LiDAR Datasets Applied to Roman Gold Mining Studies in NW Iberia. Response to Paper: Roman Gold Mining at Las Miedolas (NW Spain): Lidar and Photo Interpretation in the Analysis of Peines

Early LiDAR datasets in Spain are available since 2014 (5-m resolution), when the first works were carried out by our team (Fernandez-Lozano and Gutierrez-Alonso Mapping 167:22-29, 2014; Fernandez-Lozano et al. J Archaeol Sci 2014:356-373, 2015). The implementation of LiDAR to 1-m resolution was subsequently used and compared by Fernandez-Lozano and Gutierrez-Alonso (J Archaeol Sci 5:509-520, 2016) in combination with UAV-derived (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) photogrammetry. These works showed different Roman gold mining scenarios that were modeled providing outstanding results even with the poorest resolution LiDAR datasets. Moreover, the implementation of visual enhancement tools, widely used in different fields of archeology, geomorphology, and geology, such as Sky-View, Multi-hillside, Slope, LRM, Openness, and Principal Components have improved notably the interpretation of results in both mining and archeological works. This paper discusses the potential and insights provided by our methodological approach and shows that the results of its application to the study area of Las Miedolas can provide better results than those obtained by Matias and Llamas (Geoheritage 13(2):1-22, 2021).

Automated summary

This article presents the application of early LiDAR datasets in Spain and discusses the use of UAV-derived photogrammetry. The study found that even with lower resolution, LiDAR datasets can provide outstanding results. Additionally, the use of visual enhancement tools greatly improves the interpretation of findings in mining and archaeological studies.