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Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research

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A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Remote Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 39172

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Dr. George Alexis Ioannakis

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Guest Editor

Athena Research and Innovation Centre/ILSP - Clepsydra Digitisation Lab, Xanthi, Greece
Interests: 3D digitisation; photogrammetry; AI; software engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Anestis Koutsoudis

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Guest Editor

Athena Research and Innovation Centre/ILSP - Clepsydra Digitisation Lab, Xanthi, Greece
Interests: 3D digitisation; photogrammetry; real time computer graphics; software engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, remote sensing technologies constitute crucial components for the accurate documentation, restoration, monitoring, dissemination and management of our cultural heritage (CH). The generation of high-quality 3D assets derived from the CH domain is still considered a complex and challenging task. The generation of 3D assets and their utilisation depend heavily on current research and technological advances in various scientific domains. These include remote sensing, artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), geographic information systems (GISs), computer graphics, computer vision and big data. Currently, significant basic and applied research efforts are aiming towards developing automating data collection procedures, data fusion, data handling and management to advance the current state of remote sensing applications in the CH domain.

This Special Issue intends to address areas of this multidisciplinary domain where remote sensing technologies are utilised to provide state-of-the-art means of generating and interpreting significant 3D assets within a framework that develops solutions for a wide range of CH-related challenges. We welcome the submission of research activities and case studies on the following (but not exhaustive) list of topics:

Multispectral, hyperspectral data utilisation for 3D documentation and content analysis;
Fusion of aerial and terrestrial multisensory data;
Autonomous aerial data collection for photogrammetric/LiDAR CH site 3D documentation;
CH site multimodal monitoring and novelty detection;
Use-case based commercial and experimental aerial/terrestrial data collection system evaluation;
Requirement specification and design of large-scale 3D documentation projects;
Risk monitoring, restoration and management of CH sites;
Geospatial and climate analysis for CH site protection;
Machine-learning-based CH asset content analysis;
Big data visualisation and dissemination methodologies;
Review articles covering one or more of the above topics are also welcomed.

We invite experts in the above fields to submit their contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. George Alexis Ioannakis
Dr. Anestis Koutsoudis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

3D digitisation
remote sensing
multispectral/hyperspectral data
geospatial analysis
machine learning
photogrammetry
lidar
aerial/terrestrial data collection
restoration/preservation

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Related Special Issue

Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research II in Remote Sensing (8 articles)

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 22522 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Three-Dimensional Modelling of Past and Present Shahjahanabad through Multi-Temporal Remotely Sensed Data

by Vaibhav Rajan, Mila Koeva, Monika Kuffer, Andre Da Silva Mano and Shubham Mishra

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(11), 2924; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15112924 - 3 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2912

Abstract

Cultural heritage is under tremendous pressure in the rapidly growing and transforming cities of the global south. Historic cities and towns are often faced with the dilemma of having to preserve old monuments while responding to the pressure of adapting itself to a modern lifestyle, which often results in the loss of cultural heritage. Indian cities such as Delhi possess a rich legacy of tangible heritage, traditions, and arts, which are reflected in their present urban form. The creation of temporal 3D models of such cities not only provides a platform with which one can experience the past, but also helps to understand, examine, and improve its present deteriorating state. However, gaining access to historical data to support the development of city-scale 3D models is a challenge. While data gaps can be bridged by combining multiple data sources, this process also presents considerable technical challenges. This paper provides a framework to generate LoD-2 (level-of-detail) 3D models of the present (the 2020s) and the past (the 1970s) of a heritage mosque surrounded by a dense and complex urban settlement in Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) by combining multiple VHR (very high resolution) satellite images. The images used are those of Pleiades and Worldview-1 and -3 (for the present) and HEXAGON KH-9 declassified spy images (for the past). The chronological steps are used to extract the DSMs and DTMs that provide a base for the 3D models. The models are rendered, and the past and present are visualized using graphics and videos. The results reveal an average increase of 80% in the heights of the built structures around the main monument (mosque), leading to a loss in the visibility of this central mosque. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research)

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15 pages, 5030 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Do Underwater Cultural Heritage Sites Affect Coral Assemblages?

by John H. R. Burns, Kailey H. Pascoe, Sofia B. Ferreira, Haunani Kane, Clifford Kapono, Toni L. Carrell, Andres Reyes and Atsuko Fukunaga

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(8), 2130; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15082130 - 18 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1820

