Investigating the spectral capability of QuickBird data to detect archaeological remains buried under vegetated and not vegetated areas

The spectral capability of satellite QuickBird imagery for the identification of archaeological marks linked to the presence of buried remains is here discussed for two medieval archaeological sites in the South of Italy. The considered test sites present complex topographical and morphological features, typical of many medieval settlements, which make archaeological prospection with any remote sensing technologies difficult. Results from the performed investigations showed that the satellite QuickBird imagery can be a valuable data source for reconstructing the urban shape of buried settlements up to single building scale. Such analyses can be useful for detecting locations and extracting features of archaeological sites especially prior to any excavation work and for increasing the cultural value of historical sites. (c) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.