Remote Sensing and Archaeological Prospection in Apulia,Italy

Abstract

When deployed in combination with ground control, archaeological surface survey, and environmental research, remote sensing based upon high-resolution multispectral satellite imagery allows large areas to be evaluated efficiently by a small team of researchers and contributes to a better understanding of an archaeological landscape. In 2007 and 2008, we analyzed ca. 100 sq km of imagery centered on L'Amastuola, Italy. Combining the evaluation of high-resolution multispectral imagery with concurrent ground control led to the discovery of 29 sites and significant off-site scatters during about four weeks of fieldwork. Our analysis indicates that most of the detected features reflect geological conditions amenable to past human habitation rather than subsurface archaeological remains. Earlier fieldwork by the Murge Tableland Survey (MTS) provided independent definitions for various types of sites and a large sample of sites and off-site scatters in the study area. Comparison of our remote-sensing guided efforts with the results of that survey suggests that our success rate is too high to be explained by random association and also illuminates the strengths and weaknesses of the respective methods, underscoring the need to integrate satellite image analysis with ground control and surface survey.     

Satellite Remote Sensing of Archaeological Vegetation Signatures in Coastal West Africa

This article discusses how archaeological sites in Sierra Leone, and by extension much of West Africa, can be identified through vegetation patterns (vegetation signatures) detectable in very high-resolution (VHR) multispectral satellite imagery. Settlement sites typically have a differing pattern of vegetation from the surrounding landscape, including concentrations of very large trees with sociocultural and historical significance: cotton (Ceiba pentandra) and baobab (Adansonia digitata). These features are conspicuous elements of the landscape both from the ground and in aerial imagery. Two complementary methods of using VHR multispectral satellite imagery are discussed in this paper: visual interpretation and semi-automated subpixel classification. These techniques are aiding ongoing archaeological survey of the Sierra Leone River Estuary. The impact of recently renewed industrial activity at a site of probable archaeological significance is also assessed through visually interpreted VHR satellite imagery.     

Satellite Remote Sensing Methods for Monitoring Archaeological Tells in the Middle East

Abstract

Using a variety of types of satellite imagery (SPOT, Corona, Landsat, and Quickbird) and concentrating on archaeological sites in the Egyptian floodplain, this paper proposes methods for monitoring the rate of archaeological site destruction in the Middle East. This image analysis shows how tells can be documented and monitored from computers anywhere in the world, emphasizing the multispectral capabilities and applications of satellites. The effects of population growth, looting, urban expansion, and war on archaeological sites in Egypt are reviewed, and a system is proposed to record sites by focusing on their individual spectral profiles. The analysis demonstrates how satellite imagery analysis can be applied to similar flood plain environments in Israel, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq.     

The Excavation of Industrial Archaeological Sites

Abstract

When the Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened, the Wapping Tunnel incline between Liverpool docks and Edge Hill was operated by rope haulage. A self-tensioning continuous rope was installed, driven by engines supplied by Robert Stephenson and Co. These were housed in the prestigious houses that flanked the Moorish Arch. Excavation of the northern engine house and the rope haulage machinery system was undertaken during 1976-9. The walls of the engine house were found demolished into the cellar, from where tunnels led under the tracks to the boilers and a large hole which once contained the main drive pulleys. A long trench ran from this hole towards the Tunnel entrance and once contained the rope-tensioning gear. In addition to the excavation, information about the site was collated from contemporary published sources and the minutes of the railway directors. The correlation between all sources was high, and from the evidence it seems possible that in the cutting, George Stephenson devized a rope haulage system whose importance was only. overshadowed by the success of Rocket.     

大遗址保护与考古遗址公园建设

建设考古遗址公园,是新时期大遗址保护新模式,是建设和谐社会和中华民族共同精神家园的重要举措。建设考古遗址公园的根本目的是保护遗址、服务考古。考古遗址公园建设必须科学规划,严肃论证,循序渐进,稳妥扎实。考古学家应积极支持考古遗址公园建设。文物管理部门应对考古遗址公园建设热情支持,善加引导,健全规章,严格管理。     

古蜀文明遗址

公元前4世纪,古蜀国在秦国统一中国的进程中被征服,其文化逐渐淹没在中国中心地区的主流文化之中。其历史和文化的重建主要依赖于考古资料。由三星堆遗址、金沙遗址和商业街大墓及其自然环境构成的申报世界文化遗产项目的古蜀文明遗址,充分展现了公元前19世纪至前4世纪古蜀国辉煌的青铜文明,为已经消逝的古蜀国历史、传统提供了实物见证。     

The Protection of Archaeological Sites in Taiwan

Abstract

There are roughly 2300 recognized archaeological sites in Taiwan. Under the Cultural Properties Preservation Law (CPPL) of 1982, archaeological heritage falls under the category of 'historic relics'. However, archaeological sites are not designated as such until they have been excavated and studied to prove their cultural value. Protection of the archaeological heritage has been reinforced through the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (EIAA), which regulates all environmental management plans. These study and determine the degree and scope of the potential impact of development on the cultural environment.

The CPPL was extensively amended and promulgated in 2005, and in this recent document discussed archaeological heritage in a distinct chapter (Chapter 3 with 16 acts). Furthermore, three regulations have been issued concerning the examination of designations of archaeological sites, qualification standards for excavation, as well as the administration and protection of archaeological sites. The newly enacted Cultural Law and Regulations confer competent authorities at all levels with all powers to supervise, administer, and then protect valuable buried cultural property. Although the protection of archaeological heritage has been better enforced since 2005, archaeological remains in Taiwan are still under various threats. Preservation of the cultural heritage is threatened by development, in many cases resulting in impasse. This paper discusses several recent examples of such dilemmas and presents a personal opinion on a better way to settle the controversy.     

