The utility of UAVs for archaeological surface survey: A comparative study

Field, Sean; Waite, Matt; Wandsnider, LuAnn

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2017.05.006

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Our UAV of choice was a DJI Phantom 4, part of a line of consumer-grade drones that, equipped with different cameras and sensors, has become very popular for archaeological applications in the last years (Hanus, 2018;Thomas, 2018;Wernke et al, 2017). The DJI Phantom is both easy to operate and reliable; depending on flight altitude and the characteristics of the camera used, it is capable to capture highly detailed conventional digital images with ground resolutions of down to 1 cm (Field et al, 2017). The images were later processed in Agisoft PhotoScan 1.4 in order to produce both orthoimages and 3D models of the two sites.…”

Section: Uav-based Documentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A field experience of documentation and analysis through 3D mapping and surface survey in the Hualfín Valley (Catamarca, Argentina)

Lynch

Parcero‐Oubiña

Fábrega-Álvarez

2020

Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Uav-based Documentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A field experience of documentation and analysis through 3D mapping and surface survey in the Hualfín Valley (Catamarca, Argentina)

Lynch

Parcero‐Oubiña

Fábrega-Álvarez

2020

Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Numerous publications discuss specific segments of the UAV-photogrammetry workflow; for example, flight planning and on-site execution (e.g., Field et al 2017; Hamilton and Stephenson 2016; Nex and Remondino 2014) and the accuracy of the models derived from photogrammetric analysis (e.g., Baliño 2016; Dubbini et al 2016; Harwin and Lucieer 2012; Lo Brutto et al 2014; Martínez-del-Pozo et al 2013; Mesas-Carrascosa et al 2016; Nocerino et al 2013; Ortiz et al 2013). While we appreciate these contributions for the precision, detail, and depth they offer to UAV research, as newcomers to drone-based archaeological survey, we were discouraged by the scarcer availability of publications that pragmatically discuss both field protocols and post-processing workflows to produce the two main outputs of UAV-based survey; namely, (1) digital models of topographic surfaces or monuments, and (2) orthophoto mosaics of excavations and landscapes (but see Chiabrando et al 2011; Fernández-Hernandez et al 2015; Turner et al 2012; Wernke et al 2014).…”

Section: Research Context and Background To Uav Surveymentioning

confidence: 99%

A Beginner's Guide to Mesoscale Survey with Quadrotor-UAV Systems

Olson

Rouse

2018

Adv. archaeol. pract.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Quadrotor-UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) systems are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in archaeological field research for the production of digital elevation models and orthophoto mosaics of sites, monuments, and landscapes. In order to make up for the lack of suitable imagery to use in a larger project on the landscapes surrounding Bronze Age tell sites in the Murghab delta of eastern Turkmenistan, we developed a protocol for the deployment of out-of-the-box UAV systems to document sites and their immediate environs. This article discusses the fundamentals of aerial survey based on our experience deploying a quadrotor UAV, using examples from our case study of the site of Togolok 1. We argue that the approach we developed is particularly useful for mesoscale survey, between 1 and 5 km2, and is particularly useful for producing technical quality outputs, even by relative newcomers to UAV-based aerial survey.

show abstract

“…The flexibility of image-based modelling platforms, tools, and techniques enables the creation of high-quality 3D reconstructions of a various relics and artifacts. The availability of UASs suitable for photogrammetric applications has increased significantly over the past decades, and the technique is well established for topographic mapping and archaeological documentation [9,10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supporting Long-Term Archaeological Research in Southern Romania Chalcolithic Sites Using Multi-Platform UAV Mapping

Stal

Covătaru

Müller

et al. 2022

Drones

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Spatial data play a crucial role in archaeological research, and orthophotos, digital elevation models, and 3D models are frequently used for the mapping, documentation, and monitoring of archaeological sites. Thanks to the availability of compact and low-cost uncrewed airborne vehicles, the use of UAV-based photogrammetry matured in this field over the past two decades. More recently, compact airborne systems are also available that allow the recording of thermal data, multispectral data, and airborne laser scanning. In this article, various platforms and sensors are applied at the Chalcolithic archaeological sites in the Mostiștea Basin and Danube Valley (Southern Romania). By analysing the performance of the systems and the resulting data, insight is given into the selection of the appropriate system for the right application. This analysis requires thorough knowledge of data acquisition and data processing, as well. As both laser scanning and photogrammetry typically result in very large amounts of data, a special focus is also required on the storage and publication of the data. Hence, the objective of this article is to provide a full overview of various aspects of 3D data acquisition for UAV-based mapping. Based on the conclusions drawn in this article, it is stated that photogrammetry and laser scanning can result in data with similar geometrical properties when acquisition parameters are appropriately set. On the one hand, the used ALS-based system outperforms the photogrammetric platforms in terms of operational time and the area covered. On the other hand, conventional photogrammetry provides flexibility that might be required for very low-altitude flights, or emergency mapping. Furthermore, as the used ALS sensor only provides a geometrical representation of the topography, photogrammetric sensors are still required to obtain true colour or false colour composites of the surface. Lastly, the variety of data, such as pre- and post-rendered raster data, 3D models, and point clouds, requires the implementation of multiple methods for the online publication of data. Various client-side and server-side solutions are presented to make the data available for other researchers.

show abstract

The utility of UAVs for archaeological surface survey: A comparative study

Cited by 9 publications

References 4 publications

A field experience of documentation and analysis through 3D mapping and surface survey in the Hualfín Valley (Catamarca, Argentina)

A field experience of documentation and analysis through 3D mapping and surface survey in the Hualfín Valley (Catamarca, Argentina)

A Beginner's Guide to Mesoscale Survey with Quadrotor-UAV Systems

Supporting Long-Term Archaeological Research in Southern Romania Chalcolithic Sites Using Multi-Platform UAV Mapping

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About