Case Studies:Case study 4

Detecting buried Archaeology using Airborne Remote Sensing
Sandy Winterbottom and Tom Dawson

Abstract
This pilot project tests the use of airborne multi-spectral remote sensing for detecting buried archaeological sites on the islands of Coll and Tiree in Scotland. Features detected included buried walls, enclosures, abandoned farmsteads, buried structures (possibly chapels) and cairns. Infrared and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) images were good for detecting a wide range of features. Thermal images were good for picking up small-scale topographic variations. This study proved the usefulness of this approach to synoptic archaeological prospecting within mobile sand-dominated environments.

Keywords: Scotland, Coll, Tiree, infrared images, NDVI, thermal images, sand dunes, chapels, farmsteads

[[media:Case Study 4.pdf|Detecting buried Archaeology using Airborne Remote Sensing]]

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