UAV (Other Keyword)
1-24 (24 Records)
During the 2016 field season, the Survey and Landscape Archaeology on Montserrat (SLAM) project undertook an intensive micro-landscape survey of targeted areas within the northern and north-central regions of Montserrat. A mountainous, volcanic island of the Lesser Antilles situated within the southeastern Caribbean, pedestrian survey on Montserrat presents a particularly challenging set of logistical difficulties and calls for alternative strategies of data acquisition, especially the use of...
Aerial Remote Sensing For Documenting Fur Trade ‘Cultural Landscapes’ (2021)
This is an abstract from the session entitled "Remote Sensing in Historical Archaeology (General Sessions)" , at the 2021 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. Fur trade posts have long been a focus for Canadian historical archaeology, specifically the compounds that were central to European occupation and commerce. This has constrained interpretation of surrounding hinterlands, and archaeological recognition of Indigenous presence and role. While these shortcomings have...
Amerindian archaeological site DEM construction and analysis from UAV flights (2015)
The archaeological footprint of Caribbean pre-Columbian settlements is often subtle; limited to surface scatter of shell, lithic and ceramic material. In the northern Dominican Republic, slight differences in topography have been identified as additional evidence for Amerindian habitation sites. Circular platforms from 7 to 10 meters in diameter, were dug into the hill slope and levelled to form the base of round houses, as shown in recent excavations by the Nexus1492 project. The terraced...
Architecture in Negative: Mapping Social Space at Carrizales, Peru Using Low Altitude Aerial Photography and Photogrammetry (2015)
In the late 16th century CE, Spanish administrators and clergy sought to reconstitute indigenous Peruvian subjects by forcibly resettling them into planned towns called reducciones. Mapping domestic space in these new settlements (and those that preceded them) has been a crucial element of archaeological research that seeks to understand reduccion's impact on native households. However, on the Peruvian coast, where both late prehispanic and early colonial period domestic structures are dominated...
Drones in the desert: Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle (UAV) survey in the Black Desert, Jordan (2017)
Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and photogrammetry provide a precise tool for high resolution surveys of arid landscapes. In 2016, as part of the Eastern Badia Archaeological Project, we undertook a large survey (32 km2) in the remote Black Desert of eastern Jordan. Although excavation has been ongoing in the survey area for several years, many extant Neolithic structures have not been properly mapped or identified because of the large number of structures and the large scale of the area. For...
Groundtruthing from the Air: Reconstructing Tribal Agricultural and Landscape Systems in the Lower Chama Valley, New Mexico Using Low Elevation UAV Technology. (2015)
Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are changing the way that archaeologists conduct fieldwork with Native American Tribes. We present an application of UAV mapping and visualization technology in a combined boots-on-the-ground and satellite reconnaissance of Classic period (A.D. 1350-1600) ancestral Pueblo sites and agricultural systems. This approach reduced field time and enhanced efficiency in the identification and recordation of regionally extensive prehistoric features at a level of...
Mapping and 3D Modeling of a Terminal Postclassic Site in the Northern Yucatán (2017)
During our 2016 field season, we mapped and created 3D models of several sites in the Northern Yucatán that were scheduled for destruction due to highway expansion. We used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones) to carry photographic equipment to collect both vertical and oblique photos of the site. The resulting photos were processed in photogrammetric software to generate an orthorectified photo mosaic and a 3D model of the entire area. These products were integrated into a GIS to facilitate...
Mapping and 3D Modeling of Mayapán's Monumental Center (2017)
During our 2016 field season, we mapped and created 3D models of Mayapán's monumental center and several major architectural features. Located in the Northern Yucatán approximately 40km south of Modern Mérida, Mexico, Mayapán was the largest ancient Maya political capital of the Postclassic Period and was one of the most densely nucleated of all Maya cities. It was a key center of political, religious, and economic activity. Mayapán's monumental zone is relatively small, but contains a dense...
Mapping Mayapán’s Archaeological Remains and Environmental Characteristics Using UAVs and Photogrammetric Software (2016)
The integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and photogrammetric data processing into existing field techniques simplifies and accelerates mapping and environmental reconstruction. Ongoing investigations in and around Mayapán face the common challenge of mapping archaeological and environmental features and attributes in the context of difficult terrain and dense surface cover. The 2015 field season depended on UAV photography and photogrammetric processing for site and excavation photos...
Multispectral Photogrammetry of Cultural Landscapes on the Northern Plains from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Platforms (2017)
As early adopters of technology, especially for creating accurate maps, archaeologists have been using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to discover and record archaeological features, landscapes and excavations since they became commercially available. This project tested the use of visual (RGB), near-infrared (NIR) and thermal sensors mounted on UAV platforms (fixed wing and multi-rotor) to discover and record archaeological features in their landscape context with georeferenced, high resolution...
Navigating the FAA’s Turbulent Airspace in the United States regarding UAVs (2015)
There has been a significant increase in the use of UAVs throughout the world to aid in archaeological investigations. Unfortunately the current U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has enforced strict policies that prohibit most institutions and private firms to use these aerial vehicles. As a result archaeologists in the United States are falling behind in implementing an important tool in archaeological reconnaissance. This paper outlines the progress made thus far by the FAA to reform these...
Rapid Survey, Salvage, and Mapping Using Drones in an Ancient Maya Landscape: New Settlement Revealed at the Crossroads of Saturday Creek, Belize (2015)
Saturday Creek is a sizeable Maya site center with an elite residence, three large pyramids, and two ballcourts. While much of the site core is in bush, most of the surrounding area has been cleared for agriculture. While the clearing makes for good visibility, the hinterland settlement has been subject to extensive bulldozing, repeated plowing, and removal of stone over the years, obscuring the smaller mounds and making it difficult to discern them on the ground. In less than two days, we flew...
