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Humanities and the arts
- Geoarchaeology
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Engineering and technology
- Photogrammetry and remote sensing
Airborne LiDAR data are increasingly being used for research and applications in archaeology. Although the technology has already established itself as a well-proven method to document cultural landscapes, so far most studies have been carried out on an ad-hoc basis using data that was not originally intended for archaeological prospection. An overview of constraints, problems that were encountered and solutions that can be implemented is missing. This lack of guidelines based on prior experience forms a knowledge gap that impedes a broader uptake of LiDar data in archaeology. This project will conduct research into the application of Lidar data for prospection and visualization in Mesoamerican archaeology. In a neotropical context, Lidar data offer the potential of a full-coverage survey even in densely forested areas where ground-based surveys are impractical. To realize this potential, practitioners need guidelines, training and advice on the methodologies that can be applied. Project goals are: detection of pre-columbian vestiges, part of ancient cultural landscapes; data fusion of LiDAR and PLEIADES satellite imagery; visualization of derived data products and the development of user guidelines.