Identifying coastal archaeology using multi-spectral satellite imagery of the intertidal zone

his English Heritage funded project explored the use of multispectral satellite imagery for archaeological investigations in the intertidal zone. As a pilot project, the study focused on the well documented Portsmouth and Langstone Harbours. The aim of the study was to examine the potential of multispectral surveying techniques in the monitoring and management of intertidal cultural heritage. The rationale for the successful use of multispectral imagery in the identification of sub-surface archaeology is based on previous studies of terrestrial archaeology in Scandinavia (e.g. Grøn et al., 2011), where expert interpretation of QuickBird and Ikonos imagery was capable of identifying features as small as cooking pits and post holes within agricultural landscapes. To date, there has been limited investigation of intertidal archaeology using satellite imagery, and hence this study provides a first look - pilot study - evaluation of the potential of this new approach.

该由英国文化遗产基金资助的项目探讨了在潮间带利用多光谱卫星图像进行考古调查的方法。作为一项试点研究，该研究聚焦于历史资料详尽的朴次茅斯港和朗斯顿港。研究的目的是检验多光谱调查技术在监测与管理潮间带文化遗产方面的潜力。多光谱图像在识别地下考古遗迹方面的成功应用，其理论依据在于对斯堪的纳维亚地区陆地考古学（例如，Grøn等，2011年）的研究，在这些研究中，专家对QuickBird和Ikonos图像的解读能够识别出农业景观中如烹饪坑和柱洞等细微特征。迄今为止，利用卫星图像对潮间带考古学的研究尚显不足，因此，本研究提供了对这一新方法潜力的首次——试点研究——评估。