Recovering a Black Cemetery: Automated Mapping of Hidden Gravesites Using an sUAV and GIS in East End Cemetery, Richmond, VA

Spera, Stephanie A.; Franklin, Matthew S.; Zizzamia, Elizabeth A.; Smith, Ryan K.

doi:10.1007/s10761-021-00642-3

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The raw drone data, taken from an elevation of about 130 ft (40 m), in the visible spectrum, was processed using ArcGIS software developed by Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri, formerly ESRI). This methodology was previously used by co-author M.S.F., in researching neglected Black cemeteries in Richmond, VA., by creating various 'synthetic images' (especially hillshade) for 'enhanced visualization' and analysis (4). Examples of the results in this application are presented in Results and Discussion, amply demonstrating the value of this technology.…”

Section: Data-processing -Visiblementioning

confidence: 93%

Re-Visiting Viking Vinland: II. 'Virtual Excavation' of 'Keelness', a Viking Shipwreck Site in North America

Haynes¹,

Franklin²,

Goosney³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The series of papers, 'Re-Visiting Viking Vinland', encompasses a re-evaluation of the Viking voyages from Greenland to North America, from about 985 to 1026 A.D. Searching for their American landfalls used multiple approaches: clues from Norse sagas, logic, creative imagination, and advanced imaging technology. Paper I described locating 'Keelness', a Viking shipwreck site in Newfoundland, Canada, but Covid-19 prevented professional, on-site follow-up. Paper II describes our alternative, a 'virtual excavation', using only remote imaging via drone, plus advanced data-processing of both visible and thermal (infrared) data. Starting with the 'stocks', a support structure for Viking ship repair, other features were accidentally found, identified, and interpreted. These included damaged hull planks ('strakes'), parts of the broken keel, a pit-house for shelter, and the hole where a keel-piece was erected as a navigational marker; with the site named (Norse, 'Kjalarnes') ('Keelness' or Keel Point). Results of this non-contact, non-destructive 'virtual excavation' supported our hypothesis that this site is the 'Keelness' mentioned in the Norse sagas. Fragments of Leif Eriksson's original ship may still be preserved in a sphagnum moss bog after 1000 years, accessible for further study, and perhaps providing valuable information on both provenience (origin) and provenance (history) of these iconic artifacts.

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Section: Data-processing -Visiblementioning

confidence: 93%

Re-Visiting Viking Vinland: II. 'Virtual Excavation' of 'Keelness', a Viking Shipwreck Site in North America

Haynes¹,

Franklin²,

Goosney³

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While this data source may be of minimal utility in settings with accurate vital events registration, elsewhere, and especially in hard-to-access locations, it is potentially valuable to generate robust estimates of mortality and excess mortality due to crises or other public health threats, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and thereby illuminate the true toll of these events in terms of its sheerest metric, namely human survival. Combinations of satellite imagery, ground observations and drone photography have been used recently to quantify old graves in the United States [34] and document potential war crimes in Syria [35] and Ukraine [36]. Contrary to a pilot study in Aden [17], but consistent with subsequent experience in Mogadishu, Somalia [20], this study presented numerous challenges with identification of cemeteries, quality image availability and geospatial analysis, which, taken together, impeded our original objective of countrywide, representative estimation.…”

Section: Main Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population mortality before and during armed conflict in Yemen: geospatial and statistical analysis of cemetery data

Checchi,

Besson,

Ali

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Since 2014, Yemen is affected by crisis conditions due to armed conflict. Evidence on the impact of this large-scale crisis on mortality is lacking. We analysed archive very high-resolution satellite imagery from a sample of Yemeni subdistricts to quantify changes in burial incidence attributable to the crisis. We identified possible cemeteries through remote and ground sources in 24 sampled subdistricts. After initial triage and extensive steps to improve the interpretability of archive imagery spanning the period 2011 to 2021, a pool of crowd workers, supervised by expert analysts and aided by an automated algorithm, annotated surface area and grave counts in sequential images from a set of analysis-eligible cemeteries. We complemented these longitudinal observations with data on different predictors including three crisis proxies (incidence of insecurity events, price of staple cereal, internal displacement), and fitted statistical models to compare predicted burials under observed and assumed counterfactual (no crisis) conditions. We identified 561 potential cemeteries within 24 sampled subdistricts, but excluded most due to inability to geolocate them or see the cemetery and/or graves in available imagery, yielding an effective sample of 110 image observations across 35 cemeteries in 10 subdistricts. Burial rate generally decreased between 2014-2018 and rose sharply thereafter. Alternative regression models suggested that most cemeteries would have experienced lower burial rate under non-crisis conditions, with a crisis to non-crisis ratio of about two overall. The incidence of insecurity events appeared positively associated with burial rate. This unprecedented-scale geospatial analysis of cemeteries suggests an increase in burial rates attributable to crisis conditions in a non-representative, disproportionately urban sample of Yemen. The study identifies key challenges of such an analysis. We discuss possible methodological ways forward to further explore the feasibility and validity of this option for mortality estimation in settings with insufficient vital events registration and limited ground access.

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“…To confirm the satellite image, we turned to drone imagery, controlled from a public right-of-way to protect the physical integrity of the site, and respect Newfoundland's laws and regulations. The scans were conducted in a manner similar to that described in Spera et.al, (2022) (5). After seeing a suspicious satellite image of parallel lines, we took heed of another recent attempt at locating a Viking site in Newfoundland.…”

Section: Remote Sensing -Dronementioning

confidence: 99%

Re-Visiting Viking Vinland: I. Locating 'Keelness', a Viking Shipwreck Site in North America

Haynes¹

2022

Preprint

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The series 'Re-Visiting Viking Vinland' describe re-evaluation of Viking voyages from Greenland to North America, from about 985 to 1026 A.D. American landfalls were located using clues from Norse sagas, logic, creative imagination, and advanced imaging technology. Paper I describes a dramatic voyage of Leif Eriksson's brother, Thorvald, during the second of four successful 'Vinland' voyages. Thorvald borrowed Leif's ship for further exploration, was caught in a storm, "shattering" the keel, and disabling the ship. In Greenlanders' Saga: "They had to stay there for a long time while they repaired the ship. Thorvald said to his companions, 'I want to erect the old keel here on the headland and call the place Kjalarnes (Keelness)". Where was Keelness? Re-imagining the voyage, the search led from 'Leif's Booths', Leif's original 'Vinland' site in New Brunswick, Canada, to the north coast of Newfoundland. Using logic, a single satellite image, and follow-up drone scans, the Keelness site was found, very near L'Anse aux Meadows, the first authenticated Viking site in North America. Covid-19 restrictions, and lack of certified professionals, precluded site-visits or excavation. Advanced data-processing of drone data was used to confirm the site, while unexpectedly revealing several distinctive ship-repair features; with visible and thermal imaging supporting this site as 'Keelness'; perhaps the first Viking site unequivocally named in the Vinland sagas.

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Recovering a Black Cemetery: Automated Mapping of Hidden Gravesites Using an sUAV and GIS in East End Cemetery, Richmond, VA

Cited by 5 publications

References 16 publications

Re-Visiting Viking Vinland: II. 'Virtual Excavation' of 'Keelness', a Viking Shipwreck Site in North America

Re-Visiting Viking Vinland: II. 'Virtual Excavation' of 'Keelness', a Viking Shipwreck Site in North America

Population mortality before and during armed conflict in Yemen: geospatial and statistical analysis of cemetery data

Re-Visiting Viking Vinland: I. Locating 'Keelness', a Viking Shipwreck Site in North America

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