Mapping archaeological landscapes through aerial thermographic imaging

FAIN: HD-51590-12

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (Fayetteville, AR 72701-1201)
Jesse J. Casana (Project Director: October 2011 to May 2016)

Research into the best techniques for using aerial thermographic imaging to support archeological research, with tests to be run at sites in Cyprus, Dubai, and South Dakota.

This project aims to develop techniques for efficient, high-resolution aerial thermal infrared imaging of archaeological sites and surrounding landscapes. Archaeologists have been aware since the 1970s that images which record thermal wavelengths of light can reveal surface and buried archaeological features that are otherwise invisible, but the costs and difficulty of the technology has made its application beyond the reach of most scholars. This project will develop methods for collecting high-resolution thermal infrared images using a specialized camera mounted on a remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle. Conducting surveys at archaeological sites in three environmentally and culturally distinct regions--Cyprus, Dubai and South Dakota--our results will demonstrate the potential and limitations of the technology in a variety of archaeological contexts, offer guidelines for executing surveys and processing results, and serve as a blueprint for other investigators in the future.