HOW TO FIND THE UNDISCOVERED? ANTHROPOGENIC OBJECTS IN FOREST AREAS: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT METHODS

Landscape archaeology (archaeogeography) is a multidisciplinary study used by pre-historical, classic, and historical archaeologists. Archaeogeography deals with the study of how people have shaped and used their environment throughout history. It focuses on the relationship between the material culture of a given community and the changes it introduces in its spatial environment. Traditionally search for archaeological sites is mainly carried out using surface research, i.e., observation of ploughed fields in spring and autumn. However, the percentage ratio of the area covered by forests to the total area of the countries can reach up to even several dozen per cent. This is where archaeogeography aided with modern remote sensing data and processing techniques can be most useful. In this article, the authors describe the problems occurring while searching for anthropological objects in forest areas. In this first part of the two-part series, the authors present a non-invasive method based on widely available remote sensing and historical data that can be used for remote prospection or archaeological sides. The authors also present methods of field verification and critically describe the limitations and advantages of this method.

Automated summary

Landscape archaeology is a multidisciplinary study that examines how people have shaped and utilized their environment throughout history. With the aid of modern remote sensing data and processing techniques, archaeogeography can be particularly useful in searching for archaeological sites in forest areas.