science

Remote sensing in archaeology

Remote sensing in archaeology is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Remote sensing in archaeology rather than just read about it. In short: Remote sensing techniques in archaeology are an increasingly important component of the technical and methodological tool set available in archaeological research. The use of remote sensing techniques allows archaeologists to uncover unique data that is unobtainable using traditional archaeological excavation techniques.

Key takeaways

Remote sensing in archaeology belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Remote sensing in archaeology to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Remote sensing in archaeology from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Remote sensing techniques in archaeology are an increasingly important component of the technical and methodological tool set available in archaeological research. The use of remote sensing techniques allows archaeologists to uncover unique data that is unobtainable using traditional archaeological excavation techniques.

General techniques Remote Sensing methods employed in the service of archaeological investigations include:

Aerial, UAV and Satellite Imaging Aerial photography Multispectral and Hyperspectral Sensors Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) Color Infrared Film (CIR) Microwave Radar Satellite Imaging Laser altimeters or light detection and ranging (LIDAR) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) INSAR - Interferometric SAR Ground-based geophysical methods such as Ground Penetrating Radar and Magnetometry are also used for archaeological imaging. Although these are sometimes classed as remote sensing, they are usually considered a separate discipline (see Geophysical survey (archaeology)).

Satellite archaeology Satellite archaeology is an emerging field of archaeology that uses high resolution satellites with thermal and infrared capabilities to pinpoint potential sites of interest in the earth around a meter or so in depth. The infrared light used by these satellites have longer wavelengths than that of visible light and are therefore capable of penetrating the Earth's surface. The images are then taken and processed by an archaeologist who specializes in satellite remote sensing in order to find any subtle anomalies on the Earth's surface. Landscape features such as soil, vegetation, geology, and man-made structures of possible cultural interest have specific signatures that the multi-spectral satellites can help to identify. The satellites can then make a 3D image of the area to show if there are any man-made structures beneath soil and vegetation that can not be seen by the naked eye. Commercially available satellites have a .4m-90m resolution that make it possible to see most ancient sites and their associated features in such places as Egypt, Perù and Mexico. It is a hope of archaeologists that in the next few decades resolutions will improve to the point where they are capable of zooming in on a single pottery shard buried beneath the earth's surface. Satellite archaeology is a non-invasive method for mapping and monitoring potential archaeological sites in an ever changing world that faces issues such as urbanization, looting, and groundwater pollution that could pose threats to such sites. In spite of this, satellites in archaeology are mostly a tool for broad scale survey and focused excavation. All archaeological projects need ground work in order to verify any potential findings.

Examples of regional applications

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Remote sensing in archaeology

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Remote sensing in archaeology claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Remote sensing in archaeology before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Remote sensing in archaeology ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Remote sensing in archaeology

In research: Remote sensing in archaeology appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Remote sensing in archaeology in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Remote sensing in archaeology is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Iram of the Pillars, Methods in archaeology, Remote sensing, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Remote sensing in archaeology outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Remote sensing in archaeology in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Remote sensing in archaeology means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Remote sensing in archaeology out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Remote sensing in archaeology in simple terms?

Why does Remote sensing in archaeology matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Remote sensing in archaeology?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Remote sensing in archaeology.