Research

19 pages, 21991 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Robust and Versatile Pipeline for Automatic Photogrammetric-Based Registration of Multimodal Cultural Heritage Documentation

by Anthony Pamart, François Morlet, Livio De Luca and Philippe Veron

Remote Sens. 2020, 12(12), 2051; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12122051 - 25 Jun 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2981

Abstract

Imaging techniques and Image Based-Modeling (IBM) practices in the field of Cultural Heritage (CH) studies are nowadays no longer used as one-shot applications but as various and complex scenarios involving multiple modalities; sensors, scales, spectral bands and temporalities utilized by various experts. Current [...] Read more.

Imaging techniques and Image Based-Modeling (IBM) practices in the field of Cultural Heritage (CH) studies are nowadays no longer used as one-shot applications but as various and complex scenarios involving multiple modalities; sensors, scales, spectral bands and temporalities utilized by various experts. Current use of Structure from Motion and photogrammetric methods necessitates some improvements in iterative registration to ease the growing complexity in the management of the scientific imaging applied on heritage assets. In this context, the co-registration of photo-documentation among other imaging resources is a key step in order to move towards data fusion and collaborative semantic enrichment scenarios. This paper presents the recent development of a Totally Automated Co-registration and Orientation library (TACO) based on the interoperability of open-source solutions to conduct photogrammetric-based registration. The proposed methodology addresses and solves some gaps in term of robustness and versatility in the field of incremental and global orientation of image-sets dedicated to CH practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition Advances in Remote Sensing for Archaeological Heritage)

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18 pages, 15222 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deep Learning in Archaeological Remote Sensing: Automated Qanat Detection in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

by Mehrnoush Soroush, Alireza Mehrtash, Emad Khazraee and Jason A. Ur

Remote Sens. 2020, 12(3), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030500 - 04 Feb 2020

Cited by 63 | Viewed by 6773

Abstract

In this paper, we report the results of our work on automated detection of qanat shafts on the Cold War-era CORONA Satellite Imagery. The increasing quantity of air and space-borne imagery available to archaeologists and the advances in computational science have created an [...] Read more.

In this paper, we report the results of our work on automated detection of qanat shafts on the Cold War-era CORONA Satellite Imagery. The increasing quantity of air and space-borne imagery available to archaeologists and the advances in computational science have created an emerging interest in automated archaeological detection. Traditional pattern recognition methods proved to have limited applicability for archaeological prospection, for a variety of reasons, including a high rate of false positives. Since 2012, however, a breakthrough has been made in the field of image recognition through deep learning. We have tested the application of deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for automated remote sensing detection of archaeological features. Our case study is the qanat systems of the Erbil Plain in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The signature of the underground qanat systems on the remote sensing data are the semi-circular openings of their vertical shafts. We choose to focus on qanat shafts because they are promising targets for pattern recognition and because the richness and the extent of the qanat landscapes cannot be properly captured across vast territories without automated techniques. Our project is the first effort to use automated techniques on historic satellite imagery that takes advantage of neither the spectral imagery resolution nor very high (sub-meter) spatial resolution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition Advances in Remote Sensing for Archaeological Heritage)

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15 pages, 5782 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Virtual Reality to Foster Social Integration by Allowing Wheelchair Users to Tour Complex Archaeological Sites Realistically

by Emiliano Pérez, Pilar Merchán, María José Merchán and Santiago Salamanca

Remote Sens. 2020, 12(3), 419; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030419 - 28 Jan 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3453

Abstract

People with disabilities encounter numerous barriers when dealing with the simplest and most usual things in their daily lives. This is even more remarkable when they are faced with archaeological heritage buildings or environments. People with reduced mobility come too often upon architectural [...] Read more.

People with disabilities encounter numerous barriers when dealing with the simplest and most usual things in their daily lives. This is even more remarkable when they are faced with archaeological heritage buildings or environments. People with reduced mobility come too often upon architectural barriers that stop them from enjoying their visits to sites and monuments. This paper introduces a virtual reality (VR) experience developed to provide people in wheelchairs with the most realistic sensations while virtually touring some archaeological sites. To this end, the remote sensing of the site enables the production of a realistic 3D model leading to the creation of a virtual world that the user will explore. This VR application has been developed to traverse one of the most important monumental buildings in Spanish Protohistory, the site of Cancho Roano (Zalamea de la Serena, Spain). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition Advances in Remote Sensing for Archaeological Heritage)

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31 pages, 10310 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Mapping Heterogeneous Buried Archaeological Features Using Multisensor Data from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

by Christopher Brooke and Ben Clutterbuck

Remote Sens. 2020, 12(1), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12010041 - 20 Dec 2019

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 5496

Abstract

There is a long history of the use of aerial imagery for archaeological research, but the application of multisensor image data has only recently been facilitated by the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Two archaeological sites in the East Midlands U.K. that [...] Read more.

