An assessment of archive stereo-aerial photographs for 3-dimensional reconstruction of damaged and destroyed archaeological earthworks
Archaeological earthworks are being damaged and destroyed at a rate and scale never before seen, which has resulted from increased mechanisation of human activity in the landscape since World War II. Along with natural degradation processes, recording earthwork metrics prior to their loss is increasingly difficult, which can subsequently hinder the interpretation of a site or landscape because of this missing evidence. A tool for regaining such data is vital to alleviate this problem and to fulfil the stipulation for metric information as required by national and international conservation charters. This research investigates whether it is possible to regain earthwork metrics from archive stereo-aerial photographs (SAPs) using digital photogrammetry to create digital surface models (DSMs) of archaeological sites within the UK dating from the 1940s to 2010. A literature search confirmed the utility of SAPs for reconstructing geomorphological events, such as landslides, whilst also verifying that such an approach had not been thoroughly investigated for archaeological adaptation. Via experimentation, a photogrammetric workflow has been designed and a number of variables identified that affect the quality of
Papworth, Heather Elizabeth
An assessment of archive stereo-aerial photographs for 3-dimensional reconstruction of damaged and destroyed archaeological earthworks. Archaeological earthworks are being damaged and destroyed at a rate and scale never before seen, which has resulted from increased mechanisation of human activity in the landscape since World War II. Along with natural degradation processes, recording earthwork metrics prior to their loss is increasingly difficult, which can subsequently hinder the interpretation of a site or landscape because of this missing evidence. A tool for regaining such data is vital to alleviate this problem and to fulfil the stipulation for metric information as required by national and international conservation charters. This research investigates whether it is possible to regain earthwork metrics from archive stereo-aerial photographs (SAPs) using digital photogrammetry to create digital surface models (DSMs) of archaeological sites within the UK dating from the 1940s to 2010. A literature search confirmed the utility of SAPs for reconstructing geomorphological events, such as landslides, whilst also verifying that such an approach had not been thoroughly investigated for archaeological adaptation. Via experimentation, a photogrammetric workflow has been designed and a number of variables identified that affect the quality of
assessment archive aerial_photograph dimensional reconstruction damage destroyed archaeological earthwork archaeological earthwork damage destroyed rate scale never see result increased mechanisation human_activity landscape since world_war_ii along natural degradation process record earthwork metric prior loss increasingly difficult subsequently interpretation site landscape miss evidence tool regain data vital problem fulfil stipulation metric information require national_international conservation charter investigates_whether possible regain earthwork metric archive aerial_photograph use_digital create digital surface model archaeological_site within date literature search confirm utility reconstruct geomorphological event landslide whilst_also verify thoroughly investigate archaeological adaptation via experimentation design number_variable identify affect quality