Remote sensing and geographic database management systems applications for the protection and conservation of cultural heritage

摘要

Abstract: The Getty Conservation Institute is exploring thefeasibility of using remote sensing associated with ageographic database management system (GDBMS) in orderto provide archaeological and historic site managerswith sound evaluations of the tools available for siteand information management. The World Heritage Site ofChaco Canyon, New Mexico, a complex of archeologicalsites dating to the 10th to the 13th centuries AD, wasselected as a test site. Information from excavationsconducted there since the 1930s, and a range ofdocumentation generated by the National Park Servicewas gathered. NASA's John C. Stennis Space Centercontributed multispectral data of the area, and the JetPropulsion Laboratory contributed data from ATLAS(airborne terrestrial applications sensor) and CAMS(calibrated airborne multispectral scanner) scanners.Initial findings show that while 'automatic monitoringsystems' will probably never be a reality, with carefulcomparisons of historic and modern photographs, andperforming digital analysis of remotely sensed data,excellent results are possible. !5