There is a long history of the use of aerial imagery for archaeological research, but the application of multisensor image data has only recently been facilitated by the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Two archaeological sites in the East Midlands U.K. that differ in age and topography were selected for survey using multisensor imaging from a fixed-wing UAV. The aim of this study was to determine optimum methodology for the use of UAVs in examining archaeological sites that have no obvious surface features and examine issues of ground control target design, thermal effects, image processing and advanced filtration. The information derived from the range of sensors used in this study enabled interpretation of buried archaeology at both sites. For any archaeological survey using UAVs, the acquisition of visible colour (RGB), multispectral, and thermal imagery as a minimum are advised, as no single technique is sufficient to attempt to reveal the maximum amount of potential information. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition Advances in Remote Sensing for Archaeological Heritage)

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24 pages, 5488 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Detecting and Mapping Slag Heaps at Ancient Copper Production Sites in Oman

by Alexander J. Sivitskis, Joseph W. Lehner, Michael J. Harrower, Ioana A. Dumitru, Paige E. Paulsen, Smiti Nathan, Daniel R. Viete, Suleiman Al-Jabri, Barbara Helwing, Frances Wiig, Daniel Moraetis and Bernhard Pracejus

Remote Sens. 2019, 11(24), 3014; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11243014 - 14 Dec 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6451

Abstract

This study presents a new approach for detection and mapping of ancient slag heaps using 16-band multispectral satellite imagery. Understanding the distribution of slag (a byproduct of metal production) is of great importance for understanding how metallurgy shaped long-term economic and political change [...] Read more.

This study presents a new approach for detection and mapping of ancient slag heaps using 16-band multispectral satellite imagery. Understanding the distribution of slag (a byproduct of metal production) is of great importance for understanding how metallurgy shaped long-term economic and political change across the ancient Near East. This study presents results of slag mapping in Oman using WorldView-3 (WV3) satellite imagery. A semi-automated target detection routine using a mixed tuned matched filtering (MTMF) algorithm with scene-derived spectral signatures was applied to 16-band WV3 imagery. Associated field mapping at two copper production sites indicates that WorldView-3 satellite data can differentiate slag and background materials with a relatively high (>90%) overall accuracy. Although this method shows promise for future initiatives to discover and map slag deposits, difficulties in dark object spectral differentiation and underestimation of total slag coverage substantially limit its use. Resulting lower estimations of combined user’s (61%) and producer’s (45%) accuracies contextualize these limitations for slag specific classification. Accordingly, we describe potential approaches to address these challenges in future studies. As sites of ancient metallurgy in Oman are often located in areas of modern exploration and mining, detection and mapping of ancient slag heaps via satellite imagery can be helpful for discovery and monitoring of vulnerable cultural heritage sites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition Advances in Remote Sensing for Archaeological Heritage)

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26 pages, 10390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Integrated Approach to 3D Web Visualization of Cultural Heritage Heterogeneous Datasets

by Argyro-Maria Boutsi, Charalabos Ioannidis and Sofia Soile

Remote Sens. 2019, 11(21), 2508; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11212508 - 26 Oct 2019

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5979

Abstract

The evolution of the high-quality 3D archaeological representations from niche products to integrated online media has not yet been completed. Digital archives of the field often lack multimodal data interoperability, user interaction and intelligibility. A web-based cultural heritage archive that compensates for these [...] Read more.

The evolution of the high-quality 3D archaeological representations from niche products to integrated online media has not yet been completed. Digital archives of the field often lack multimodal data interoperability, user interaction and intelligibility. A web-based cultural heritage archive that compensates for these issues is presented in this paper. The multi-resolution 3D models constitute the core of the visualization on top of which supportive documentation data and multimedia content are spatial and logical connected. Our holistic approach focuses on the dynamic manipulation of the 3D scene through the development of advanced navigation mechanisms and information retrieval tools. Users parse the multi-modal content in a geo-referenced way through interactive annotation systems over cultural points of interest and automatic narrative tours. Multiple 3D and 2D viewpoints are enabled in real-time to support data inspection. The implementation exploits front-end programming languages, 3D graphic libraries and visualization frameworks to handle efficiently the asynchronous operations and preserve the initial assets’ accuracy. The choice of Greece’s Meteora, UNESCO world site, as a case study accounts for the platform’s applicability to complex geometries and large-scale historical environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition Advances in Remote Sensing for Archaeological Heritage)

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23 pages, 22478 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Remote Sensing the Archaeological Traces of Boat Movement in the Marshes of Southern Mesopotamia

by Jaafar Jotheri, Michelle W. de Gruchy, Rola Almaliki and Malath Feadha

Remote Sens. 2019, 11(21), 2474; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11212474 - 23 Oct 2019

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6442

Abstract

This study presents the results of the first remote sensing survey of hollow ways in Southern Mesopotamia between Baghdad and the Persian Gulf, primarily using the imagery in Google Earth. For archaeologists, hollow ways are important trace fossils of past human movement that [...] Read more.

