Quantitative approaches to the remote sensing of ancient settlements in the Near East

using ASTER and SRTM data

Bjoern MenzeInterdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing

University of Heidelberg, Germany

Settlement mounds of the Near East

“tells”: Arbil / Iraq topKonya Plain / Turkey right

Arbil

Mapping tells

• accurate, supra-regional data sets

• guidance in local survey

• objective search criteria by RS “Archaeological distribution-maps are maps of the distribution of archaeologists.”Western Khabur plain

ASPRO

“Spotting tells from space”

Digital elevation model (SRTM)A. Sherratt“Spotting tells from space”Antiquity, No. 301 (2004)

Multispectral imageryK. N. Wilkinson et al.“Satellite Imagery as a Resource in theProspection for Archaeological Sites inCentral Syria”Geoarchaeology, No. 7, 735–750 (2006)

Tell Brak[Sherratt 04]

[Wilkinson 06]

Digital elevation model

• Training data set from CORONA & ground survey

• DEM patches of tell sites and “background” sites

[Ur J, Wilkinson T]

Digital elevation model

Binary classifier:

• Learn set of linear “Eigen”-filter

• Nonlinear classifier on Eigenspaces

Menze B, Ur J, Sherratt APE & RS 2006

Digital elevation model

ASPRO data set

Digital elevation model

Mounds in the DEM

Spectral imagery

• Training data set from CORONA & ground survey

• Spectra of tell sites and “background” sites

[Ur J 2003, Wilkinson T 2000]

Tell Beydar

Spectral imagery

• Training data set from CORONA & ground survey

• Spectra of tell sites and “background” sites

[Ur J 2003, Wilkinson T 2000]

Tell Beydar

Spectral imagery

• Training data set from CORONA & ground survey

• Spectra of tell sites and “background” sites

[Ur J 2003, Wilkinson T 2000]

Tell Beydar

Spectral imagery

• Training data set from CORONA & ground survey

• Spectra of tell sites and “background” sites

[Ur J 2003, Wilkinson T 2000]

Tell Beydar

Spectral imagery

• Training data set from CORONA & ground survey

• Spectra of tell sites and “background” sites, over time

[Ur J 2003, Wilkinson T 2000]

Tell Beydar

Spectral imagery

Binary classifier:

(independent of season)• classify each ASTER

image individually• fuse result maps &

pool decisions

Menze B, Ur J Proc ISPMSRS 2007

Spectral imagery

Tell Hamoukar

Spectral imagery

Tell Hamoukar – ground survey[Ur J, Akkadica 2002]

Summary

Mapping ancient settlement mounds:

• elevation profile “supra-regional” survey

• spectral signature “local” survey

SRTM

ASTER

Tell Brak

Summary

Mapping ancient settlement mounds:

• elevation profile “supra-regional” survey

• spectral signature “local” survey

SRTM

ASTER

Tell Brak

Thank you.