Between Land and Sea: An Airborne LiDAR Field Survey to Detect Ancient Sites in the Chekka Region/Lebanon Using Spatial Analyses

Abstract

The interdisciplinary project “Between Land and Sea” combines geological, geomorphological and paleo-environmental approaches to identify archaeological remains of the Chekka region (Lebanon). In order to record the topography of this area, the first ever scientific airborne LiDAR data acquisition in Lebanon was conducted in autumn 2018. This work describes not only the acquisition and processing of the LiDAR data, but also the attempt to derive possible archaeological sites from the generated elevation model based on methods for spatial analysis. Using an “inverted mound” (iMound) algorithm, areas of possible settlement structures could be identified, which were classified regarding their probability of a possible ancient site using a deductive predictive model. A preliminary validation of some of the detected favoured areas using high-resolution aerial images has shown that the methods applied can provide hints to previously undiscovered sites. It was possible to identify probable ancient wall remains at several detected locations. In addition, least-cost path analyses were performed to reconstruct possible trade and transport routes from the Lebanon Mountains to the Mediterranean coast. The combination of the results of the iMound detection and classification as well as the calculated path system could point to the strategic location of the modern village of Kfar Hazir as a kind of traffic junction. Moreover, reconstructed main transport routes provide indications of heavily frequented roads and may form the basis for further investigations. To validate the results, upcoming field surveys will be realized on site.

Documentation of Archaeology-Specific Workflow for Airborne LiDAR Data Processing

“…With a combination of perception and comprehension [3,4] archaeologists interpret enhanced visualizations of high-resolution raster elevation models that have been interpolated from processed airborne LiDAR data. The results have proven to be an excellent tool for detecting archaeological features worldwide, especially in forested areas, e.g., recently, [5][6][7][8][9]. More importantly, mapping of features makes it possible to develop a more profound understanding of the archaeological landscapes [10].…”

Locating Charcoal Production Sites in Sweden Using LiDAR, Hydrological Algorithms, and Deep Learning

“…This means that there is likely to be a plethora of historical records that can be processed in order to reach conclusions on organization, as well as economic and social aspects of charcoal production. Moreover, spatial analyses of the locations of these charcoal piles remain an unexplored research topic, and having a more comprehensive record of the geographic distribution of charcoal piles could be achieved using the data generated from automated LiDAR analyses (e.g., [42,43,49,50]). Where clusters of charcoal pits remain, future work can also investigate if other constructions related to charcoal production, such as huts and storage piles, are located nearby, and attempts to automate the detection of these features can form future research objectives.…”

“…Depression algorithms have been utilized by archaeologists for a range of purposes from crater detection to mound and shipwreck identification [27,[40][41][42][43]. In the past several years, researchers developed a depression algorithm designed for sinkhole detection that works using a contour-tree procedure [44] wherein a computer looks for changes in elevation contours to locate high and low points in a region.…”

Survey Archaeology in the Mediterranean World: Regional Traditions and Contributions to Long-Term History

“…More recently, survey has also begun in the southern coastal zone near Sidon as part of the Zahrani Regional Survey Project (Schmitt et al 2019), which similarly revealed dense Roman and Mamluk/Ottoman period occupation. In the northern Chekka region, a large-scale lidar-led survey identified 590 mound sites of potential archaeological interest across an area of 290 km 2 (Rom et al 2020). While ground truthing remains an essential component of any remote sensing study, the potential for mapping and initial discovery is clear, especially in areas that are difficult to access.…”