Mapping an ancient city with a century of remotely sensed data

Abstract

SignificanceUnderstanding how people in the past adapted to environmental and economic challenges can help us anticipate and meet these challenges in the present. However, these very processes threaten the physical remains embodying this information worldwide: Urban expansion and resource exploitation mean that the quantity and quality of archaeological information are diminishing daily. In this work, we demonstrate how multitemporal aerial photography and modern airborne laser scanning are invaluable tools for mapping the remaining archaeological features extant in the present and for adding context to them from what has been lost. This knowledge enables cultural heritage administrators and archaeologists to actively monitor, understand, and manage the existing remains to make sure important information is not lost to posterity.

Management of water resources over time in semiarid regions: The case of Gerasa/Jerash in Jordan

“…Several publications are furthermore available open access. 8 Two recent publications stemming from the project should be highlighted having pioneered new ways of presenting complex data spanning more than a millennium: Stott, Kristiansen, Lichtenberger, and Raja (2018) and Lichtenberger, Raja, Seland, Kinnaird, and Simpson (2019). 9 Kraeling (1938a) holds an array of references to water management installations, too many to cite here, among these water pipes, cisterns, the Nymphaeum, as well as installations pertaining to the baths of the city as well as the management installations relating to the river's water.…”

“…10 Much of this research has been summed up in Lichtenberger and Raja (2016a). 11 See Boyer (2016a); Boyer (2016b); Boyer (2018), as well as Stott et al (2018);. 12 Lichtenberger (Forthcoming).…”

“…Two recent publications stemming from the project should be highlighted having pioneered new ways of presenting complex data spanning more than a millennium: Stott, Kristiansen, Lichtenberger, and Raja () and Lichtenberger, Raja, Seland, Kinnaird, and Simpson ().…”

“…See Stott et al () for a study which integrates modern data with older plans and aerial photographs in order to move forward the understanding of changing landscapes and aspects of water management as well. See in particular pages 4–7 for discussion of water management structures.…”

Global-Scale Archaeological Prospection using CORONA Satellite Imagery: Automated, Crowd-Sourced, and Expert-led Approaches

“…Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented transformation in the availability, diversity, and quality of space-and aircraft-acquired imagery, offering a dizzying range of new opportunities for discovery and interpretation of archaeological landscapes (Bevan 2015;McCoy 2017;Opitz and Herrmann 2018). Over the past decade, commercially-acquired high-resolution visible light and near-infrared optical imagery has become increasingly easy for archaeologists to access (e.g., Stott et al 2018;Kennedy and Bishop 2011;Masini 2007, 2011;Salvi et al 2011;Stone 2008). Google Earth and other web-mapping online resources first appeared just over a decade ago and have been used successfully as research tools by many archaeologists, but over the past few years researchers have begun to gain access to large imagery archives via government agencies or private foundations (e.g., Danti, Branting, and Penacho 2017;Rayne et al 2017).…”