Abstract

Underwater cultural heritage sites (UCH), such as shipwrecks and sunken aircrafts, can provide physical structures to support coral recruitment and habitats for marine organisms. Conversely, these archaeological artifacts can also be detrimental to live coral and release pollutants into the environment. The military history of Guam has resulted in a high abundance of UCH sites on shallow coral reef habitats, and little is known about how these artifacts may affect the ecology of these natural systems. In this study, we used photogrammetry techniques to survey coral assemblages on both natural and artificial reef substrata. We statistically examined patterns in coral cover, diversity, richness, and 3D habitat complexity. Our results found significant differences in live coral cover and assemblage structure between natural and artificial reef substrata. The results from univariate modeling and multivariate analyses indicate that coral assemblage structure plays an important role in supporting 3D habitat complexity, and the archaeological artifacts themselves can be a significant source of habitat structure. There is still a lack of clarity as to the overall implications of archaeological artifacts on underwater habitats, and the approach described here can be applied elsewhere to better understand the ecological impacts of UCH sites on coral reefs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research)

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30 pages, 32591 KiB

Open AccessArticle

UAV-Based Remote Sensing for Detection and Visualization of Partially-Exposed Underground Structures in Complex Archaeological Sites

by Young-Ha Shin, Sang-Yeop Shin, Heidar Rastiveis, Yi-Ting Cheng, Tian Zhou, Jidong Liu, Chunxi Zhao, Günder Varinlioğlu, Nicholas K. Rauh, Sorin Adam Matei and Ayman Habib

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(7), 1876; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15071876 - 31 Mar 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3511

Abstract

The utilization of remote sensing technologies for archaeology was motivated by their ability to map large areas within a short time at a reasonable cost. With recent advances in platform and sensing technologies, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) equipped with imaging and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems have emerged as a promising tool due to their low cost, ease of deployment/operation, and ability to provide high-resolution geospatial data. In some cases, archaeological sites might be covered with vegetation, which makes the identification of below-canopy structures quite challenging. The ability of LiDAR energy to travel through gaps within vegetation allows for the derivation of returns from hidden structures below the canopy. This study deals with the development and deployment of a UAV system equipped with imaging and LiDAR sensing technologies assisted by an integrated Global Navigation Satellite System/Inertial Navigation System (GNSS/INS) for the archaeological mapping of Dana Island, Turkey. Data processing strategies are also introduced for the detection and visualization of underground structures. More specifically, a strategy has been developed for the robust identification of ground/terrain surface in a site characterized by steep slopes and dense vegetation, as well as the presence of numerous underground structures. The derived terrain surface is then used for the automated detection/localization of underground structures, which are then visualized through a web portal. The proposed strategy has shown a promising detection ability with an F1-score of approximately 92%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research)

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25 pages, 21049 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tracing Archaeological Places via the Context of Paleo Geomorphic Footprints Using SAR/InSAR Data Fusion: A Case on Southern Mesopotamia

by Jungrack Kim

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(6), 1636; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15061636 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2493

Abstract

Since the deployment of EO resources into orbit, archaeological surveys have made extensive use of space imaging. In particular, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data have often proved useful in many geomorphic investigations. In this study, we tested the potential of SAR/InSAR datasets for archaeological applications, which were conducted for southern Mesopotamia. While identifying the embedded human settlements, we attempted to reconstruct the paleoclimatic conditions and the paleotopography imprinted onto contemporary geography as key features of the environmental context of ancient human activity. First, Sentinel-1 and PALSAR-2 SAR/InSAR time-series data were compiled and used to identify the paleoshoreline and other ancient hydrologic backgrounds in southern Mesopotamia. We defined regions of interest (ROI) based on this and further used a rotational decomposition of the time-series signature to detect shallow subsurface features in predefined ROI. SAR/InSAR data processing identified ancient channels and shorelines that match the historical/archaeological records of key Sumerian cities. Our findings in Eridu and Larsa-Uruk-Umma, as well as their hydrological contexts, are archaeologically significant and suggest the need for more ground surveys. In terms of global coverage and resolving power, this study shows that the potential of SAR/InSAR for probing the background environment of ancient civilizations is comparable to high-resolution commercial optical imaging. Longer wavelength and higher resolution SAR/InSAR time-series datasets are highly anticipated for such applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research)

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17 pages, 25979 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Potential of New LiDAR Datasets for Archaeology in Switzerland

by Gino Caspari

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(6), 1569; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15061569 - 13 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4663

