# Redefining Archaeological Research: Digital Tools, Challenges, and Integration in Advancing Methods
## 3 Types of Digital Tools
### Remote Sensing Technologies
A notable example of the advancements offered by hyperspectral imaging can be seen in the work of [PERSON] et al. [34], where mural paintings in Pompeii were non-invasively examined for pigment identification. Hyperspectral imaging also proved effective in retrieving faded characters in mural inscriptions (Figure 7). Another example is the work of [PERSON] et al. [35], which highlighted how the visualization of differences between stressed and healthy vegetation enhanced the detection of Roman road traces in Carnuntum, Lower Austria (Figure 8). Figure 6: Airborne hyperspectral data (64 spectral channels and 0.4 m CSD) from Carnuntum, Austria, acquired on May 262,011 (data source: LBI-ArchPro and ABT GmbH): (**A**) true-color image; (**B**) false-color composite created by the PCA (R = PC1, G = PC2, and B = PC3); (**C**) NDVI; (**D**) false-color composite created by the REIP (R = band 1 (wavelength), G = band 2 (slope), and B = band 3 (reflectance value)); (**E**) gamma distribution fitting (R = none, G = band 2 (shape parameter \(\alpha\)), and B = band 1 (rate parameter \(\beta\))); (**F**) normal distribution fitting (R = band 4 (the upper bound of the confidence interval for mean (\(\mu\))), G = band 2 (standard deviation (\(\sigma\))), and B = band 2); (**G**) unsupervised k-means classification results with 10 classes; (**H**) visual interpretations of archaeological traces (Roman road) from (**D**) covering the area enclosed by the red box in (**A**). Source: [28]. The low spatial resolution of hyperspectral satellite data can limit its application to fine-scale studies of archaeological sites. While multispectral and hyperspectral images naturally capture radiation occurring over an examined area, SAR (synthetic aperture radar) and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) systems generate and capture their own radiation. The primary advantage of SAR systems lies in their capability to detect objects regardless of the time of day or weather conditions. Additionally, SAR can partially penetrate soil and vegetation, making it ef  
Figure 8: **(A)** conventional orthorectified aerial image acquired in the visible spectrum where healthy and stressed vegetation is visible. (**B**) false-color composite highlighting the Roman road traces. Source: [35]. Figure 7: **(Top)** false-color image obtained as a combination of Principal Component Channels in the RGB channels after image processing; the arrow indicates the positions of garlands no longer visible in the painting. (**Bottom**) the visible image of the same scene. Source: [34]. fective for detecting archaeological features in challenging landscapes, including areas with ice or dense canopy cover [36; 37]. This capability is especially valuable in surveys of landscapes where conventional on-site surveys struggle to access and identify archaeological remains or where tools like GPS and total stations face operational challenges due to surface characteristics. Airborne LiDAR methodology offers similar benefits and has been increasingly used in the past decade [37]. LiDAR is a laser profiling and scanning system used across various topographic studies, and it has become a vital tool in archaeological research. LiDAR's main contribution is its ability to provide 3D topographic information about the examined archaeological site, producing high-resolution point cloud data. Recent publications have demonstrated how airborne LiDAR has facilitated the identification, recording, and unveiling of archaeological features and artifacts, particularly in regions where traditional aerial photography or in situ measurements are limited--for example, in areas with dense vegetation (Figure 9) [38; 39]. However, the main drawback of LiDAR is the high cost associated with data collection, as it requires the deployment of planes equipped with expensive technology. Numerous scientific studies have employed increasingly advanced remotely sensed methods to detect, analyze, and dynamically monitor archaeological sites and their surroundings [10; 40; 41]. For example, [PERSON] et al.