Archaeological Surveys on the German North Sea Coast Using High-Resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar Data

Abstract

ABSTRACT:We show that high-resolution space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery with pixel sizes well below 1 m² can be used to complement archaeological surveys in areas that are difficult to access. After major storm surges in the 14 th and 17 th centuries, vast areas on the German North Sea coast were lost to the sea. Areas of former settlements and historical land use were buried under sediments for centuries, but when the surface layer is driven away under the permanent action of wind, currents, and waves, they appear again on the Wadden Sea surface. However, the frequent flooding and erosion of the intertidal flats make any archaeological monitoring a difficult task, so that remote sensing techniques appear to be an efficient and cost-effective instrument for any archaeological surveillance of that area. Space-borne SAR images clearly show remnants of farmhouse foundations and of former systems of ditches, dating back to the 14 th and to the 16 th /17 th centuries. In particular, the very high-resolution acquisition ('staring spotlight') mode of the German TerraSAR/ TanDEM-X satellites allows for the detection of various kinds of residuals of historical land use with high precision. In addition, we also investigate the capability of SARs working at lower microwave frequencies (on Radarsat-2) to complement our archaeological survey of historical cultural traces, some of which have been unknown so far.

SAR Imaging of Archaeological Sites on Intertidal Flats in the German Wadden Sea

“…However, under the permanent action of the tidal forces the muddy and sandy marine sediments are partly driven away, and traces of former peat digging, drainage systems, and settlements appear again on the surface of the intertidal flats [3]. Since those areas are difficult to reach, and thus to observe from ground, airborne sensors have proven to be advantageous for a systematic observation of those historic places [4,5]. Airborne surveillance, however, is cost-intensive and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) is prohibited in the National Park (to which the study area belongs).…”