Multitemporal 2016-2018 Sentinel-2 Data Enhancement for Landscape Archaeology: The Case Study of the Foggia Province, Southern Italy

Abstract

This paper is focused on the use of satellite Sentinel-2 data for assessing their capability in the identification of archaeological buried remains. We selected the "Tavoliere delle Puglie" (Foggia, Italy) as a test area because it is characterized by a long human frequentation and is very rich in archaeological remains. The investigations were performed using multi-temporal Sentinel-2 data and spectral indices, commonly used in satellite-based archaeology, and herein analyzed in known archaeological areas to capture the spectral signatures of soil and crop marks and characterize their temporal behavior using Time Series Analysis and Spectral Un-mixing. Tasseled Cap Transformation and Principal Component Analysis have been also adopted to enhance archaeological features. Results from investigations were compared with independent data sources and enabled us to (i) characterize the spectral signatures of soil and crop marks, (ii) assess the performance of the diverse spectral channels and indices, and (iii) identify the best period of the year to capture the archaeological proxy indicators. Additional very important results of our investigations were (i) the discovery of unknown archaeological areas and (ii) the setup of a database of archaeological features devised ad hoc to characterize and categorize the diverse typologies of archaeological remains detected using Sentinel-2 Data.

SAR Sentinel 1 Imaging and Detection of Palaeo-Landscape Features in the Mediterranean Area

“…The SAR data were used with S-2 data to trace the network of palaeo-rivers, communication routes, and Neolithic settlements, using as a test-area the area north-west of Foggia, known for the presence of ancient remains [66] (Figure 8). Comparing S-1 and S-2 data, it is possible to clearly observe the palaeo-hydrographic features from S-1 (Figure 8a), due to changes in the moisture content, and the same palaeo-hydrographic Comparing S-1 and S-2 data, it is possible to clearly observe the palaeo-hydrographic features from S-1 (Figure 8a), due to changes in the moisture content, and the same palaeo-hydrographic features from the soil map (Figure 8b) obtained from S-2 [58] due to changes in moisture content and also probably due to soil organic nutrients.…”

“…In order to make the interpretation of S-1 data easier, the SAR data set related to 2019 were compared with the 2019 multi-date S-2-data set elaborated as detailed in [58] (Figure 4).…”

“…In order to make the interpretation of S-1 data easier, the SAR data set related to 2019 were compared with the 2019 multi-date S-2-data set elaborated as detailed in [58] (Figure 4). It is important to consider that the whole area under investigation is classified as arable land in the Corine land cover [59] and devoted to agricultural activities, mainly cereal crops.…”

“…SAR analysis conducted in the study area using Sentinel-1 data allowed us to assess the potential of this tool, thanks to the integration of data obtained with multispectral/multitemporal images obtained from Sentinel-2 [58] and ancillary data from bibliography and other sources.…”

“…The importance of an integrated approach of S-1 and S-2 for archaeology has been seen in the comparison of Sentinel data with high-resolution data on Google Earth (Figure 9). features from the soil map (Figure 8b) obtained from S-2 [58] due to changes in moisture content and also probably due to soil organic nutrients. The importance of an integrated approach of S-1 and S-2 for archaeology has been seen in the comparison of Sentinel data with high-resolution data on Google Earth (Figure 9).…”