Applying UAS Photogrammetry to Analyze Spatial Patterns of Indigenous Settlement Sites in the Northern Dominican Republic

Sonnemann, Till F.; Malatesta, Eduardo Herrera; Hofman, Corinne L.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-40658-9_4

Cited by 13 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…Poor weather such as rain or high winds, high and thick vegetation restrict recording possibilities, and flight regulations have increased, which vary by country. The method was tested initially at El Manantial, a large open site in the Dominican province of Montecristi, to compare the interpretation from field survey and satellite imagery with the topographic outcome from the drone flights [25].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over several years the approximate size of a number of sites has been recorded and a small number of samples collected [15]. This approach has provided the opportunity to study location, distribution of material, and the potential interrelations between sites [7,10,15,24,25]. Many of the settlements recorded are positioned on mountain tops and plateaus of the Cordillera Septentrional, at altitudes between 50 and 700 m above sea level.…”

Section: Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on extensive archaeological field work conducted earlier (not GIS analysis), it was estimated that, from most sites, it was possible to see a minimum of three other sites, and either the ocean or the Cibao Valley were in view [10]. An example of visualizing this in GIS has been shown for the site of El Manantial [25]. This constituted a strategic priority for management and control of space; linked to a system of settlements, where partnerships and interactions connected different areas within the region [10].…”

Section: Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…143. ), [25,31,32] with the intention to better understand their distribution and functionality, as well as to document the existence of dwellings, or other structures associated with them [4]. Following the field walking, a small number of test pit excavations and coring were performed into mounds to verify an anthropogenic origin [10] in this karstic landscape where small changes in the topography are common.…”

Section: Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mapping Indigenous Settlement Topography in the Caribbean Using Drones

2016

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Abstract:The archaeology of Amerindian settlements in the Caribbean has mostly been identified through scatters of artefacts; predominantly conglomerations of shells, ceramics and lithics. While archaeological material may not always be visible on the surface, particular settlement patterns may be identifiable by a topography created through cultural action: earthen mounds interchanging with mostly circular flattened areas. In northern Hispaniola, recent foot surveys have identified more than 200 pre-colonial sites of which several have been mapped in high resolution. In addition, three settlements with topographical characteristics have been extensively excavated, confirming that the mounds and flattened areas may have had a cultural connotation in this region. Without the availability of high resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data, a photogrammetric approach using UAS (unmanned aircraft system, commonly known as drones) can fill the knowledge gap on a local scale, providing fast and reliable data collection and precise results. After photogrammetric processing, digital clearance of vegetation, and extraction of the georeferenced DEM (digital elevation model) and orthophoto, filters and enhancements provide an opportunity to visualize the results in GIS. The outcome provides an overview of site size, and distribution of mounds and flattened areas. Measurement of the topographic changes in a variety of past settlements defines likely zones of habitat, and provides clues on the actual dimensions and density of living space. Understanding the relation of the mounds and adjacent flat areas within their environment allows a discussion on how, and for what purpose, the settlement was founded at a particular location, and provides clues about its spatial organization.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Mapping Indigenous Settlement Topography in the Caribbean Using Drones

2016

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“…The flexibility of UAV systems, in particular their utility when used alongside other datasets as part of more complex and targeted research projects, has been visible in a range of recent projects including Sonnemann et al's [20,21] study of Amerindian settlement patterns and social structures, and Jorayev et al's [22] recording of the Olduvai landscape. Both projects illustrated the utility of UAV platforms in remote and difficult-to-reach areas where other data sources or techniques were not available.…”

Section: Uav Survey Image Classification and Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Debitage and Drones: Classifying and Characterising Neolithic Stone Tool Production in the Shetland Islands Using High Resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imagery

Megarry

Graham

Gilhooly

et al. 2018

Drones

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Abstract:The application of high-resolution imagery from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to classify the spatial extent and morphological character of ground and polished stone tool production at quarry sites in the Shetland Islands is explored in this paper. These sites are manifest as dense concentrations of felsite and artefacts clearly visible on the surface of the landscape. Supervised classification techniques are applied to map material extents in detail, while a topological analysis of surface rugosity derived from an image-based modelling (IBM) generated high-resolution elevation model is used to remotely assess the size and morphology of the material. While the approach is unable to directly characterize felsite as debitage, it successfully captured size and morphology, key indicators of archaeological activity. It is proposed that the classification of red, green and blue (RGB) imagery and rugosity analysis derived from IBM from UAV collected photographs can remotely provide data on stone quarrying processes and can act as an invaluable decision support tool for more detailed targeted field characterisation, especially on large sites where material is spread over wide areas. It is suggested that while often available, approaches like this are largely under-utilized, and there is considerable added value to be gained from a more in-depth study of UAV imagery and derived datasets.

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Drones in Archaeology. State‐of‐the‐art and Future Perspectives

Campana

2017

Archaeological Prospection

202

122

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In addition to traditional platforms for low-level remote sensing (balloons, kites, etc.) new and more complex automated systems [unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones] have become available in the last decade. The success and market expansion of these platforms has been a driving force in the development of active and passive sensors specifically designed for UAVs. In the last few years archaeologists have started testing both platforms and sensors, particularly for the following applications: three-dimensional (3D) documentation of archaeological excavations; 3D survey of monuments and historic buildings; survey of archaeological sites and landscapes; exploratory aerial survey; and the archaeological survey of woodland areas. The scale of these applications has ranged from site-based to landscapes-based (approximately up to about 10 km 2 in extent). The role of such platforms in the archaeological survey of excavations and landscapes, and in diagnostics more generally, is of great interest and is inexorably growing. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Key words: UAV archaeology; 3D survey; 3D modelling; aerial reconnaissance; woodland archaeologyThere are no neutral technologies, or, positively put, all technologies are non-neutral … . They are transformational in that they change the quality, field and possibility range of human experience, thus they are non-neutral. (Ihde, 1993: 33) Close-range aerial photographyClose-range aerial photography occupies a relatively small niche in the wide sweep of archaeological remote sensing. In archaeology, as in all other fields of application the first initiative in aerial recording relied on the use of platforms operating at low altitude. Thus, the first aerial photographs, made for a variety of different purposes, were acquired from balloons and kites (Lillesand et al., 2015). The first documented archaeological use of the technique dates to the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with the commissioning by Giacomo Boni for the area of the Foro Romano in Rome, as captured from a tethered balloon in 1900 (Figure 1). Since then, although there has been an extraordinary development of applications and platforms for both aerial and satellite-based recording, the role of lowaltitude aerial photography has remained undiminished in its importance. Moreover, in recent decades, firstly with the advent of digital photography and then of new aerial platforms, this form of remote sensing has seen a further boost in its growth.Over the years archaeologists have developed or borrowed from other fields a wide range of solutions for the photographic recording of archaeological contexts. That said, all the platforms developed over the past century and more retain their own validity, each presenting specific advantages and limitations. Although a comprehensive overview has already been published by Verhoeven (2009a) it is worth presenting here a summary of the available platforms, along with their main merits and disadvantages (Figure 2).(1) Masts, poles, b...

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Applying UAS Photogrammetry to Analyze Spatial Patterns of Indigenous Settlement Sites in the Northern Dominican Republic

Cited by 13 publications

References 13 publications

Mapping Indigenous Settlement Topography in the Caribbean Using Drones

Mapping Indigenous Settlement Topography in the Caribbean Using Drones

Debitage and Drones: Classifying and Characterising Neolithic Stone Tool Production in the Shetland Islands Using High Resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imagery

Drones in Archaeology. State‐of‐the‐art and Future Perspectives

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