: open-source close range photogrammetry for use in archaeology" formed another essential basis for this work. From the beginning, the aim of this thesis was to achieve a complete method for this approach, because on the one hand a thorough 3D documentation with UAVs and SfM requires specific strategies for the acquisition. On the other hand, the analysis of the resulting 3D data requires tools and knowledge of what can be achieved with them. The limitations of the proposed method are outlined in its specific steps. Therefore, this thesis presents the technical parts of the data acquisition with UAVs and SfM, but also software and methods for documentation, which are elaborated on several examples. To put the results of the approach into perspective, a comparison with other 3D recording methods is shown and discussed.