Economical drone mapping for archaeology: Comparisons of efficiency and accuracy

In the last few years Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or drones, have been widely adopted by archaeologists as an important tool for archaeological survey, excavation recording, and heritage site management. As the technology has improved and costs plummeted, it has become possible to record increasingly large areas at high resolution. Now that drones are a common part of the archaeological toolkit, there is increasing interest in affordable ways to improve accuracy and survey efficiency in the field. This paper presents quantifiable results comparing multiple strategies for drone data collection from a local test site in New Hampshire, as well as a pair of examples of deploying such systems in the field. Results demonstrate low-cost methods using DIY-style drones and Post Processed Kinematic GNSS data recording can increase fieldwork efficiency and produce high-resolution ortho-imagery with better than decimeter accuracy without the need for ground control. These will be critical improvements for archaeologists working with limited budgets or with limited access to sites.