Rethinking Site Survey: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Site Modeling and Prediction in a Hazardous Environment (2024)
This is an abstract from the "Fulfilling a Nation’s Promise: The Search, Recovery, and Accounting Efforts of DPAA and Its Partners" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Hazardous and difficult-to-navigate terrain often impedes investigation and recovery of missing individuals in forensic archaeological contexts. Here we discuss novel solutions at one such site, a 1,750 m high sheer limestone cliff in Southeast Asia. In addition to the difficult terrain,...
Small commercial aerial platforms for the generation of systematic, high-resolution, multi-spectral imagery and photogrammetry: Trimble UX5 and X100 (2015)
In the last 5 years, the commercial availability of embedded computer systems and low-cost hardware has led to an explosion of lightweight aerial platforms for photography. Offering multispectral imaging with outstanding spatial resolutions, these platforms offer researchers an inexpensive means of systematically documenting the archaeological record on the scale of landscapes. Through our exploration of hobby-class vehicles and the Trimble X100 and UX5 aerial platforms, we learned that the...
UAV LiDAR Survey at La Soye, Dominica (2023)
This is an abstract from the session entitled "Colonial Encounters on the Caribbean Frontier: Archaeology at LaSoye, Dominica", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. A UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) LiDAR survey was conducted along the shore and land adjacent to the La Soye site in the Woodford Hills area of Dominica. This survey is part of the broader exploration of colonial encounters (indigenous Kalinago and European Traders) on the Caribbean Frontier. The...
UAV-based 3D Modeling of Excavations in Mayapán’s Periphery (2017)
During our 2015 and 2016 field seasons, we mapped and created 3D models of numerous excavation sites in the region surrounding Mayapán in the Northern Yucatán. Complete horizontal excavations of several rural house groups were conducted. We used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones) to carry photographic equipment to collect both vertical and oblique photos as well as videos. The resulting images were processed in photogrammetric software to generate orthorectified airphoto mosaics and 3D...
UAV-based Mapping and 3D Modeling of Maya Sites in the Northern Yucatán (2017)
During our 2015 and 2016 field seasons, we mapped and created 3D models of numerous excavation sites in the Northern Yucatán. Several of these sites are located in Mayapan’s periphery and many were scheduled for destruction due to highway expansion. We used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones) to carry photographic equipment to collect both vertical and oblique photos as well as videos. In several areas we used both visible light and a near-infrared (NIR) cameras. The resulting images were...
UAV-Based Mapping and Public Outreach at Blackwater Draw (2018)
Remote sensing has dramatically changed the way we collect data at archaeological sites, and has added new and innovative methodologies to our fieldwork. It has also facilitated greater public engagement by making archaeology more accessible – this is especially true of sites that are considered remote or difficult to access because of challenging terrain. As part of the public outreach initiative of the new Blackwater Draw Museum and its associated website, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)...
UAVs at Ruwayda, Qatar: photogrammetry and thermal imaging for feature detection and site recording (2015)
As part of the "Visualizing Qatars Past" project, drones are being used at the Islamic Period site of Ruwayda, on the north coast of Qatar, to document extant structures and investigate buried features. A Microdrone equipped with visible light, near infrared, and thermal sensors was used to document the fort and surrounding areas. By combining thermal imaging of the site with photogrammetric mapping, it was possible to identify architecture in and around the site that is difficult or impossible...
UAVs for archaeology: the sky is the limit (2016)
The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) has seen a tremendous development over the last decade. The department of Geography of Ghent University has deployed these platforms to perform high-level research on the modelling of cultural heritage. The selection of a suitable system was mainly based on compactness and flexibility in terms of transportation and deployment, as well as cost-efficiency. The platform was deployed in various international field campaigns. The first campaign’s objective...
UAVs in Historic Archaeology: Case Studies from Virginia City and Aurora, Nevada (2016)
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or ‘drones’ are an emerging technology for use in archaeological investigation. With UAVs, it is possible to capture a series of high-resolution images capable of creating photogrammetric 3D models at a very low cost. Recently, I have undertaken two projects in Nevada that demonstrate the usefulness of UAV technology in Historic Archaeology. Using a UAV, I collected sequences of images from both Virginia City and Aurora, Nevada. Using photogrammetric software, the...
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Archaeological Survey: Results from Portugal and Mozambique (2015)
Any technological advance that can save archaeologists time, money and manpower should be explored thoroughly. This poster presents the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or Drones, as a supplemental tool to traditional archaeological survey. Examples from Portugal and Mozambique are included to give visual representations of the possible uses of drone technologies. We used a commercially-available Phantom 2 quadcopter with a GoPro camera for coastal survey in Praia Ray Cortico, Portugal....
Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Aerial Photogrammetry on the San Diego Coastline (2015)
Developments in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) over the past five years have allowed for their use among non-experts and the rapid development, at relatively low cost, of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) or drones. UASs use the UAV platform to carry a variety of sensors. One of the most important developments coming from this technology is the ability to collect aerial photos for photogrammetry at relatively low cost. In an effort to better understand the uses, practical issues of operation, and...
Utility of low-cost drones to generate 3D models of archaeological sites from multisensory data (2015)
With the emergence of low-cost multicopters on the market, archaeologists have rapidly integrated aerial imaging and photogrammetry with more traditional methods of site documentation. UAVs serve as simple yet transformative tools that can rapidly map archaeological sites with increased efficiency and higher resolution than manual measurements while contextualizing the site within the landscape at costs significantly cheaper than plane-based aerial LIDAR systems. Though structure from motion...