High resolution satellite ortho-images for archaeological research: different methods and experiences in the Near and Middle East

摘要

The paper concerns the very significant contribution of satelliteortho-images to archaeological research. The unavailability of cartography,updated or in adequate scale, is a recurring problem for archaeologicalresearch operating in urban and territorial contexts, and in the last yearsinteresting experiences have been carried out with the use of satelliteortho-images; they can provide constant support to field work, bothexcavations and surveys, and to the management of data in archaeologicalGIS. As an example of this, the paper shows the results achieved by threeresearch projects carried out by CNR-IBAM in the Near and Middle East, theHierapolis of Phrygia Survey Project, the Tell Tuqan Survey Projectand the Iraq Virtual Museum Project in which base-maps and cartographies satelliteortho-images have been widely used. In these projects, the use of very highresolution satellite images was necessary because large scale and updatedcartographies and aerial photos are not available. In the examples shown,satellite ortho-images have different uses, often linked to the possibilityor not of an accurate ortho-rectification, with the possibility of thecollection of Ground Control Points and with the availability of highresolution DEMs. These images were used to create space-maps for the fieldwork, as well as to realize and update archaeological maps and cartographiesfinalized to archaeological research. In the cases study presented,WorldView-1, QuickBird-2 and Ikonos-2 images, also stereo-pairs, were used.