Evaluating contemporary digital technologies for the reconstruction and mapping of archaeological resources

本博士建议系统地分析从无人和星载系统收集的高分辨率多光谱和高光谱数据集的潜力，以研究它们预测河谷系统近地下沉积物结构的潜力，并利用这些数据进行遗产资产的管理。这种创新和及时的方法来评估有目的地收集的多/超数据，以识别这些地下建筑，有能力极大地增加我们对这些复杂的洪泛平原沉积体系中日益受到威胁的考古资源分布的理解。可以说，英国考古资源最丰富的部分位于河流系统的冲积沉积物中，这是由于资源丰富的古环境和充满这些山谷系统的水淹厌氧沉积物的保存能力的结合。在过去的15年中，地质考古调查越来越多地利用遥感地形数据集（如激光雷达）来调查复杂的地貌区，但在识别地貌特征和地下沉积物结构以管理文化资产方面，其他遥感数据集（如多/高光谱波段）的相应应用很少。拟议中的博士学位将直接涉及SEAHA的所有三个方面，并通过评估超/多光谱数据集并将其整合到遗产和考古专业人员的文化资产管理“工具包”中，从而直接应用于行业。研究问题1小型无人机系统（sUAS）和星载多/高光谱数据集在定义山谷环境中的考古特征（沟渠/坑、堤岸等）和地貌特征（如古河道、砾石梯田等）方面的效果如何？多光谱/高光谱数据的光谱响应是否显示了与地貌或考古特征的近地表沉积物结构相关的变化？能否利用sUAS和星载多/高光谱遥感数据集，利用多空间尺度的观测数据，模拟冲积沉积物序列的地下沉积条件和保存能力？是否可以使用sUAS和星载方法，与对近地下沉积物结构的理解协同作用，形成对遗产资产的整体解释？对文化资源管理至关重要。

This PhD proposes to systematically analyse the potential of high resolution multispectral and hyperspectral datasets, collected from both unmanned and spaceborne systems, to investigate their potential to predict near sub-surface sediment architectures of river valley systems, and to utilise this data for the management of heritage assets. Such an innovative and timely approach to the evaluation of purposively collected multi/hyper data to identify these subsurface architectures has the capacity to greatly increase our understanding of the distribution of the increasingly threatened archaeological resources within these complex floodplain sedimentary systems. Arguably, the richest component of the archaeological resource within the UK is housed within the alluvial sediments of river systems, due to a combination of the resource rich palaeoenvironment and the preserving capacity of water logged anaerobic sediments that have infilled these valley systems. Over the last 15 years, geoarchaeological investigation has increasingly utilised remote sensed topographic data sets (e.g. lidar) to investigate complex geomorphological areas, but there has been little corresponding application of other remote sensed data sets, such as multi/hyper spectral bands, to identify geomorphological features and sub-surface sediment architectures to manage cultural assets. The proposed PhD will directly address all three of the SEAHA strands and has direct industry application through assessing the hyper/multi spectral data sets and integrating them into the cultural asset management 'tool kits' of heritage and archaeological professionals.Research questions1 How effective are small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and spaceborne multi/hyper spectral data sets at defining archaeological features (ditches/pits, banks, etc) and geomorphological features (e.g. palaeochannels, gravel terraces, etc) within the valley environment?2 Do the spectral responses of multi/hyper spectral data show variation related to the near surface sediment architectures of the geomorphological or archaeological features?3 Can sUAS and spaceborne multi/hyper spectral remotely sensed data sets be used to model the sub-surface sediment conditions, and preservation capacity, of the alluvial sediment sequence by taking advantage of observations from multiple spatial scales?4 Can sUAS and spaceborne approaches be used, synergistically with an understanding of near sub- surface sediment architectures, to form an holistic interpretation of heritage assets; essential for cultural resource management.