Abstract

LiDAR and its derived elevation models have revolutionized archaeological research in forested areas around the globe. Almost a third of Switzerland is covered in forests. The number of archaeological sites recorded in forests in Switzerland is, however, limited. Given these circumstances, it is surprising how underutilized LiDAR data are in archaeological research in the country. As the Federal Office of Topography swisstopo is finalizing the acquisition of new LiDAR datasets, increasing the covered area and allowing for limited time series analyses, these data should be used to the fullest extent. This article describes the open access datasets and elaborates on their potential for archaeological research and cultural heritage management. By employing LiDAR data on a large scale, Swiss archaeological research would likely substantially increase the number of recorded heritage sites. Additionally, this will have the effect of complementing the palimpsests of past anthropogenic activity throughout the landscape while reducing survey biases in the archaeological record. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research)

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23 pages, 10969 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rediscovering the Lost Roman Landscape in the Southern Trieste Karst (North-Eastern Italy): Road Network, Land Divisions, Rural Buildings and New Hints on the Avesica Road Station

by Federico Bernardini

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(6), 1506; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15061506 - 8 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2205

Abstract

An interdisciplinary study of the ancient landscape of the Trieste Karst (north-eastern Italy) is presented in this paper. Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) has been applied to obtain high-resolution topography of the 25 km² investigated area in order to identify potential archaeological anomalies. The ALS-derived high-resolution Digital Terrain Models have been visualized and managed using QGIS and Relief Visualization Toolbox. Possible archaeological anomalies have been verified through field surveys and interpreted using a multidisciplinary approach mainly based on the collection of associated archaeological materials and geomorphological and stratigraphic evidence. From a methodological perspective, the elaboration and study of ALS-derived images, and in particular the local relief model visualization, combined with the collection of Roman shoe hobnails, have proven to be effective approaches for the certain identification and dating of Roman roads in karst environments. The obtained results have revealed an almost completely unknown Roman landscape: the investigated area was crossed by important public roads, whose layout has been accurately reconstructed for a total length of over 10 km, and occupied by large country estates, sometimes enclosed within boundary walls perfectly fitting the Roman land division grid. One of the identified buildings could correspond to a road station, perhaps the Avesica known from ancient itinerary documents—i.e., the itinerarium Antonini Augusti—due to its position and proximity to a major road junction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research)

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18 pages, 27567 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Studying the Water Supply System of the Roman Villa of Pisões (Beja, Portugal) Using Ground-Penetrating Radar and Geospatial Methods

by Rui Jorge Oliveira, Pedro Trapero Fernández, Bento Caldeira, José Fernando Borges and André Carneiro

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(5), 1447; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15051447 - 4 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1871

Abstract

The Roman villa of Pisões (Beja, Portugal) was part of the Lusitanian colony of Pax Iulia. This place stands out for the predominance of the water element in several structures of the villa, highlighting the balneum and the large natatio, one of the largest known in Roman Hispania. The records of the initial excavations that took place beginning in 1967 do not allow the establishment of clear functionalities of the villa. The University of Évora, the owner of the site, conceived an action plan for the requalification and enhancement of the archaeological site. One of the tasks aims to investigate the site using applied geophysics. This work analyses the landscape directly related to the villa, given that it is in the flooded area of a river with a Roman containment dam. It is uncertain whether the water supply comes from this structure or other nearby springs. The use of ground-penetrating radar, combined with unmanned aerial vehicles, all integrated in a geographic information system, allows us to determine the location of underground water connections and create a topographic model with high resolution. Considering all the information, we propose a model for water transport inside the villa and estimate the location of the water supply. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research)

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17 pages, 8513 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Glacial Archaeology in Northern Norway—The Island of Seiland

by Gino Caspari, Torbjørn Preus Schou, Noah Steuri and Timo Balz

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(5), 1336; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15051336 - 27 Feb 2023

Viewed by 7065

Abstract

Norway is at the forefront of monitoring ice patches and glaciers for archaeological remains, and thousands of artifacts have been recovered over the past two decades due to accelerating melting. The majority of finds stem from the lower latitudes of the country and relatively little is known about the glacial archaeology of Norway’s far north. We use historical maps and high-resolution LiDAR derived elevation models to monitor ice flow and melt. We employ a terrain ruggedness index to map areas of non-moving ice which possibly contain well-preserved archaeological finds, and model least cost paths to understand the accessibility for humans and animals of an archaeologically unexplored landscape. We then conduct a sailboat supported exploratory survey on the arctic island of Seiland. While we fail to locate archaeologically productive ice, we identify and date a so far unknown type of archaeological stone structure likely related to sheltering and reindeer hunting/herding activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research)

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18 pages, 12031 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Integrated GNSS/MEMS Accelerometer System for Dynamic Structural Response Monitoring under Thunder Loading

by Jian Wang, Xu Liu, Fei Liu, Cai Chen and Yuyang Tang

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(4), 1166; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15041166 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2319

