UAV-Based Mapping and Public Outreach at Blackwater Draw

Summary

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) mapping project was undertaken to provide a layered interpretive experience for visitors. Visitors are only able to physically access limited areas of the archaeological site due to a variety of factors, most importantly their own safety and the safety of our archaeological resources. As a result of the UAV mapping project, the public, students, and researchers alike will able to digitally access and explore the terrain outside of the marked roads. In this manner they will have the unique experience of seeing archaeology through an archaeologist’s eyes, and be better equipped to understand the data collected throughout the site’s history.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21766