Exploring the Mesopotamian landscape: integrating geophysics & drone-based remote sensing
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2019-10-05

Investigating human-environmental relationships in the past, especially reconstructing local land use practices, involves associating sites with land use features, such as field boundaries and systems, pathways, and canals. Previous research of this type commonly employs onsite geophysics in conjunction with lower-resolution satellite remote sensing to provide the landscape context; however, recent developments in drone and sensor technology are now allowing archaeologists to efficiently prospect large areas around sites at high spatial resolution for potential off-site features. As part of an ongoing research project that leverages a combination of ground-based geomagnetics and drone-based multispectral imaging, we seek to prospect for and efficiently map land use features associated with several Bronze Age tell sites in the Kurdish Region of Iraq. Our results from a recent 2017 season highlight the potential of this integrated remote sensing approach; we suggest however, that seasonal conditions must be considered during data-collection. Future works seeks to improve results by employing ground-based electromagnetic induction and drone-based vegetational health indices under different seasonal (spring) conditions.

Full title: Exploring the Mesopotamian landscape: integrating geophysics and drone-based multi-sensor remote sensing for offsite, land use investigations

(Elise Jakoby Laugier)