“天眼”看透古河山 遥感与GIS支持的洛阳盆地聚落与环境考古

<正>洛阳盆地位于河南省西北部,四面环山,东南及南部有嵩山及其余脉万安山,秦岭山系崤山支脉的周山和邙山分别位于盆地的西部与北部。盆地内地势平坦,河网较多,水源较为充足,作为主要水系的洛河与伊河自西南向东横贯盆地,在盆地东部汇合为伊洛河,再向东北最后注入黄河。洛阳盆地在地质学上属拗陷盆地,内部南、北高,中间低,略呈东西狭长的槽形。盆地内的地势自西向     

Archaeological Investigation of Military Sites on Inchkeith Island

Abstract

In August 2001, a programme of survey and trial excavation was carried out on the island of Inchkeith in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. The work was carried out as part of the first series of the BBC TV series Two Men in a Trench, and examined the WWII defences, together with some of the Victorian defences and a midden that probably dates to the 16th century.     

The Use of Historical Photography For Mapping Archaeological Sites

Abstract

Aerial photography has been employed by archaeologists since 1906. This study discusses the application of image processing of historical photographs as an aid to archaeological excavations at two California mission sites.

Research on the Mission Vieja de la Purisima site involved the mapping of the Old Mission complex, destroyed by an earthquake and mudslide in 1812. Optical means of multiple-image registration and scale change were employed. The second study involved the digital transformation of an historical photograph of Mission San Buenaventura from its oblique perspective into a “psuedo-vertical” format.

Information obtained in these studies is being used by archaeological researchers and has been found accurate and extremely useful. The preliminary mapping of the Mission Vieja de la Purisima has aided in the preservation of the area and played a major role in the mission's being designated as a California and National Historical site.     

Geographical Applications of Remote Sensing

A review of remote sensing applications in geographical research, based mainly on United States publications.     

当遗址与城市邂逅城市中考古遗址保护与展示的故事

城市中备显突兀的考古遗址,虽然貌不惊人,甚至晦涩难懂,但是只有它们,才是城市真实的时空坐标,才能使神秘的传说变成史实。然而在当前快速城市化的背景下,这样穿越千年的相见有时却显得尴尬而痛苦,原本浪漫的邂逅常常以悲剧收场。本文讲述的三个故事,无疑是喜剧性的结局,也是这十年来人们逐渐以更包容、更欢迎的心态来面对这些"不期而遇"的例证。     

潮湿土遗址隔水防潮技术对比研究

潮湿土遗址的破坏,很大程度上是受水的影响,目前国内几个潮湿土遗址经常使用的防水隔水措施主要有:挡水墙、隔水廊道、拱券法和抽水法。经过对几种方法进行总结评价,可看出拱券法是最有效的方法。     

Some Issues on the Management of Archaeological Sites in Mainland China

Abstract

The conservation of archaeological sites in mainland China has not attracted much academic and public attention until recently. However, after the 1990s, both the Chinese government and academia have been increasingly concerned with the management of archaeological sites, as illustrated by the introduction of national guidelines (China Principles) and the establishment of research centres in universities and research institutes. Economic development and related social needs are major driving forces behind this phenomenon, while the impact of globalization on academic development in China cannot be denied. However, the natural and social environments in mainland China, as well as the characteristics of archaeological sites, differ from other countries, and whether international principles regarding conservation and management of archaeological sites are applicable to China needs to be considered. While it is a challenging task for mainland Chinese scholars to find suitable strategies to conserve and manage hundreds of thousands of archaeological sites, the problems and experiences in the process of applying international principles to China may provide valuable lessons, not only for Chinese scholars but also for scholars in other areas.     

大遗址考古发掘与保护的几个问题

一、背景大遗址的概念是我国文化遗产保护在全球视野下从近十几年来的遗址保护与管理工作中提出的一个重要概念。尽管这个概念在目前还没有清晰而科学的法定量化界     

The Limits of Geopolitical Remote Sensing

Two Finnish scholars provide critical commentary on a paper on Finland's identity politics and national identity, published in a 2005 issue of Eurasian Geography and Economics (Antonsich, 2005). In the process, they criticize the practice of "geopolitical remote sensing" more generally, arguing that it is symptomatic of a broader methodological problem in human geography. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: O52, Z13. 17 references.     

大遗址保护提出的历史叙事

系统分析“大遗址”及“大遗址保护”作为重要文物保护政策提出和专项保护行动出台的历史背景、重要事件和主要特点,从历史渊源、学术支撑、管理需求、制度保障四个方面展开,兼论彼此之间的交流互动与共同推进,并依据时代背景不同和工作内容侧重划分为三大阶段,试图为了解这一政策和专项行动出台的历史背景及相关问题构建一个比较系统的认知框架.     

大遗址考古发掘与保护的敏感问题

大遗址作为我国文化遗产的重要组成部分,其保护工作已经纳入国家文物保护的重点工作。随着国民经济和城市化进程的飞速发展,大遗址受到了巨大冲击。要保护好大遗址,必须首先确立抢救第一的思想,在考古发掘过程中依靠多学科专家的有效合作;还要认真执行国家有关法令,坚持遗址与周边环境的协调发展,确立可持续的科学保护方式。