Detection of Archaeological Residues in Vegetated Areas Using Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar

Stewart, Christopher

doi:10.3390/rs9020118

Cited by 31 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…SAR data have been then used for archaeological feature extraction, by interpreting backscattering anomalies due to differences in the dielectric properties, humidity, vegetation coverage, roughness and orientation of the archaeological features. The SAR data used are Cosmo SkyMed in Stripmaps HIMAGE mode (3X3 m pixel), filtered on the random multiplicative noise (speckle caused by multiple backscatter sources) with multi-looking filters (Stewart, 2017) and Gamma and Gaussian Filtering. The Intensity Processing stacking of SARScape have been followed, that is a combination of single and multiple ANLD and De Grandi Spatio-temporal Filterings.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient Mining Landscapes and Habitative Sceneries in the Urban Area of Centocelle: Geomatic Applications for Their Identification, Measurement, Documentation and Monitoring

Celauro

Marsella

D’Aranno

et al. 2019

Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci.

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<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> This study, focused on the Archaeological Park of Centocelle, was carried out to test the functionality of different geomatic products for the identification and monitoring of complex archaeological evidences in urban areas. The method proposes a better knowledge of the archaeological context as a tool to favour a better protection, allowing the establishment of limits to urban enlargement in areas of respect. The test area is chosen because of the combined presence of hypogeal evidences related to Roman and pre-Roman exploitation of local litotypes and for the dense presence of archaeological vestiges at its surface, related to the inhabitation function of the zone in a period contemporaneous to the beginning of the quarrying activities. The methods used are the digital photogrammetry, 3D modelling, remote sensing interpretation and digital cartography. The protocol is then customized for the peculiarities of the area under study, considering both the underground structures and the ones at the surface. Archaeological features are identified by processing optical and SAR dataset to enhance the contrast of archaeological features from the background. Historical and recent DSM have been then compared to evaluate the evolutions of local topography. Concerning the study of the subterranean quarrying system in the area, a 3D model of one gallery was produced, with the aim to understand the type of ancient exploitation. A DTM of the toolmarks was then produced to understand the technological skills used for the exploitation of the local tuff and used as an indirect proof for chronological interpretation. A final trial of PSInSAR was addressed to test the method for monitoring the hypogeal levels. Several field prospections were executed, in order to first set the method properly and then validate the results.</p>

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient Mining Landscapes and Habitative Sceneries in the Urban Area of Centocelle: Geomatic Applications for Their Identification, Measurement, Documentation and Monitoring

Celauro

Marsella

D’Aranno

et al. 2019

Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci.

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“…In the context of site condition assessment and monitoring of landscape disturbance, it is worth mentioning the potential use of interferometric coherence to identify archaeological residues in vegetated areas [22].…”

Section: Condition Assessment and Monitoring Of Landscape Disturbancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, knowledge of the crop type and height would be advantageous to establish a correlation between the observed coherence and crops. If the residues are located in topographic depressions, coherence anomalies could be the result of topography-induced moisture and soil differences resulting in differential vegetation growth [22]. A combined analysis of radar backscatter anomalies is always recommended, in order to search for association with coherent patterns.…”

Section: Condition Assessment and Monitoring Of Landscape Disturbancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chen et al [21] were the first to analyse COSMO-SkyMed data in different contexts and environmental conditions, in particular to detect archaeological marks that they proposed to categorize as "shadow marks", "crop marks" and "soil and damp marks". Stewart [22] investigated the potential use of interferometric coherence to identify archaeological residues in vegetated areas. In the framework of a case study in Spain, Monterroso Checa and Martínez Reche [23] found examples where soil moisture contributed to the visibility of archaeological Roman features in COSMO-SkyMed images that were used to survey a large rural landscape.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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COSMO-SkyMed SAR for Detection and Monitoring of Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Sites

Tapete

Cigna

2019

Remote Sensing

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Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery has long been used in archaeology since the earliest space radar missions in the 1980s. In the current scenario of SAR missions, the Italian Space Agency (ASI)’s COnstellation of small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation (COSMO-SkyMed) has peculiar properties that make this mission of potential use by archaeologists and heritage practitioners: high to very high spatial resolution, site revisit of up to one day, and conspicuous image archives over cultural heritage sites across the globe. While recent literature and the number of research projects using COSMO-SkyMed data for science and applied research suggest a growing interest in these data, it is felt that COSMO-SkyMed still needs to be further disseminated across the archaeological remote sensing community. This paper therefore offers a portfolio of use-cases that were developed in the last two years in the Scientific Research Unit of ASI, where COSMO-SkyMed data were analysed to study and monitor cultural landscapes and heritage sites. SAR-based applications in archaeological and cultural heritage sites in Peru, Syria, Italy, and Iraq, provide evidence on how subsurface and buried features can be detected by interpreting SAR backscatter, its spatial and temporal changes, and interferometric coherence, and how SAR-derived digital elevation models (DEM) can be used to survey surface archaeological features. The use-cases also showcase how high temporal revisit SAR time series can support environmental monitoring of land surface processes, and condition assessment of archaeological heritage and landscape disturbance due to anthropogenic impact (e.g., agriculture, mining, looting). For the first time, this paper provides an overview of the capabilities of COSMO-SkyMed imagery in StripMap Himage and Spotlight-2 mode to support archaeological studies, with the aim to encourage remote sensing scientists and archaeologists to search for and exploit these data for their investigations and research activities. Furthermore, some considerations are made with regard to the perspectives opened by the upcoming launch of ASI’s COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation constellation.

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“…Furthermore, weak archaeological signatures have been further enhanced by approaches based on multi‐temporal averaging (Chen, Jiang, et al, ). With respect to vegetation archaeological proxy indicators, a significant contribution has been recently provided by Stewart () and Jiang et al ().…”

Section: Overview Of Sar Remote Sensing In Cultural Heritage Applicatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unique performance of spaceborne SAR remote sensing in cultural heritage applications: Overviews and perspectives

Chen

You

Tang

et al. 2017

Archaeological Prospection

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To be an innovative remote sensing technology, spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is increasingly recognized as an irreplaceable tool in cultural heritage applications, such as archaeological prospection for the discovery of new sites and monument monitoring and management, taking advantage of observation capabilities independent of sun illumination and weather conditions. In this paper, we firstly give a synoptic overview for the state-of-art of spaceborne SAR technology in cultural heritage applications. Then, the unique performance of SAR compared with optical approaches, including subsurface imaging and interferometry, is objectively exploited and assessed using simulations and case studies. Simulations indicated that long wavelength SAR is promising in the detection of relics with an extended geometric dimension, particularly when the performance of tomographic SAR (TomoSAR) in subsurface imaging is optimized. However, case studies proved that interferometic SAR (InSAR) is useful for landscape archaeology by producing digital elevation models as well as for risk monitoring and preventive diagnosis of cultural properties using motion indicators. This study showed the potentialities of spaceborne SAR applications in cultural heritage, with particular reference to TomoSAR and differential TomoSAR (D-TomoSAR).

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Detection of Archaeological Residues in Vegetated Areas Using Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar

Cited by 31 publications

References 49 publications

Ancient Mining Landscapes and Habitative Sceneries in the Urban Area of Centocelle: Geomatic Applications for Their Identification, Measurement, Documentation and Monitoring

Ancient Mining Landscapes and Habitative Sceneries in the Urban Area of Centocelle: Geomatic Applications for Their Identification, Measurement, Documentation and Monitoring

COSMO-SkyMed SAR for Detection and Monitoring of Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Sites

Unique performance of spaceborne SAR remote sensing in cultural heritage applications: Overviews and perspectives

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