What Lies Beyond Sight? Applications of Ultraportable Hyperspectral Imaging (VIS-NIR) for Archaeological Fieldwork

Abstract

Hyperspectral imaging is a widespread non-destructive analytical technique used in various disciplines for highlighting invisible patterns and mapping the spectral signatures of selected targets. In archaeology, it has been mostly applied for remote sensing satellite imagery to disclose information about features that are hidden undergrounds. Targeted applications of hyperspectral imaging have been developed in the last few years, opening up new perspectives for material analysis based on spectral mapping. Recent advances in portable instrumentation have led to the development of small and rugged cameras that can be used directly in the field for investigating different targets. This paper discusses the use of a small ultraportable hyperspectral camera in the VIS-NIR range for archaeological fieldwork with regards to hardware, data processing workflows, and spectral information that can be used for the better planning of research and for in situ screening.

Integration of Remote-Sensing Techniques for the Preventive Conservation of Paleolithic Cave Art in the Karst of the Altamira Cave

“…Recently, remote-sensing techniques have been used for underground cultural heritage sites to improve traditional documentation such as terrestrial photogrammetry [1][2][3][4], to create orthoimages series and virtual reality scenarios [5][6][7][8][9], and in the case of hyperspectral remote-sensing, to recover rock-art paintings invisible to the naked eye or covered by calcite, dirt, or soot [10][11][12][13][14][15][16], which are themselves helpful for understanding the stratigraphy of the rock art panel [17][18][19][20].…”