The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal infrared imaging technologies is profoundly transforming archaeological research. These tools provide archaeologists with new methods to detect, analyze, and monitor archaeological sites from the air, offering a broader range of data than traditional visual spectrum imaging. Multispectral Imaging Multispectral imaging captures data at several specific wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum. Each band can penetrate the surface at different depths and highlight different materials, thus providing valuable information about the soil composition and vegetation health. In archaeology, multispectral UAV imaging can be used to identify buried features based on variations in vegetation health or soil moisture. These variations often indicate the presence of archaeological materials that affect the growth of surface vegetation, a method particularly useful in large, remote, or inaccessible areas. Hyperspectral Imaging Hyperspectral imaging extends the capabilities of multispectral imaging by collecting data across a much broader range of wavelengths, often hundreds of bands, compared to the handful used in multispectral imaging. This detailed spectral information makes it possible to identify the composition of objects and materials on the surface of an archaeological site with great precision. Hyperspectral data can help detect subtle differences in soil or vegetation that indicate buried features or pathways, enabling archaeologists to map sites in detail before any physical excavation begins. Thermal Infrared Imaging Thermal infrared imaging captures the infrared energy emitted from the surface of the earth. It is highly effective in archaeology for detecting subsurface structures. During the day, the sun heats the ground, and structures buried beneath the surface can retain heat differently than the surrounding soil. These differences can be captured using thermal infrared imaging from a UAV, especially during the cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late evening. This method is particularly useful for identifying walls, foundations, or voids hidden beneath the surface. The method developed allows the presence of features of archaeological interest to be emphasised through the use of orthophoto indices in RGB, multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal infrared. Data analysis is supported by enhancement operations through the creation of high-resolution orthophotomosaics resulting from the combined use of data (creation of spectral indices), statistical analysis (e.g. LISA), and machine and deep learning operations. This allows the extraction of information of archaeological interest for the creation of maps of faetures of archaeological interest in a GIS environment.

Remote vis/nir spectral imaging for large area survey

Data processing

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