Home > Streamlined Archaeo-Geophysical Data Processing and Integration for DoD Field Use > Abstract
Abstract | Problem Statement | Technical Description | Implementation Plan | References
Objectives: Evaluating the eligibility of archaeological sites for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in compliance with federal law (NHPA) is an ongoing activity at DoD installations. Traditional approaches based on hand excavation are expensive, highly invasive, and potentially unreliable. The Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development (SERDP) project CS-1263 New Approaches to the Use and Integration of Multi-Sensor Remote Sensing for Historic Resource Identification and Evaluation demonstrated that use of remote sensing techniques can reduce the invasiveness and dramatically improve the reliability of NRHP evaluations. CS-1263 also developed new methods for integrating data collected by multiple sensors that dramatically enhance their information content and resource management value. The benefits of this approach are not currently accessible to DoD Cultural Resource Management (CRM) personnel because data processing is very labor intensive and demands a high level of technical expertise with seven or more commercially available software systems.
This ESTCP project has two objectives: 1) Assemble a single, user-friendly software that will serve as an effective medium for infusing the integrated, multi-sensor geophysical approach into wide use. 2) Demonstrate and validate the cost and performance benefits of the approach and technology infusion tool to DoD geophysical users, representatives of federal, state, and tribal Historic Preservation offices, and other CRM practitioners, federal and state resource managers.
Technology Description: The integrated approach for mapping subsurface archaeological deposits requires the use of multiple sensors. The widely used geophysical sensors (magnetics, electrical resistivity, conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, ground penetrating radar) each measure different geophysical properties. Archaeological sites are highly variable, and use of multiple sensors is necessary to detect a wide range of archaeological feature types. Geophysical practitioners currently process data from each sensor type with different softwares that are idiosyncratic, require many repetitive actions, and do not provide a suitable medium for integrating data from diverse sensors.
Widespread use of the integrated multi-sensor approach can only be achieved by assembling a single, user-friendly software that will meet all the needs for processing, integrating, analyzing, and interpreting data from all standard sensor types. This software--ArchaeoMapper--will be assembled in MATLAB 7, a high-level computing language and interactive environment for algorithm development, analysis, computation, and visualization. Established processing routines used in commercial softwares will be combined with many options for highly innovative data integration. Wizards will allow geophysical practitioners with modest levels of expertise to achieve reliable results.
The cost and performance benefits of the integrated multi-sensor approach and ArchaeoMapper will be demonstrated to a group of geophysical practitioners representing DoD and other federal land managing agencies (e.g., NPS, USFS). This User Group will work alongside the ESTCP team in collecting and processing data at the demonstration site. The field demonstration will occur in coordination with the National Park Service’s annual 40-hour course in remote sensing in 200 8 7. Reliability of interpretations based on ArchaeoMapper will be quantified via small scale ground truthing excavations. Project results will be reported to the relevant professional communities by a project report, presentations at professional conferences, widely distributed non-technical fact sheets, and published articles. ArchaeoMapper will be provided at no cost to DoD CRM programs and personnel that use geophysical survey.
Expected Benefits: ArchaeoMapper will dramatically streamline the processing and integration of geophysical data, permitting a wide range of DoD and other CRM programs to realize the cost and reliability benefits of a multi-sensor, integrated approach to site evaluation. Use of this approach will dramatically reduce costs of the future mitigation of archaeological sites, thereby making it much more feasible to clear lands needed for military training and other undertakings.