This study presents the results of the first remote sensing survey of hollow ways in Southern Mesopotamia between Baghdad and the Persian Gulf, primarily using the imagery in Google Earth. For archaeologists, hollow ways are important trace fossils of past human movement that inform about how people travelled in the past and what considerations were important to them as they moved through the landscape. In this study, remotely sensed hollow ways were ground-truthed and dated by association with both palaeochannels and known archaeological sites. Contextual and morphological evidence of the hollow ways indicate that they are likely the archaeological manifestation of ethnographically attested “water channels” formed through the dense reeds of marshlands in southern Iraq, not formed by traction overland like other known hollow ways. The map itself documents the first known hollow ways preserved underwater and one of the best-preserved landscapes of past human movement in the Near East. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition Advances in Remote Sensing for Archaeological Heritage)

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23 pages, 5436 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multispectral Contrast of Archaeological Features: A Quantitative Evaluation

by Tuna Kalayci, Rosa Lasaponara, John Wainwright and Nicola Masini

Remote Sens. 2019, 11(8), 913; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11080913 - 15 Apr 2019

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4945

Abstract

This study provides an evaluation of spectral responses of hollow ways in Upper Mesopotamia. Hollow ways were used for the transportation of animals, carts, and other moving agents for centuries. The aim is to show how the success of spectral indices varies in [...] Read more.

This study provides an evaluation of spectral responses of hollow ways in Upper Mesopotamia. Hollow ways were used for the transportation of animals, carts, and other moving agents for centuries. The aim is to show how the success of spectral indices varies in describing topologically simple features even in a seemingly homogeneous geographic unit. The variation is further highlighted under the changing precipitation regime. The methodology begins with an exploration of the relationship between the date of a multispectral scene and the visibility of hollow ways. The next step is to evaluate the impact of rainfall levels on numerous indices and to quantify spectral contrast. The contrast between a hollow way and its background is evaluated with Welch’s t-test and the association between precipitation regime and spectral responses of hollow ways are investigated with Correspondence Analysis and Fisher’s test. Results highlight an intrinsic relationship between the precipitation regime and the ways in which archaeological features reflects and/or emits electromagnetic energy. Next, the categorization of spectral indices based on different rainfall levels can be used as a guidance in future studies. Finally, the study suggests contrast becomes an even more fruitful concept as one moves from the spatial domain to the spectral domain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition Advances in Remote Sensing for Archaeological Heritage)

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21 pages, 7497 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Remote Sensing Approach for Mapping the Development of Ancient Water Management in the Near East

by Louise Rayne and Daniel Donoghue

Remote Sens. 2018, 10(12), 2042; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10122042 - 14 Dec 2018

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5537

Abstract

We present a novel approach that uses remote sensing to record and reconstruct traces of ancient water management throughout the whole region of Northern Mesopotamia, an area where modern agriculture and warfare has had a severe impact on the survival of archaeological remains [...] Read more.

We present a novel approach that uses remote sensing to record and reconstruct traces of ancient water management throughout the whole region of Northern Mesopotamia, an area where modern agriculture and warfare has had a severe impact on the survival of archaeological remains and their visibility in modern satellite imagery. However, analysis and interpretation of declassified stereoscopic spy satellite data from the 1960s and early 1970s revealed traces of ancient water management systems. We processed satellite imagery to facilitate image interpretation and used photogrammetry to reconstruct hydraulic pathways. Our results represent the first comprehensive map of water management features across the entirety of Northern Mesopotamia for the period ca. 1200 BC to AD 1500. In particular, this shows that irrigation was widespread throughout the region in the Early Islamic period, including within the zone traditionally regarded as “rain-fed”. However, we found that a high proportion of the ancient canal systems had been damaged or destroyed by 20th century changes to agricultural practices and land use. Given this, there is an urgent need to record these rapidly vanishing water management systems that were an integral part of the ancient agricultural landscape and that underpinned powerful states. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition Advances in Remote Sensing for Archaeological Heritage)

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