This paper focuses on the potential of an integrated approach using aerial LiDAR, aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning, and archaeological survey to detect the presence and configuration of lost medieval settlements under canopy. This approach was applied to the site of Altanum (Calabria, Italy), on the hill of Sant’Eusebio, completely covered by vegetation. Altanum was a large fortified settlement characterised by a long occupation, especially during the Byzantine and Norman-Swabian periods. The activity began by carrying out a LiDAR survey of the whole hill. The acquired LiDAR data were processed and filtered in order to obtain a DFM (Digital Feature Model) useful for the identification of features of archaeological interest. Several enhancement techniques were performed on DFM to increase the visibility of archaeological features. The features thus identified were subsequently surveyed through the use of terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry integrated with laser scanning to document the visible buildings. The most significant result of the study was to create a single GIS platform with the integration of all data in order to delineate the whole settlement layout, as well as to produce 2D and 3D datasets useful for the for knowledge and protection of the identified remains.

In recent years, the use of remote sensing in archeology has rapidly grown, having being proven particularly useful for landscape archaeology investigations. The quality of results obtained through remote sensing mainly depends on the number of bands that can be exploited, the spatial and spectral resolution of imagery and the methodology used. In this work, adopting a post‐dictive approach, multispectral remote sensing data from World‐View 2 (WV‐2) were used in order to detect archaeological features in the volcanic area of Bronte (Sicily, Italy), a town 40 km from Catania. The selected area lies in the western slope of Etna, inside the boundary of Etna Park. Here, the archaeological research is affected by specific problems. The geology and the spontaneous vegetation of this fascinating environment represents one of the biggest issues. The entire research was conducted using free and open source software (FOSS) within a low‐cost logic that allows study of landscapes using limited budget. The strategy developed in our study is directed towards a post‐dictive approach to archeological data and remote sensing techniques. We analyzed an area where archeological buildings are now visible, but WV‐2 multispectral images have been deliberately selected prior to the archaeological excavations carried out in 2015. In this way, we can evaluate and test instruments and techniques at our disposal, emphasizing weaknesses and strengths. The final results illustrate the benefits and challenges of performing multispectral imagines for archaeological investigations. The use of some of the most promising vegetation indices, especially Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Simple Ratio Index (SRI), is analysed and discussed, while the post‐dictive approach suggests that the more useful bands are undoubtedly NIR_1 and RED_EDGE.

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