Accessing the Inaccessible: Detailed ‘Off-Site’ Archaeological Survey Using Satellite Imagery and GIS at the Hatnub Travertine Quarries, Egypt

Abstract

Archaeological sites, trails, and roads are traced using satellite remote-sensing, but landscape archaeology often requires detailed survey of much smaller features. At the Hatnub travertine quarries in the Egyptian desert, an ‘off-site’ survey of small diffuse archaeological features was undertaken using high-resolution, pan-sharpened satellite imagery with contrast stretching in obscured areas. Comparison with recent field survey data demonstrated that this remote-survey process was fast, reliable, and generally accurate, with a 93% success rate identifying known features, and false positives estimated at 13%. The resulting digital plans provide an accurate initial record of an imperilled landscape at a level of detail that has not previously been attempted using remotely sensed data. This ensures that future ground-truthing and investigatory fieldwork is targeted at the most important remains and can be combined with mobile recording techniques that modify the remote sensing, survey data during ‘on-site’ fieldwork.