A Low-Cost, Easy-Way Workflow for Multi-Scale Archaeological Features Detection Combining LiDAR and Aerial Orthophotography

Abstract

The difficulty of obtaining funding often places the continuity of research projects at risk, forcing researchers to resort to low-cost methodologies. Such methodologies sometimes require a high degree of technical knowledge which, in many cases, poses an insurmountable obstacle to the development of a project. This article shows a low-cost, easy-way methodology for diachronically analysing terrain in search of archaeological evidence on different scales (micro and semi-micro) in both already known and new archaeological sites through the analysis of orthophotographs taken with UAVs, the DEMs generated from them, and public LiDAR data. It allows researchers with small budgets but with a basic knowledge of GIS and photogrammetry to undertake some aspects of their project without necessarily having to call on the assistance or support of specialists. Thanks to this methodology, the researcher will be able to continue until they are able to obtain the funding that will enable them to take their research further, with specialists. This article presents the first conclusions obtained after applying the proposed methodology at the Giribaile (Vilches, Spain) archaeological site—a site of interest in its territory which possibly functioned as an advance defensive post for the town, a hypothesis based on the towers and numerous internal structures that have been identified.

How Can We Understand the Past from Now On? Three-Dimensional Modelling and Landscape Reconstruction of the Shuanghuaishu Site in the Central Plains of China

“…GIS can integrate geographic resources and spatial elements and analyse spatial distribution patterns and association characteristics [29][30][31]. Three-dimensional modelling of site areas mainly uses mediumor high-resolution satellite imagery and digital elevation model (DEM) data to obtain the site's supporting environmental attributes [32][33][34][35]. For 3D modelling of sites, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms are usually used to acquire images or point cloud data of ruins and obtain high-precision texture, structure, and other information, from which more realistic 3D models can be built [36][37][38][39].…”

Use of Geoinformatics for the Digitization and Visualization of Sensitive Space in the Urban Landscape: A Case Study of the Gross-Rosen Sub-Camps Systems

“…The above products, resulting from the processing of the digital elevation model, contain valuable information about the analyzed area. Historical or archaeological research was most frequently in the form of shaded relief maps, slope maps, aspect maps, and visibility maps [43][44][45][46][47]. Appropriate parameters for such processing, selected according to the characteristics of the surface, highlight the characteristics of the terrain which are particularly useful for analyzing the activities carried out in the area under consideration.…”