Aerial archaeology
Aerial archaeology reveals hidden sites through images from above.
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Aerial archaeology involves studying archaeological sites from above. It relies on methods like aerial photography and remote sensing to find, document, and interpret archaeological features. This approach allows researchers to examine large areas and understand context on a scale that other archaeological methods cannot match. According to the Aerial Archaeology Research Group, more archaeological features have been discovered worldwide through aerial photography than through any other survey technique.
The work combines collecting and analyzing data. The term "aerial images" covers traditional photographs taken from aircraft, satellite images, multispectral data (which captures information in specific wavelength ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum), and hyperspectral data (a more detailed version of multispectral data).
A large collection of aerial images exists, with some freely available online or in specialist libraries. Most of these are vertical images taken for area surveys by planes or satellites, often for non-archaeological purposes. Each year, archaeologists take only a small number of aerial images during targeted surveys.
History
Late-19th and early-20th century observations
The origins of aerial photography, which led to aerial archaeology, began in the mid-19th century with early attempts to capture landscapes from above. French photographer Nadar (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon) is credited with taking the first aerial photograph from a balloon in 1858 over the outskirts of Paris. In 1860, James Wallace Black became the first person in America to successfully take aerial photographs from a hot air balloon over Boston. Around the same time, Thaddeus Lowe used balloons for military reconnaissance during the American Civil War.
In the years before World War I, several early attempts were made to use aerial photography for archaeology, though they faced major technical and practical challenges. One of the earliest figures was Sir Henry Wellcome, a British-American pharmaceutical entrepreneur and philanthropist.
In the early 1900s, he financed archaeological expeditions in Sudan, where he used a box kite to take aerial photographs of excavations at Jebel Moya. However, while these efforts showed the potential value of aerial photos for research, they fell short of producing usable images. Camera technology at the time was inadequate, as were the methods for getting cameras into the air.
Quick Facts
- First aerial photograph
- 1858
- First aerial photographer
- Nadar (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon)
- First american aerial photograph
- 1860
- First american aerial photographer
- James Wallace Black
- Father of aerial archaeology
- O.G.S. Crawford
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The origins of aerial photography began in the mid-19th century with early experiments in capturing landscapes from above. In 1858, the French photographer Nadar took the first aerial photograph from a balloon over the outskirts of Paris. In 1860, James Wallace Black became the first person to successfully take aerial photographs from a hot air balloon over Boston.
Around the same time, Thaddeus Lowe used balloons for military reconnaissance during the American Civil War. In the early 1900s, Sir Henry Wellcome financed archaeological expeditions in Sudan where he employed aerial photography using a box kite to document excavations at Jebel Moya. However, camera technology of the time was insufficient, and these early attempts fell short.
World War I and the birth of aerial archaeology
The outbreak of World War I marked a critical turning point. British and Belgian air forces pioneered the use of aerial photography for reconnaissance as early as 1914, leading to systematic aerial observations. Aerial photography advanced rapidly due to its military role, with improvements in camera technology, altitude, and photographic film quality. Thousands of aerial photographs captured over Europe revealed previously unknown archaeological features such as crop marks that were visible from the air but invisible from the ground.
O.G.S. Crawford and the systematic use of aerial photography
After the war, O.G.S. Crawford, widely considered the father of aerial archaeology, applied wartime advances to peacetime research. In the 1920s, he conducted extensive surveys of the English landscape from the air, laying the foundation for aerial archaeology as a scientific discipline. Major G.W.G. Allen, inspired by Crawford's work, used his own airplane to photograph prehistoric landscapes and Roman roads in Southern England.
Modern aerial archaeology
Following the Second World War, advancements such as infrared photography and multispectral imaging enabled detection of subtle variations in vegetation and soil. Aerial archaeology expanded globally, becoming invaluable in the Americas, Africa, and Asia for surveying vast and difficult-to-access landscapes. In recent years, drones have revolutionized the field, offering greater flexibility and lower costs. Technologies like LiDAR can penetrate dense vegetation to reveal features beneath forest canopies, while photogrammetry allows creation of precise 3D models of archaeological sites.
Reader's Guide
Aerial archaeology combines data collection and data analysis. The umbrella term 'aerial images' includes traditional aerial photographs, satellite images, multispectral data, and hyperspectral data. A vast bank of aerial images exists, with parts freely available online or at specialist libraries; these are often vertical images taken for area surveys by aircraft or satellite, not necessarily for archaeological reasons. Each year a small number of aerial images are taken by archaeologists during prospective surveys.
The significance of aerial archaeology lies in its ability to discover and map a wide range of archaeological sites, from prehistoric settlements and ancient roads to medieval castles and World War II battlefields. Its legacy is built on the recognition during World War I that military reconnaissance photographs could reveal archaeological features.
O.G.S. Crawford's systematic use of aerial photography in the 1920s established the method as a legitimate scientific discipline. The post-war introduction of infrared and multispectral imaging broadened the scope of detection, while modern drones, LiDAR, and photogrammetry have made aerial archaeology more accessible and detailed. The Aerial Archaeology Research Group's claim that more archaeological features have been found worldwide through aerial photography than by any other means of survey underscores its foundational role in archaeological investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is aerial archaeology?
Aerial archaeology is the practice of examining ancient and historical sites from above using tools like photography and remote sensing. It lets researchers spot, record, and interpret features that would be invisible from ground level.
Who is considered the father of aerial archaeology?
O.G.S. Crawford is widely credited as the founding figure of the discipline. His pioneering work in surveying landscapes from the air established aerial archaeology as a distinct field of study.
How does aerial archaeology actually work?
Practitioners collect and analyze images captured from above—ranging from traditional photographs to modern remote-sensing data—to reveal buried or hidden structures. The approach excels at surveying large areas and understanding how individual sites fit into broader environmental and cultural contexts.
More in Aerial Photography
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Aerial archaeology (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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