Abstract

Dynamic response monitoring is of great significance for large engineering structural anomaly diagnosis and early warning. Although the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) has been widely used to measure the dynamic structural response, it has the limitation of a relatively low sampling rate. The micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer has a high sampling frequency, but it belongs to the approaches of acceleration measurements as the absolute position is unavailable. Hence, in this paper, an integrated vibration monitoring system that includes a GNSS receiver and 3-axis MEMS accelerometers was developed to obtain the dynamic responses under the thunder loading. First, a new denoising algorithm for thunderstorm-induced vibration data was proposed based on variational mode decomposition (VMD) and the characteristics of white noise, and the low-frequency disturbance was separated from the GNSS displacement time series. Then, a power spectral density (PSD) analysis using data collected by the integrated system was carried out to extract low/high natural frequencies. Finally, field monitoring data collected at Huanghuacheng, Hefangkou, and Qilianguan in Beijing’s Huairou District were used to validate the effectiveness of the integrated system and processing scheme. According to the results, the proposed integrated GNSS/MEMS accelerometer system can not only be used to detect thunder loading events, but also completely extract the natural frequency based on PSD analysis. The high natural frequencies detected from the accelerometer data of the four Great Wall monitoring stations excited by the thunderstorms are 42.12 Hz, 12.94 Hz, 12.58 Hz, and 5.95 Hz, respectively, while the low natural frequencies detected from the GNSS are 0.02 Hz, 0.019 Hz, 0.016 Hz, and 0.014 Hz, respectively. Moreover, thunderstorms can cause the Great Wall to vibrate with a maximum displacement of 14.3 cm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research)

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25 pages, 35446 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integration of Remote-Sensing Techniques for the Preventive Conservation of Paleolithic Cave Art in the Karst of the Altamira Cave

by Vicente Bayarri, Alfredo Prada, Francisco García, Lucía M. Díaz-González, Carmen De Las Heras, Elena Castillo and Pilar Fatás

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(4), 1087; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15041087 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3995

Abstract

Rock art offers traces of our most remote past and was made with mineral and organic substances in shelters, walls, or the ceilings of caves. As it is notably fragile, it is fortunate that some instances remain intact—but a variety of natural and anthropogenic factors can lead to its disappearance. Therefore, as a valuable cultural heritage, rock art requires special conservation and protection measures. Geomatic remote-sensing technologies such as 3D terrestrial laser scanning (3DTLS), drone flight, and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) allow us to generate exhaustive documentation of caves and their environment in 2D, 2.5D, and 3D. However, only its combined use with 3D geographic information systems (GIS) lets us generate new cave maps with details such as overlying layer thickness, sinkholes, fractures, joints, and detachments that also more precisely reveal interior–exterior interconnections and gaseous exchange; i.e., the state of senescence of the karst that houses the cave. Information of this kind is of great value for the research, management, conservation, monitoring, and dissemination of cave art. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research)

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Review

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35 pages, 4852 KiB

Open AccessReview

InfraRed Thermography and 3D-Data Fusion for Architectural Heritage: A Scoping Review

by Neil Sutherland, Stuart Marsh, Gary Priestnall, Paul Bryan and Jon Mills

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(9), 2422; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15092422 - 5 May 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3640

Abstract

Comprehensive documentation is the foundation of effective conservation, repair and maintenance (CRM) practices for architectural heritage. In order to diagnose historic buildings and inform decision making, a combination of multi-disciplinary surveys is fundamental to understanding a building’s heritage and performance. Infrared thermography (IRT), a non-contact, non-invasive and non-destructive imaging technique, allows both qualitative and quantitative assessments of temperature to be undertaken. However, the inherent low spatial resolution of thermal imaging has led recent work to fuse thermographic and geometric data for the accurate 3D documentation of architectural heritage. This paper maps the scope of this emerging field to understand the application of IRT and 3D-data fusion (IRT-3DDF) for architectural heritage. A scoping review is undertaken to systematically map the current literature and determine research gaps and future trends. Results indicate that the increasing availability of thermal cameras and advances in photogrammetric software are enabling thermal models to be generated successfully for the diagnosis and holistic management of architectural heritage. In addition, it is evident that IRT-3DDF provides several opportunities for additional data integration, historic building information modelling (H-BIM) and temporal analysis of historic buildings. Future developments are needed to transform IRT-3DDF findings into actionable insights and to apply IRT-3DDF to pressing climate-related challenges, such as energy efficiency, retrofitting and thermal comfort assessments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Cultural Heritage Research)

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